Ethnic Dynamics and Dilemmas of the Russian Republic
Abstract
The Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR), which contains 51.5 percent of the USSR's population, has emerged as a key factor in the political and economic ferment that is undermining the very existence of the Soviet Union. The election of Boris Yeltsin as RSFSR president in June 1991 marked a decisive step in the decline of Mikhail Gorbachev's primacy and a new stage in the process of reform and democratization, the consequences of which we are only beginning to see. Though the RSFSR's population is over 80 percent Russian and over 85 percent Slavic, the republic confronts almost as many problems of ethnic and regional self-assertion as the USSR as a whole. Though many native peoples are minorities in their own areas, some have political leverage and a disruptive capacity far beyond their numbers. In some parts of the RSFSR, Russians are exploiting ethnic concerns-forming alliances with other ethnic groups and serving as spokesmen for greater autonomy of ethnic areas-to advance their regional interests. Most Russians now tend to give regional interests priority over national and republic considerations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA252537
Entities
People
- Paul B. Henze
Organizations
- RAND Corporation