Autonomous okrugs, () which are also referred to as "autonomous districts" or "autonomous areas" are a type of federal subject of the Russian Federation and simultaneously an administrative division type of some federal subjects. As of 2024, Russia has four autonomous okrugs of its 83 federal subjects. The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is the only okrug which is not subordinate to an oblast. The Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug are parts of Tyumen Oblast.
According to the Constitution of the Soviet Union, in case of a union republic voting on leaving the Soviet Union, autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts, and autonomous okrugs had the right, by means of a referendum, to independently resolve whether they will stay in the USSR or leave with the seceding union republic, as well as to raise the issue of their state-legal status.
History Originally called national okrug, this type of administrative unit was created in the 1920s and widely implemented in the 1930s to provide autonomy to Indigenous peoples of the North, like the Karelian National Okrug for the Tver Karelians. The 1977 Soviet Constitution changed the term "national okrugs" to "autonomous okrugs" in order to emphasize that they were indeed autonomies and not simply another type of administrative and territorial division. While the 1977 Constitution stipulated that the autonomous okrugs were subordinated to the oblasts and krais, this clause was revised on December 15, 1990, when it was specified that autonomous okrugs were subordinated directly to the Russian SFSR, although they still could stay in the jurisdiction of a krai or an oblast to which they were subordinated before.
List of autonomous okrugs Flag Map Name Domestic names Capital Population (2010) Area Formation Chukotka Autonomous Okrug 50,526 1930-12-10 Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug 1,532,243 1930-12-10 Nenets Autonomous Okrug 42,090 1929-07-15 Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug 522,904 1930-12-10
Former autonomous okrugs Flag Map Name Domestic names Capital Population Area Years Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug 76,383 (2008) 1937–2008 Evenk Autonomous Okrug 16,979 (2007) 1930–2007 Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug 132,824 (2005) 1930–2005 Koryak Autonomous Okrug 22,580 (2007) 1930–2007 Taymyr Dolgano-Nenets Autonomous Okrug 38,372 (2007) 1930–2007 Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug 134,320 (2008) 1937–2008
Recent developments
In 1990, ten autonomous okrugs existed within the RSFSR. Between 2005 and 2008, the three autonomous okrugs in which the titular nationality constituted more than 30% of the population were abolished. Since then, three more have been abolished, leaving four. On 13 May 2020, the governors of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug announced their plan to merge following the collapse of oil prices stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The process was subsequently scrapped on July 2 following public outcry to the merger.
The ten autonomous okrugs in 1990 were:
Entity in 1990 Status in August 2008 Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug now Agin-Buryat Okrug of Zabaykalsky Krai Chukotka Autonomous Okrug within Magadan Oblast no longer subordinated to Magadan Oblast Evenk Autonomous Okrug within Krasnoyarsk Krai now Evenkiysky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug within Tyumen Oblast (no change) Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug now Komi-Permyak Okrug of Perm Krai Koryak Autonomous Okrug within Kamchatka Oblast now Koryak Okrug of Kamchatka Krai Nenets Autonomous Okrug within Arkhangelsk Oblast (no change) Taymyr Autonomous Okrug within Krasnoyarsk Krai now Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug within Irkutsk Oblast now Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug of Irkutsk Oblast Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug within Tyumen Oblast (no change)
Ethnic composition of autonomous okrugs The table below also includes autonomous okrugs which have since changed status.
Autonomous Okrug Demographic composition (titular nation, Russians, other)Are the people who are in parentheses next to the autonomous regions and the second-largest two-part Indigenous autonomous regions.year 1979 1989 2002 2010Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrugliquidated Autonomous okrug.▲52.2, ▼42, ▲54.9, ▼40.8, ▲62.5, ▼35.1, ▲65.1, ▼32.5, Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug▲61.6, ▼34.9, ▼60.2, ▲36.1, ▼59, ▲38.1, , , Koryak Autonomous Okrug (all Indigenous)16.3, 62.9, ▲16.45, ▼62, 24.9▲26.6, ▼50.5, ▲40.5▲30.3, ▼46.2, ▲46.5Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Nenets)▼12.8, ▲66, ▼11.1▼11.9, ▼65.8, ▼9.5▲18.6, ▼62.4, ▲10.818.6, ▲66.1, ▼9Taymyr Autonomous Okrug (Dolgan and Nenets)▼9.6, ▲68.9, ▼5▼8.9, ▼67.1, ▼4.4▲13.8, ▼58.6, ▲7.6▲15.7, ▼50.0, ▲10.1Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug▲34.1, ▼58.3, ▲36.3, ▼56.5, ▲39.6, ▼54.4, ▲39.8, ▼54.2, Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug▼1.9, ▼74.3, ▼1.1▼0.9, ▼66.3, ▼0.5▲1.2, ▼66, ▲0.7▲1.3, ▲68.1, ▲0.8Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (all Indigenous)▼8.1, ▼68.6, ▼7.3, ▼66.1, 9.6▲23.4, ▼51.8, ▲30.8▲26.7, ▲52.5, ▲35.3Evenk Autonomous Okrug▼20, ▲62.5, ▼14.1, ▲67.5, ▲21.5, ▼61.9, ▲22.0, ▼59.4, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Nenets)▼10.7, ▲59.1, ▼4.2, ▲59.2, ▼1.5▲5.2, ▼58.8, ▲1.7▲5.9, ▲61.7, ▲1.9
Notes
References
See also Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union Federal subjects of Russia Oblasts of Russia Republics of Russia Krais of Russia Federal cities of Russia Jewish Autonomous Oblast