The paper concerns the analysis of the patterns and peculiarities of the settlement of ethnic groups in the territory of the Altai Republic and identification of cultural landscapes formed by these groups. The main source of information was represented by the results of the 2021 Russian Census. The use of interviewing and literature analysis allowed the verification of some data of the Census related to the ethnic identity of the residents in the region. In particular, some inaccuracies and discrepancies in the assignment of the population to specific subethnic groups of the Altaians were identified and, accordingly, improved indicators of the population count for these groups have been proposed. From the results of the study, a map of ethno-cultural differentiation of the territory of the Altai Republic has been compiled, which shows areas of settlement of main ethnic groups, as well as ethno-contacting zones. The area of settlement of the Russian population spans the low- and mid-mountain regions in the north of the Republic. Also, in Central Altai, old-believers resettling there in the 18th–19th cc. formed yet another isolated areal of Russian population. The Northern Altaians (Chelkans, Tubalars, Kumandins) live in taiga low-mountain regions of North-Eastern Altai (Turochaksky, Choysky and Mayminsky Districts). In doing so, they have mixed to a large extent with the Russian population. The Southern Altaians (Altai-Kizhi and Telengits) have the largest territory of population, living mainly in Ust’-Kansky, Ongudaysky, Ust’-Koksinsky, Shebalinsky, Chemalsky (Altai-Kizhi), Ulagansky, and Kosh-Agachsky (Telengits) Districts. Kazakhs live compactly in the territory of Kosh-Agachsky District, as well as have a smaller enclave in Ust’-Kansky District (the village of Turata).

Keywords: geocultural space, ethnos, ethnic group, Altai, Altaians, Russians, Kazakhs, ethnic settlement, ethnic area, ethnocontact zone.

 

Funding. The study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation, grant No 23-27-00429.

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Accepted: 30.05.2024

Article is published: 15.09.2024