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Humanitarian sciences in Siberia

2014 year, number

ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL UNITS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF OF THE NORTHERN AREAS OF ASIATIC RUSSIA IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE XIX - EARLY XX CENTURIES

M.V. Shilovskiy
Institute of History of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IH SB RAS), Russia, 630090, Novosibirsk, Akad. Nikolaev str., 8
Keywords: Arctic, Yakut oblast, governor, ispravnik, district, uyezd

Abstract

The paper analyzes the ultimate administrative-territoral division of the Arctic territories in the Northeastern part of the Russian Empire in the second half of the XIX - early XX century, that resulted in creation of the Kamchatka Oblast in 1909. The situation on the Chukotka penincula is considered in terms of integration of the Chukchi population under the Russian patriality by establishment of Anadyr District in 1888 and Chukotsky District in 1909. The author also studies projects of administrative reorganization of Northern territories, in particular, by means of uniting the Kamchatka and Yakutsk Oblasts into a new general-governorship centered in Yakutsk. Another issue under consideration is the administrative system in the territorial units of the Arctic Zone of Asiatic Russia, first of all in the Yakutsk Oblast. The author pays attention to the administrative staff (Yakutsk governors, district and uyezd police officers - “ispravniks”); states that the key position of the Yakutsk civil governor was held by the officials who had previoisly served in siberia for a long time, demonstrating initiative and ability to make their own decisions. Among such governors one should mention Yu.I. Stubendorf, V.N. Skripitsin, I.I. Kraft. The policy of “indigenization” of the administrative staff (aimed at engagement of the native-born Siberians) had some positive effects. Northern territories were always under control of the West-Siberian (before 1882) and East-Siberian (Irkutsk) governors-generals who regularly made inspection visits.