Autonomous Circle
An autonomous district ( Russian Автономный округ , Awtonomny okrug ) is a name for an administrative unit in the Soviet Union and Russia . The official name was until the last Soviet constitution of 1977 officially National Circle ( Russian Национальный округ , Nacional'nyj okrug ). Autonomous counties comprise large, very sparsely populated areas in the north of the country, in the Urals and in Siberia . The indigenous peoples are in the minority compared to the Russians and partly also to other ethnic groups.
In Russia
There are currently four autonomous counties in Russia :
- Chukchi Autonomous Okrug
- Autonomous circle of the Khanty and Mansi
- Autonomous Okrug of the Nenets
- Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Disbanded autonomous circles
Six autonomous districts have recently been dissolved:
- The Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug was united with the Perm Oblast to form the Perm Region on December 1, 2005 .
- The Taimyr Autonomous Okrug and the Evenks Autonomous Okrug were united with the Krasnoyarsk Territory on January 1, 2007 .
- The Koryak Autonomous Okrug was united with the Kamchatka Oblast to form the Kamchatka Region on July 1, 2007 .
- The Ust-Ordynsk Buryat Autonomous Okrug was incorporated into Irkutsk Oblast on January 1, 2008 .
- The Agin Buryat Autonomous Okrug was united with Chita Oblast on March 1, 2008 to form the new Transbaikalia region .
See also: Administrative division of Russia
In the Soviet Union
The first seven national circles were established within the Berg ASSR , which was later divided into different parts. In 1923 the National Circle of Red Kurdistan followed within the Azerbaijani SSR , but it was dissolved again in 1930. Further national circles were then founded, all within the RSFSR, mainly in Northern Russia and Siberia (see above).
According to the constitution of 1977 , the Soviet Union was a federation of so-called union republics . Within the Union Republics there were Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics , Autonomous Areas and now officially known as Autonomous Counties, former National Counties. These four units had the character of a state on paper and had a certain degree of autonomy (e.g. in matters of culture). The autonomy of the units mentioned was greatest in the Union republics and more theoretical in the autonomous districts.
