The Origins of the Ethnocultural Diversity of the Mordovian Region

Abstract

The topic of polyethnicity is at its peak of relevance today, since the vast majority of Russian territories are characterized by a multinational population. Polyethnicity of the Russian Federation is determined in the interaction of ethnic communities. One of the most striking examples of a multiethnic subject of the Russian Federation is the Republic of Mordovia. Mordovia is a prosperous ethnopolitical region of Russia, where peoples live “in peace and harmony”.
 
 The purpose of the article is a comprehensive examination of the prerequisites for the appearance of representatives belonging to various nationalities in the Mordovian Region, as well as factors that influenced polyethnicity formation in the region as part of the territories that later became part of the Republic of Mordovia.
 
 Materials and methods. When writing the scientific publication, scientific and research literature was used, with the help of which it was possible to establish the historical prerequisites for polyethnicity of the Mordovian region. Thanks to the use of the regional studies method, a historical and ethnographic analysis was carried out, which gave the opportunity to identify historical aspects that influenced the formation of the region in line with ethnic diversity.
 
 Study results. The polyethnicity in the region began to take shape with the beginning of constructing recorded observation lines from the end of the XVI – the first half of the XVII century, as it follows from historical sources, where it was possible to meet foreigners among the service people. In the Mordovian Region in the specified period, the names of settlements indicate the multinational nature of the peoples living there, for example, the Lithuanians lived in the village of Litva in Krasnoslobodsky district, or another example of a settlement with a foreign population is the village of Lopatino with the Ukrainians located in Lyambirsky district.
 
 Conclusions. In historical retrospect, polyethnicity of Mordovia developed over a long period and was accompanied by historical events taking place both in Russia and around the world. The official origins of polyethnicity formation can be attributed to 1897, when a population census was conducted for the first time, according to the results of which people of various nationalities lived in the territories included in the Mordovian Region. By 2010 Mordovia was formed as a multiethnic subject of Russia, which is clearly demonstrated by the official statistical population censuses.