The History of Mordva Resettlement to Western Siberia in the Soviet Period

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2026-2/379-390

Abstract

This article is devoted to the history of the migration of Mordovians to the territory of Western Siberia based on materials from the Central State Archive of the Republic of Mordovia and data from the ethnographic expedition of 2009. It is the first time that the history of the resettlement of the Mordovians to the West Siberian region during the years of Soviet power is being scientifically studied. It was revealed that this resettlement included planned relocations aimed at the development of new territories, as well as forced ones associated with repression. For many people, the resettlement was largely motivated by the various benefits provided to the peasants. Based on the analysis of archival and field materials in the resettlement movement, two main periods were identified:  1920–1930 — industrialization, collectivization; 1950–1960 — active formation of industrialized cities, the development of virgin and fallow lands. Isolated cases of Mordovian migration to Siberia were revealed to have occurred between 1970s and 1980s. These were motivated by personal reasons and seasonal work, as the mass programs to attract the population to new regions had already ceased by that time.