Demographic processes


Within the vast Tobolsk Province (the present territory of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug is the part of it) 22.5 ths. representatives of the Ostyaki people (Khanty), 6.0 representatives of the Samodi people (Nenetses) and 4.5 - 6.0 representatives of the Voguly people (Mansi).

The Pre-polar census in 1926 - 1927 defined 15195 representatives of small-in-number peoples on the suggested bound of the Okrug (Beryezovsky, Kondinsky, Samarovsky and Surgutsky Districts according to the administrative division on January 1, 1927). The dynamics of the indigenous peoples number could be traced since the census till nowadays.

The density of small-in-number peoples of the North
of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug in the total number of population

 

1926-1927

1939

1959

1970

1979

1989

1999

2004

Total number of population

36886

92900

123926

271157

570763

1282396

1369500

1469000

including small-in-number peoples

15105

18841

17929

19846

18378

19598

28556

30150

density, %

41

20

15

7,3

3,2

1,5

2,1

2

urban people

2685

7500

33464

170625

446034

1166339

1247000

1156800

including small-in-number peoples

31

465

1185

3357

4424

6788

11109

13108

rural people

34201

85400

90462

100532

124729

116057

121600

312200

including small-in-number peoples

15074

18376

16744

16489

13954

12810

17339

13432

Till the beginning of 90-s the number of the Khanty, Mansi and Nenetses remained stable, the reason is the quick growth of the Okrug population especially in 70-80-s, their density in the total number of population is constantly decreasing: from 41% in 20-s to 1.5-2 % at present.

The basic changes in the number of the indigenous population at that period were connected with the Okrug territory urbanization which promoted to increase the number of the urban people among the minority groups due to the rural people migration to the towns and working settlements. The process of  gradual reduction of the absolute number and the rural national population density, the quota of which reduced from 97 % in 1939 to 65 % in 1989, and the absolute number at that period decreased from 18.4 to 12.8 ths. people, took place. Regarding the nationalities separately, the most urbanized are the Mansi people: 41 % of their representatives live in the urban settlements (1989), the quota of urban people among the Khanty and Nenetses people is 31 % (Table 2.2).

Historically organized system of the indigenous peoples residence on the territory of the Okrug for the last quarter of the century has been changed greatly. It was caused by the natural resources exploitation. New towns and working settlements caused the growth of the urban people number, raised the migratory mobility of the northern ethnoses which usually had a force character. Women were very active in this process (due to higher educational level, opportunity to find the job and regulate their life). Sex density has been changed in the places of the indigenous people traditional living and in urban settlements.

In the Okrug towns the quota of women in active able-bodied ages (16-39) makes 60 % and more of the total number of resident indigenous nationalities.  But in spite of this inequality, the most part of men is unmarried according to the above mentioned reasons.

The opportunities to found new towns and working settlements are exhausted, therefore the increasing of the urban people number among the national population will be natural, owing to migration from the countryside to the place of education or working, and the growth rate will be reduced. In general this process doesn't need the regulation: acceleration or deceleration. Its evolutional development allows the most prepared representatives of the northern ethnoses to adapt to the changed conditions without problems.

The negative part of this process is the fact that urbanization increases the crossbreeding of the indigenous peoples by ethnical miscegenation growth.

In total there is a growth of urban people among the Northern peoples. In 1979 their density in the total number made 24.1 %, in 1989 - 34.6, at the beginning of 1999 - 39 %.

During the last quarter of the century according to the statistical data of the Okrug Territorial Medical Board the natural growth of the Northern small-in-number population, residing on the territory of the Okrug, was positive and varied over particular years from 6.3 (1994) to 28.0 (1997) per 1000 inhabitants.

At present the number of mixed families in villages with the aboriginal and newly arrived population is over half and more of the total number of the small-in-number peoples of the North living in this or that village.

This process covered the whole territory of the Northern peoples residing, the difference is only in its intensity. At present the families of nomadic population are ethnically clear, their number amounted to 3610 people in 2004.

Owing to the contacts with different countries increasing, cultural and educational level growth of young generation, the assimilative processes tend  to enlarge. Changes in legislation (for instance, benefit repeal for Northern small-in-number peoples) and national self-consciousness growth can influence on the marriages decrease of such kind. Regarding ethnical miscegenations on sex, the quota of aboriginal women makes 2/3 of all marriages.

It is connected with the fact that women of indigenous nationality prefer to get married to the arrived population representatives in the communities, where the representatives of small-in-number peoples live together with other nationalities. Dominating of men population in young ages among the arrived population promotes it, that was distinctive in the period of raw material resources base intensive developing.

The growth of ethnical outmarriages number makes increase of single men number of aboriginal nationality, mostly in the settlements near the compressor stations and working settlements, because they can not find the match as a result of outmarriages in these communities.

In the last years the nationality of children from the ethnically mixed families of small-in-number peoples of the North is usually determined by the parent of aboriginal nationality, with the exception of the outmarriages with the Komi where can be the same situation.

The most significant changes in the Okrug national minorities number were in the 1-st half of 90-s, when the number of small-in-number peoples of the North increased quickly.

Increasing of small-in-number peoples number over the Okrug districts in this time was mostly caused by artificial reasons, because it was in the result of nationality change in connection with benefits which were given to the representative of aboriginal peoples. In the total growth of population the natural growth made from 8.7 % in the Oktyabrsky District to 30.2 % in the Beloyarsky District in 1989-1994, at that time it was an intensive growth of the national minorities number. The exception is the Surgutsky District in which the whole growth of population was natural.

The highest quota and the absolute number of persons who have changed their nationality falls on the Kondinsky District. The biggest density of ethically mixed families and cross-breeding level of population in comparison with the other districts of the Okrug are the characteristic features of this District.

It is necessary to accent the dual character of ethically mixed marriages, which on the one hand degraded the national community, and on the other – young generation, which identifies itself with the aboriginal ethnos, gave an impulse to increase the national self-consciousness. Many representatives of the national intelligence are of ethnically mixed families origin.

Correlation of small-in-number peoples of the North over the Districts (people)

Districts

1989

1995

2005

Beloyarsky

2007

2675

2697

Beryezovsky

4316

6018

5933

Kondinsky

2947

4660

4957

Nizhnevartovsky

1611

2106

2192

Oktyabrsky

1316

1857

1985

Surgutsky

2497

2650

2784

Khanty-Mansiysky

1049

1484

1600