Historical and demographic processes in the Adyghe autonomous region in the 1930-1950s

Relevance. The socio-demographic processes of the pre-war period and the period of the Great Patriotic war played a leading role in the formation of the mobilization and labor base of the country. They remain largely decisive for the post-war, up to the present time, generations of Russian citizens. The regional aspect of the problem allows not only to reveal the impact of global shocks on regional communities, but also to study, predict and prevent negative phenomena in the field of socio-demographic development.

The purpose of the study is to summarize and verify known facts on the demographic development of the Adyghe Autonomous region in the pre-war, war and post-war periods.

The objectives of the study are to systematize the available information on the population size and development of demographic structures of the Adyghe Autonomous region in the 1930s–1950s, as well as to determine the degree of influence of global and regional historical trends on them, such as the socialist transformation of the economy in the 1930s and the Great Patriotic war.

Methodology. In preparing the work, the fundamental principles of historical science (historicism and objectivity) were used, as well as a number of specific historical and general scientific methods (analytical, comparative historical, historical-genetic, statistical, etc.).

Results. The study established that the Adyghe Autonomous region in the 1930s and 1940s developed in the context of global upheavals common to the population of the USSR. This led to a number of negative phenomena in the demographic sphere: a decline in the birth rate, deformation of demographic structures, excess mortality of the population, and the creation of prerequisites for a demographic crisis. The relative stabilization of the 1950s contributed to the recovery of the region after the Great Patriotic war and significant rates of natural and migration population growth. However, the region never fully recovered demographically.

Conclusion. The upheavals of the 1930s and 1940s had an extremely negative impact on the population of the Adyghe Autonomous Region, which became the root cause of the future demographic crisis. Its further study and deepening of knowledge about the influence of global historical events on the demographic development of regional communities is required using the example of the Adyghe autonomous region.

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