Paradoxes of regional ethnopolitics in modern Russia

The article examines some paradoxical features of regional ethnopolitics in modern Russia, which, according to the author, are explained by the fact that in modern Russia the ideological and institutional legacy of the Soviet national policy remains practically unchanged. This is primarily about the prevalence of the ethnocultural interpretation of the nation not only in society, but also in scientific and political discourse. Due to this, the political and intellectual elites of the “internal” Russian nations are very suspicious of the implementation of the goal declared in the “Strategy of the State National Policy of Russia until 2025” — the formation of a Russian civil nation, since they consider the processes of cultural assimilation as abnormal and dangerous for ethnic nations, and territory as a category of “national”, and in fact ethnic property. Based on the results of the study, the author formulates some recommendations regarding the necessary changes in the content of Russian ethnopolicy.