SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROCESSES IN RURAL AREAS OF THE TUVA AUTONOMOUS REGION IN THE 1940–1950s

This article examines the main trends in population dynamics in rural areas of the Tuva Autonomous Region (TAO), the gradual changes in population size, and identifies the main causes of its growth and change. The population explosion of the 1940-1950s in the TAO, associated with the transition to a new level of development after Tuva joined the USSR, is analyzed and identified. The problems of fertility, mortality, and migration in rural areas are characterized. It was concluded that despite the high birth rate, the mortality rate was also high due to the serious socioeconomic and healthcare problems that existed at the time. The paper examined and introduced materials from the National Archives of the Republic of Tuva describing the demographic characteristics of Tuvan society. The archival data provided valuable information on the actual social situation in the Tauran Autonomous Okrug. After Tuva joined the Soviet Union, migration flows from the USSR to Tuva increased sharply. Workers from virtually all over the country began arriving in the Tauran Autonomous Okrug, but Siberian regions (Krasnoyarsk Krai, Khakass Autonomous Oblast, Kemerovo, and Irkutsk Oblasts) were particularly prominent. It was found that migration from Tuva increased, primarily due to studies, business trips, and military service. Based on all this, it was concluded that during the Tauran Autonomous Okrug years, the high natural population growth in the rural area, coupled with mass migration, provided a powerful impetus for the region's development