autonomous oblast

au·to·no·mous·ob·last

noun

In the former Soviet Union, a lower-status autonomous unit below an autonomous republic, typically established for a smaller titular nationality and nested inside a union republic, or in the RSFSR, inside a krai.

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Meanings

nounautonomous oblast (plural autonomous oblasts or autonomous oblasti)

plural autonomous oblasts · plural autonomous oblasti

  1. historicalgovernmentIn the former Soviet Union, a lower-status autonomous unit below an autonomous republic, typically established for a smaller titular nationality and nested inside a union republic, or in the RSFSR, inside a krai.

    Unlike the Armenians in the NKAO they are deprived even of those opportunities represented by autonomous oblast status.

    1989, Daily report: Soviet Union, Issues 181-186, p. 75
    5 more examples

    In addition, there were six state archives of autonomous oblasti, nine state archives for national okrugi, and sixteen archives and four branches for the sixteen autonomous republics under the RSFSR.

    1972, Patricia Kennedy Grimsted, “The Organization of Repositories: State Archives”, in Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the USSR: Moscow and Leningrad (Studies of the Russian Institute), Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, →ISBN, Historical Survey, section 2 (The Development and Organization of Archives since 1917), page 49

    The largest Republic by far, the RSFSR, thus contains within its boundaries no less than sixteen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics, five Autonomous oblasti (Regions) and ten Autonomous okruga (Districts), while the other SSRs include four additional A SSRs and five further Autonomous Regions.

    1984, Peter Worsley, “Pluralism: Internationalism and Multinationalism”, in The Three Worlds: Culture and World Development, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, →ISBN, section IV (Ethnicity and Nationalism), page 271

    The soviet network in 1985 was made up of the USSR Supreme Soviet, fifteen supreme soviets of the union republics, twenty supreme soviets of autonomous republics, 129 krai and oblast soviets, eight soviets of autonomous oblasti, ten soviets of autonomous okruga, 3,113 raion, 2,137 city, 645 town-raion, 3,828 urban-type settlements and 42,176 village Soviets, a total of 52,074 soviets of people’s deputies.

    1989, Richard Sakwa, “Local soviets and administration”, in Soviet Politics: An Introduction, London; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, chapter 8 (Local politics and participation), page 152

    During the early Soviet period the territory [Nagorno Karabakh] was placed under control of Soviet Azerbaijan and given the status of autonomous oblast.

    1992, Rachel Denber, Robert K. Goldman, Helsinki Watch, Bloodshed in the Caucasus: escalation of the armed conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, page vii

    The autonomous oblast has the rights and bears the obligations of a kray and oblast. The legal status of the autonomous oblast is determined by federal law enacted by the Russian Federation Supreme Soviet in accordance with a representation of the autonomous oblast.

    1992, Draft Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 81

    Synonyms: AO

Synonyms & antonyms

nounIn the former Soviet Union, a lower-status autonomous unit below an autonomous republic, typically established for a smaller titular nationality and nested inside a union republic, or in the RSFSR, inside a krai.

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Translations

Bulgarian автоно́мна о́бласт
  • автоно́мна о́бласт (avtonómna óblast)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Chinese Mandarin 自治州
  • 自治州 (zìzhìzhōu)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Finnish autonominen alue
  • autonominen alueautonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Hungarian autonóm terület, autonóm körzet
  • autonóm területautonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
  • autonóm körzetautonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
  • autonóm régióautonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Japanese 自治州
  • 自治州 (jichishū)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Korean 자치주
  • 자치주 (jachiju)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Polish obwód autonomiczny
  • obwód autonomicznyautonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Romanian regiune autonomă, реӂиуне аутономэ
  • regiune autonomăautonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
  • реӂиуне аутономэ (regiune autonomă)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Russian автоно́мная о́бласть, АО́
  • автоно́мная о́бласть (avtonómnaja óblastʹ)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
  • АО́ (AÓ)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Ukrainian автоно́мна о́бласть
  • автоно́мна о́бласть (avtonómna óblastʹ)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Yiddish אַווטאָנאָמע געגנט
  • אַווטאָנאָמע געגנט (avtonome gegnt)autonomous entity in the Soviet Union and Russia — see also AO
Cite this entry
APA

autonomous oblast. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autonomous%20oblast

MLA

“autonomous oblast.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autonomous%20oblast. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autonomous oblast,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autonomous%20oblast.

Source: autonomous oblast on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.