autonomous okrug

plural autonomous okrugs · plural autonomous okruga

1. In the Soviet Union and Russia, a territorial and administrative division of a krai or oblast, which grants a degree of administrative autonomy to an ethnic minority, usually located in large, remote areas with sparse populations.

   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

   2 more examples

   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

   The 1993 constitution established a complex system of government for Russia as a federation. This federation is currently made up of 46 oblasti (regions), 21 semiautonomous respubliki (republics), nine kraya (territories), four autonomous okruga (districts), one autonomous region (the Jewish Autonomous Oblast) and the federal cities of Moscow and St Petersburg.

   2012 March, Simon Richmond et al., “History: The Putin Years”, in Russia, 6th edition, Footscray, Vic.; Oakland, Calif.; London: Lonely Planet Publications, →ISBN, page 654

   Synonyms: AO