Abstract:

As a result of the collapse of the USSR and its demise as a state in the 90s of the twentieth century, millions of citizens found themselves in the position of national minorities in newly established independent states. Outside the Russian Federation, the Russian-speaking population faced a difficult political, economic, cultural and psychological situation, however, they retained their national identity, culture and language. One of the regions of the post-Soviet space, where a significant part of the Russian-speaking ethnic group lives is Central Asia. This study includes the analysis of the size and geographical dynamics of the Russian population in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan in the pre- and post-Soviet period. While it is thought that approximately 4.7-4.8 million Russians live in Central Asia today, the number of this population decreased by half after the collapse of the USSR. More than 3/4 of the Russian population is concentrated in Kazakhstan, where the rate of demographic decline is minimal. While Turkmenistan has already left Russia's cultural and civilizational sphere of influence, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are moving in the same direction as the other Central Asian Turkic republics in leaving the Russian culture and civilization sphere. As a result of this study, it was concluded that the states that gained independence in the post-Soviet region were in search of creating a national identity independent from Russia. Furthermore, the Russian population decreased with the mass flight of the Russian-speaking population from the newly independent states of Central Asia.

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