Identification of citizens OF The Altai Republic: from ethic to civil identity

Abstract

The Altai Republic is a heterogeneous region in ethnic, social and cultural aspects. After the breakup of the USSR, the Republic started to search for its own national identity. The process resulted in increasing amount of ethnic conflicts and decreasing level of ethnic tolerance.The research is based on the empirical data of the public opinion poll, which was held in the Altai Republic in 2016. The article reveals the state identification priority of the citizens of the Republic. The article shows the basis of civil identity of population. It also demonstrates some ethnic specificity of the citizens of the Republic, which consolidates them with other citizens of the Russian Federation. The article reveals social, economic and political concerns, which are the irritation factors and which could be the latent threats for social and national security. The article analyzes attitudes of some ethnic groups to the unification of the Altai Republic with the Altai Krai. The opinion poll data allow to reveal the status of civil identity and factors causing the need in ethnic, confessional and local identity.