Territorial Delimitation between Altai, Omsk and Semipalatinsk Provinces in 1925

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A detailed analysis of the process of demarcation of the Altai province from the Omsk province of the RSFSR and the Semipalatinsk province of the Kirghiz (since June 1925 — Kazak) ASSR, which were first involved in scientific circulation is carried out on the basis of the archival documents. It is shown that it consisted in an attempt by the Altai authorities to withdraw the territory of the Narrow Steppe from under their jurisdiction and transfer it to the adjacent provinces in the first half of 1925. The history of this border issue, which arose as a result of the inclusion of the Korostelevskaya steppe in the Kyrgyz ASSR, is investigated. The course of discussion of changes in the border line between the authorities of the three provinces and Moscow is described. Various arguments proposed by the parties, options for resolving the problem that have arisen are considered; and also, it is explained why, in the end, the disputed border territory remained part of Siberia. It is noted that the attempts of the leadership of the Altai province to transfer part of the territory of the Uglovsky district with the “Narrow Steppe” tract under the control of the Omsk and Semipalatinsk provinces are noted. It is concluded that the issue of the status of the Narrow Steppe during the nationalterritorial demarcation between Siberia and Kazakhstan was one of the most difficult and went beyond the traditional ways of solving similar problems.