The Policy of Acculturation of the Indigenous Peoples of the Southeastern and Northwestern Outskirts of the Russian Empire: a Comparative Analysis

Abstract

One of the most controversial issues in Russian history is the question of the territorial growth of our state. For a long time there were two mutually exclusive approaches in historical science. The first is that the annexation of new territories was the result, for the most part, of their conquests. The second — the entry of “colonies” into the empire was generally peaceful in nature and the driving force behind this process was economic development. The article analyzes the processes of acculturation that took place on two frontiers of the Russian state: in the European North and in Central Asia. The methodological basis of the study is the concept of acculturation. The main results of the study are the comparison of these processes on the example of a comparison of two regions. It is noted that, despite the significant difference in the period of interaction between different cultures in these regions, there are a number of similarities in the processes of acculturation. Also, positive results of acculturation were revealed.