The Erzya-Moksha Autonomy (Erzya: Эрзя-Мокшонь Автономной область, Moksha: Эрзя-Мокшень Автономнай область, Russian: Эрзя-Мокшанская Автономная область) was a name of an administrative division of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union approved by Executive Committee of Erzya-Moksha Autonomous oblast before July 16, 1928. The Executive Committee name didn't change till 1930. The conventional name of the Oblast was changed to Mordvin Okrug on July 16, 1928. The administrative centre first was planned to be the oldest Oblast city Temnikov but it was established in Saransk because of the railroad absence in Temnikov.[2]

Erzya-Moksha Autonomous Oblast
Эрзя-Мокшонь Автономной область (Erzya)
Эрзя-Мокшень Автономнай область (Moksha)
Эрзя-Мокшанская Автономная область (Russian)
Okrug of Russian SFSR
Flag of Erzya-Moksha Autonomy
Flag
Coat of arms of Russian SFSR of Erzya-Moksha Autonomy
Coat of arms of Russian SFSR

Erzya-Moksha Autonomy (Mordvin District) already renamed to Mordvin Autonomous Oblast before territorial changes in 1930[1]
CapitalSaransk
History
 • Created16 July 1928
 • Abolished10 January 1930
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Idel-Ural State
Mordovian AO

History

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Soviet Power eradicates illiteracy. Moksha girls. Mordovia, 1928

The Erzya-Moksha Autonomy[3] was approved in 1928 as Mordvin Okrug according to personal approval of Josef Stalin, who attended the meeting of the Executive Committee. Deputy president of Supreme Court of Mordovia Vasily Martyshkin quotes Stalin and Timofey Vasilyev [ru]. Since Mokshas and Erzyas lived sparsely in many governorates of former Russian Empire Stalin believed it was impossible to establish many autonomous districts. That was Mikifor Surdin, ethnic Moksha who proposed to establish not Erzya-Moksha Autonomy, but a Mordvin okrug. Since most members of the Executive Committee were neither ethnic Erzyas nor Mokshas and did not understand Russian well, Surdin said that using Mordva as ethnonym would be more understandable since they are not supposed to hear about Erzya or Moksha ethnic groups. Stalin liked this variant. The Erzya-Moksha Autonomous oblast lost its ethnic (Rus. national) status and been renamed to Mordvin Okrug. Mikifor Surdin has been being cursed till now for that, in spite of the fact he was executed during the Great Purge.[4][5][6][7] That was the time when the autonomy name changed to Mordvin.[8] Only "ethnonym" Mordvin was allowed in documents for Erzya and Moksha since then.[9][10][11][12]

Okrug was established in the area populated mainly by Erzyas and Mokshas as a part Srednevolzhskaya Oblast [ru] on July 16, 1928. On October 20, 1929, the Okrug was included into Srednevolzhsky Krai [ru].

On January 19, 1930, Okrug transformed into the Mordvin Autonomous Oblast [ru],[13] which itself became the Mordovian ASSR in 1934.

Administrative division

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The Okrug was divided into 23 districts:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sarov Ethnologist. Pre-Mordvin Administrative Division In Volga Region
  2. ^ Kozlov 1958, p. 47
  3. ^ Grekov & Levebedev 1940, p. 47
  4. ^ Golubchik 2022
  5. ^ Anoshkin, Nikolay (18 May 2022). "The Exoethnonym's Origin. Page of History". Erzian Mastor [Erzialand]. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  6. ^ *"Republic Of Mordovia". vseruss.com. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Votians, Besermyans and Other Peoples Of Russia That Seem To Be Never Existed but They Do". Kulturologia.ru. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  8. ^ Martyshkin 2014
  9. ^ Vasilyev 2007
  10. ^ "Votians, Besermyans and Other Peoples Of Russia That Seem To Be Never Existed but They Do". Kulturologia.ru. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  11. ^ Golubchik 2022
  12. ^ Anoshkin, Nikolay (18 May 2022). "The Exoethnonym's Origin. Page of History". Erzian Mastor [Erzialand]. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  13. ^ CITEREFBabushkin2006

Sources

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