Development of Reindeer Herding in the North of Yakutia in 1990-ies: Quantitative Indicators

Abstract

The article, prepared with the financial support of Russian State Scientific Foundation (RGNF) within the project No. 17-11-14003, the attempt is made to characterize the general situation of reindeer herding in the first post-Soviet period on the basis of the dynamics of the population. This is the main parameter of the prosperity of the Northern economy. The affected sphere is of scientific interest to study traditional economy of indigenous peoples of the North. The problem of development of traditional sectors of the economy considered in the projection of the characteristics quantity of reindeer herding of the population and its specific weight by categories of farms. The study of this question as a hypothesis put forward against the background of general characteristics of the Northern farms in the 1990-ies the view that the dynamics of the number of livestock and the ratio of the share of livestock have their certain characteristics for outcome - the assessment of development of the reindeer industry in the study period in different categories of agriculture, natural-economic zoning of the area groups engaged in reindeer herding. It is important to show that, despite the known socio-economic problems in the development of reindeer herding, a more complete picture of the changes in the main quantitative indicator as historically measure of well-being and traditional economy of the North in the most difficult post-Soviet period can be presented based on the analysis of official statistical and archival data.