Country: Russia

Group: Sakha/Yakut

Date Finalized: 11/15/2022

Team: Gabriel Cardenas (lead), Ash Pessaran, Isabella Boker, Erin Fagan, Amaya Tanhueco,

Content Warning: Killings

Approximate Time Period: 1920 – 1970

There is evidence to conclude that the Soviet Russian government, committed lethal violence against the Yakut minority group in Siberia. The Yakut or Sakha are a minority group in the current Russian Federation. They predominately reside in the Republic of Sakha. Their population numbers over 470,000 (Minority Rights Group, 2020).

After the Russian Revolution and the consequent Soviet takeover in the 1920s, agriculture was collectivized (Minorities at Risk Project, 2004). This resulted in resistance from many Yakut groups. These groups were arrested, and killed (Minorities at Risk Project, 2004). The Soviets harsh treatment of Yakuts during the 1920s – 1960s resulted in the steady decline of the Yakut population (Minorities at Risk Project, 2004). This decline and treatment continued until the fall of the USSR. Once the Russian Federation was established, the Yakut population began to increase (Minority Rights Group, 2020).    

Data Quality: The data quality for the Yakut in Russia is (1/3). Specific information is hard to find. More instances of lethal may have occurred.

Sources

  1. Sakha (Yakuts), Russian Federation, (December 2020). Minority Rights Group International. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/sakha/
  2. Minorites at Risk Project, (2004). Chronology for Yakut in Russia. Refworld. https://www.refworld.org/docid/469f38d5c.html