The article examines the results of the research conducted in August–September 2013 in several regions of the Volga Federal District. The work is devoted to actual trends in the development of inter-ethnic relations at the present stage. Inter-ethnic relations can be defined as the unity of social, economic, cultural, political and other ties between ethnic communities, as well as their of representatives among themselves. The study of inter-ethnic relations at the present stage has become especially relevant because of the growth of nationalistic sentiments in some regions of the country. The study identifies specific and common features of development of inter-ethnic relations in Tatarstan, Mordovia and Nizhny Novgorod Region. The trends evolving in the ethnolinguistic sphere have been studied. An increase in expenditure for the development and implementation of targeted programs has been noted, where effectiveness is quite low. The influence of diaspora groups on the development of inter-ethnic relations has been analyzed. It is shown that the tendency of “ethnization” of public life and inside politics of individual regions remain. Migration processes continue to have a significant impact on the ethnic map of the regions. Analysis of these trends has allowed us to formulate a number of hypotheses: the ethnolinguistic component is given a special place in a number of republics of Volga Federal District, which is also because of the fact that the language becomes a powerful factor in the consolidation of an ethnic group, turning it into a political force capable of destabilizing the situation in the region; significant financial injections in the form of regional programs do not give the expected results; diaspora groups in the regions under review do not have a significant political weight, an exception can be individual businessmen from among them; the issue of “ethnization” of elites in the republics is controversial; the example of Tatarstan shows that the traditions of “ethnization” remain in force in the region; the problem of migrants is actualized by a combination of factors, including the growth in the number of newcomers, the aggravation of social and economic situation in the regions, a decrease in the living standards of residents, an increase in the number of crimes involving migrants etc.

Inter-ethnic relations, social development, an expert survey, a national republic, the Volga Federal District 

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