Astrakhan Oblast, Stavropol Krai and Stalingrad Oblast: 1954 Territorial Dispute over Sarpinsky and Stepnoy Districts

Introduction. Ethnic deportations in the USSR led to the elimination of a number of national autonomies and annexation of their territories to other regions. After the abolishment the Kalmyk ASSR, its lands were divided between Astrakhan, Stalingrad, Rostov Oblasts and Stavropol Krai. The history of these territories during the Kalmyk deportation remains essentially understudied. One such unexplored issue is the 1954 territorial dispute over Sarpinsky and Stepnoy Districts between Astrakhan Oblast, Stavropol Krai and Stalingrad Oblast. Materials and Methods. The article introduces and analyzes documents contained in the Collection of the CSPU Central Committee (RSFSR), Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History. The study also involves other historical and historiographic sources discovered by the author, employing the comparative-historical, problem-chronological methods, and that of source criticism. Results. The disagreements over Sarpinsky and Stepnoy Districts are an example of territorial disputes between different national-state and administrative-territorial entities in the USSR. Common causes of the conflicts were Soviet administrative and territorial transformations. At the same time, actual specific reasons for individual territorial disputes do differ. Territorial claims between southern regions escalated after J. Stalin’s death and subsequent change in the country’s political leadership. Astrakhan executives were dissatisfied with the 1952 transfer of Stepnovsky District to Stavropol Krai. They appealed to the party establishment and Soviet leaders proper reclaiming territories of Stepnoy (Stepnovsky) District (Stavropol Krai) and Sarpinsky District (Stalingrad Oblast). But in 1953 to 1955, the Soviet leadership was hesitant enough to alter any administrative boundaries. Moreover, positions of Stavropol and Stalingrad executives in this dispute proved well-justified. So, the dispute lead to nothing, and after the return of Kalmyks in 1957 Sarpinsky and Stepnoy Districts became parts of the Kalmyk national autonomy.

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