FEDERALIZATION AND THE NATIONAL QUESTION IN RUSSIA AS A STATE FORMING FACTORS

Abstract

The main trends in the development of federal and national relations in Russia are considered. It is noted that after the Moscow state began to actively expand, mainly in the eastern direction, Russia quickly became the largest state in terms of territory with a huge number of ethnic groups. Taking them under its patronage, the Russian state thereby contributed to their accelerated development, and over time this led to the inevitable federalization of the state structure, which was reflected in the constitutions after 1917. The thesis is substantiated that in a multinational state there can be no federalization, the development of which sooner or later leads to the withdrawal of some ethnic groups from the federation (shown by the example of the collapse of the USSR in 1991). The problems of federal-national character in modern Russia are indicated.