Authorized Access Points for Autonomous Republics, Oblasts, and Regions in Soviet Russia

The Russian S.F.S.R. (shortened to R.S.F.S.R. as a jurisdictional qualifier) contained many autonomous republics, oblasts, and regions. Most of these entities still exist in modern Russia, and the Library of Congress Name Authority File has been updated accordingly to provide the modern name. A few entities existed only during the Soviet period and have no modern parallel.

This chapter provides guidance on the authorized access points for the Soviet entities and their modern forms.

Autonomous republics and oblasts

The majority of autonomous republics and oblasts have two authorities in the Library of Congress Name Authority File: one for the Soviet-era jurisdiction and one for the current jurisdiction (note that not all of these are in modern-day Russia). For such entities, the Soviet name cannot be used in subject headings; the current name must be used instead. Other entities have only a Soviet-era jurisdiction name, since they existed solely in that period. These can be used for subject headings in records for resources on that entity.

To aid the cataloger, those authorized access points which can be used as subject headings are provided in the list below in bold.

Authorized access point(s) for Soviet-era entity ----- Authorized access point(s) for post-Soviet entity

Adygeĭskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Adygea (Russia)

A.S.S.R. Nemt︠s︡ev Povolzhʹi︠a︡ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- N/A (existed 1924-1941 only)

Bashkirskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Bashkortostan (Russia) [current]
Bashkirskai︠a︡ SSR (Russia) [1991-2] ----- Bashkortostan (Russia) [current]

Buri︠a︡t-Mongolʹskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Buri︠a︡tii︠a︡ (Russia)
Buri︠a︡tskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Buri︠a︡tii︠a︡ (Russia)
Buri︠a︡tskai︠a︡ S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Buri︠a︡tii︠a︡ (Russia)

Chechenskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Checheno-Ingushetia (Russia)
Checheno-Ingushskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Checheno-Ingushetia (Russia)

Cherkesskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- N/A (existed 1928-1957 only)

Chuvashskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Chuvashia (Russia)
Chuvashskai︠a︡ SSR (Russia) [to 02/1992] ----- Chuvashia (Russia)

Dagestanskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Dagestan (Russia)

[Evreĭskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.)] form no longer exists as a separate authority ----- Evreĭskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (Russia) authority contains R.S.F.S.R. form as an "earlier form" reference

Gorno-Altaĭskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Gorno-Altay (Russia) [1991-2]; Altaĭ (Russia : Republic) [current]

I︠A︡kutskai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Sakha (Russia)
I︠A︡kutskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Sakha (Russia)

Kabardino-Balkarskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Kabardino-Balkarii︠a︡ (Russia)

Kalmyt︠s︡kai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Kalmykii︠a︡ (Russia)
Kalmyt︠s︡kai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Kalmykii︠a︡ (Russia)

Karachaevo-Cherkesskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Karachay-Cherkessia (Russia)

Karelʹskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Karelia (Russia)

Kazakh A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) [later reconstituted as a separate Soviet republic (Kazakh S.S.R.)] ----- Kazakhstan

Khakasskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Khakasskai︠a︡ Respublika (Russia)

Kirgizskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) [later reconstituted as a separate Soviet republic (Kirghiz S.S.R.)] ----- Kyrgyzstan

Komi A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Komi (Russia)

Krymskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) [later reconstituted as a Ukrainian oblast’, Krymskai︠a︡ oblastʹ (Ukraine)] ----- Crimea (Ukraine)

Mariĭskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Mari El (Russia) [from 1992]
Mariĭskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Mari El (Russia) [from 1992]
Mariĭskai︠a︡ SSR (Russia) [1990-1992] ----- Mari El (Russia) [from 1992]

Mordovskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Mordovii︠a︡ (Russia)

Severo-Osetinskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- North Ossetia (Russia)
Severo-Osetinskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- North Ossetia (Russia)

Tatarskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Tatarstan (Russia)

Turkestanskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- N/A (existed 1918-1924 only)

Tuvinskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Tuva (Russia)

Udmurtskai︠a︡ avtonomnai︠a︡ oblastʹ (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Udmurtii︠a︡ (Russia)
Udmurtskai︠a︡ A.S.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Udmurtii︠a︡ (Russia)

Regions

Unlike autonomous republics and oblasts, most R.S.F.S.R. regions have only one authorized access point in the Library of Congress Name Authority File. This entry is for the current form of name, except where there is no post-Soviet parallel.

To aid the cataloger, those authorized access points which can be used as subject headings are provided in the table below in bold.

Name of Soviet-era entity ----- Authorized access point(s) for post-Soviet entity

Baltic Coast (Soviet Union) ----- Baltic Coast

Caucasus, Northern (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Caucasus, Northern (Russia)

Central Chernozem Region (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Central Chernozem Region (Russia)

Non-Chernozem Region (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Non-Chernozem Region (Russia)

Pacific Coast (Soviet Union) ----- Pacific Coast (Russia)

Prussia, East (Poland and R.S.F.S.R.) / East Prussia (Germany) ----- Prussia, East (Poland and Russia)(see also Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ (Russia))

Siberia, Eastern (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Siberia, Eastern (Russia)

Siberia, Northeastern (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Siberia, Northeastern (Russia)

Siberia, Western (R.S.F.S.R.) / Siberia, Western (R.S.F.S.R. and Kazakh S.S.R.) ----- Siberia, Western (Russia)

Soviet Central Asia ----- Asia, Central

Soviet Far East (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Russian Far East (Russia)

Soviet Union, Northern ----- Russia, Northern

Soviet Union, Northwestern ----- N/A (Soviet-era entity only)*

Soviet Union, Southern ----- N/A (Soviet-era entity only)*

Soviet Union, Western ----- N/A (Soviet-era entity only)*

Volga-Ural Region (R.S.F.S.R.) ----- Volga-Ural Region (Russia)

West Siberian Plain (R.S.F.S.R. and Kazakh S.S.R.) ----- West Siberian Plain (Russia and Kazakhstan)

*These three Soviet areas do not have exact parallels in modern Russia, since they covered more than simply Russian territory (unlike Soviet Union, Northern whose area was confined to Russia itself). Catalogers dealing with the Northwestern, Southern, and Western parts of Russia itself (whether imperial or modern) may use the headings Russia, Northwestern, Russia, Southern, and Russia, Western.

Revised: Oct. 2015