Afanasyeva, A. Forced relocations of the Kola Sámi people: background and consequences / by Anna Afanasyeva. - Tromsø: University of Tromsø, 2013. - 82 p.: ill., map, portr.

26 3 The Soviet policies on the Kola Peninsula: closed Sámi settlements and relocations The current chapter represents further discussion on the policies implemented by the Soviet government after the 1940’s. The first paragraph provides a general description of the views towards indigenous peoples of the Russian North after the introduction of the Soviet order. The last section of this chapter scrutinizes the implementation of both studied policies, in particular the policy of collectivization in the 1930’s-1940’s and the policy of economic centralization and amalgamation of collective farms in the 1950’s - 1970’s in relationto the relocation measures on the Kola Peninsula. 3.1 General views in relation to indigenous peoples of the Russian North after introduction of the Soviet order The considerations on national issues of the small indigenous peoples of the Russian North, Siberia and the Russian Far East (KMNS) were regarded and accepted in the light of general conception in development of the whole country both theoretically and in practice. In 1924 the Committee of Assistance to Peoples of the Northern borderlands (also called Committee of the North) was founded. Its task was focused primarily on three main questions: native self-government, economic reorganization, and social enlightenment. 79 The question of native self-government appeared to be controversial as further planning of indigenous peoples’ questions concerned the following main considerations. 80 The first argument is based on the attitude of the state to indigenous autonomies, which were eliminated by the time of the start of collectivization policies in the 1930’s. It constitutes the idea that indigenous peoples should not live isolated from the progressive society. The development of each human society is determined by certain historical conditions and has always been heterogeneous in its nature. Therefore, different states and nations, being at different stages of development, influence each other progressively if they are not isolated. The glimpses of this idea are also found in the contemporary theory of globalization. 81 An interesting parallel observation was made during a conversation with one of my informants, and the question on today’s 79 Grant 1995:72. 80 Odzial 2008: 15. 81 ibid:26.