Russian Empire Two million Ukrainian peasants settled in Siberia between the 1600s and 1917. In the 19th century, the government of Russia encouraged peasants to move from the western parts of the empire to Siberia. Ukrainian peasants, not as burdened by the traditional Russian communal system of agriculture as the Russian peasants had been, seemed ideal candidates for resettlement, often more willing to go in return for the promise of more land. The literacy societies were among the few public service organizations in Tsarist Russia. The Khar’khov Society, while Russian-speaking, included many Ukrainians and was among the most active of such societies.
Cossack Settlement Soviet era (1926 census) (1989 census)
Dekulakization Dekulakization played an important role in promoting Ukrainian migration to Siberia. Under
Stalin's leadership, Ukrainians would forcefully be relocated to Siberian regions in both the
Russian SR and
Kazakhstan/kazach SR. During the
Holodomor roughly 300,000 Ukrainians which is equivalent to 10 percent of Ukraine population in 1932-1933 were relocated across the USSR. 160,000-200,000 would be forcibly relocated to Siberian regions.
World War II refugees During
Operation Barbarossa evacuations commenced of
Russian,
Belarusian and
Ukrainian civilians from Europe over the
Ural Mountains. These evacuees included skilled Russian and
Jewish workers and professionals as well as nationally conscious members of the Ukrainian
clergy and intelligentsia. The
Soviets feared that the
Nazis would exploit the
ethno-national detachment of the educated and many were prohibited from returning to
Ukraine after the war.
Gulag During the Stalin era, and especially after World War II many Ukrainians were sent to
Gulag; some of them were former participants of the
Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Ukrainians contributed to the
Norilsk Uprising and other gulag uprisings in 1953. Many (but not all) Ukrainians living in Siberia and Russia are the descendants of prisoners.
Modern Russia After the collapse of the Soviet Union many Ukrainians chose to stay in Siberia, unlike many other nationalities. That combined with natural growth caused their share of the population to increase. However overall the population numbers declined due to assimilation.
Post Maidan Events Ukrainian exodus In mid-2014, trains began to arrive in Siberia carrying Ukrainian refugees. Many refugees and immigrants were welcomed by Siberian natives and many settled in predominantly indigenous areas. Many however, were unaware of their location upon their arrival, in one case, immigrants from Ukraine arriving in
Magadan walked out of the plane confused - asking reporters where they were. Analysts assume Ukrainians are arriving in depopulated areas (i.e. Igarka) for the purpose of repopulation. ==Areas of settlement==