In the article, the socio-cultural image and activity of national-cultural societies of Russian Koreans of the Chelyabinsk region in 1989–2002 are presented. In this historical period, as a result of labor and forced migrations from Central Asian countries in the Southern Urals the total number of Russian Koreans («Koryo saram») has increased substantially. At the same time, there was a significant activation of the ethno-cultural self-awareness of this diaspora group, cultural centers and Korean cultural societies were organized. In Chelyabinsk in that period, a Korean cultural center arose, Korean language courses, history and culture courses were organized, as well as a dance studio. Based on archival documents, materials of local periodicals and the press of the Korean diaspora, ethno-cultural and migration processes with the participation of «Koryo saram» have been reconstructed. It shows how the Korean cultural, educational societies of the region were created and worked, the main features of the socio-cultural appearance of the studied group were established: 1) the dynamics of the number and circumstances of the appearance of Koreans in the studied territorial boundaries; 2) distribution in urban and rural areas; 3) gender ratio; 4) level of proficiency in the Korean language; 5) migration behavior. Despite its small number (in 2002 – 959 people) Koreans turned out to be one of the most institutionally organized diaspora groups in the Chelyabinsk region. It is established that along with the activation of the identity of Russian Koreans and the creation of Korean national-cultural societies, the processes of assimilation and acculturation have gradually increased. Russian Koreans are one of the most vivid and distinctive diaspora groups that are represented today in Russia and the countries of Central Asia (primarily Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan). In the historical period considered in this article, some members of the Korean diaspora had a very noticeable impact on the ethno-cultural development of the Chelyabinsk region.

Avdashkin Andrey Aleksandrovich, Candidate of Sciences (History), Senior Researcher, South Ural State University; 76, Lenin Avenue, Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russian Federation, e-mail: adrianmaricka@mail.ru

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