If Dagestan and Chechnya are part of Russia why are they called Republic of Dagestan and Chechen Republic? Are they technically countries in the same way that Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are countries within the United Kingdom?

Question

I see that they are called federal subjects to Russia but I’m not really sure what that means. I see that there are 20 other republics within Russia. Is their ability to operate more autonomously than other areas including krais and oblasts give them the title of “Republic” and do they operate similarly to countries within the United Kingdom?

In: Culture

Answer 1

Russia is organized kind of like the United States, but with the distinction that it has two kinds of states; Oblasts and Republics. The Republics are essentially large areas that have historically been dominated by a given non-Russian ethnic group. On paper, the Republics are supposed to enjoy a little more autonomy than the Oblasts, but in practice (particularly under Putin) they’re functionally no different than the Oblasts.