Altai Elite in the Second Half of the 19th - the First Tertiary of the 20th Century. The Heritage of the Altai Spiritual Mission

The establishment of the Altai Spiritual Mission (ASM) and the fulfillment of its missionary work resulted from the necessity to deal with the problem of the personnel which led to the formation of a new Altai elite. It replaced zaysany, demichi and shamans in the ethnic and political as well as ethnic and social spheres of life. The intelligentsia nurtured in the mission was loyal to it and considered as its main aim to educate its countrymen. With time modern familial dynasties among the Altai elite were established, which survived through the critical periods in the history of the 20th century and at present represent the political elite of the Altai republic. In the beginning of the 20th century during the Civil war and the establishment of the soviet power in the region, the composition of the Altai elite was restructured. It was aimed at replacing the ASM proponents with the supporters of Altai sovereignisation. If before 1920s the descendants from the Northern Altai foothills dominated the elite, then in the years that followed the representatives of Central and South Altai took center stage. From the first days of the establishment of the soviet power in Gorny Altai and its foothills it focused its attention on the establishment of a school network, which would help the formation of loyal elite.

 Keywords: the Altai elite, Altayans, Altai Spiritual Mission, ethnic politology, ethnic sociology.

Altai Elite in the Second Half of the 19th - the First Tertiary of the 20th Century. The Heritage of the Altai Spiritual Mission