The ethnic issue and interethnic conflicts created a real threat of disintegration of the Soviet Union at the end of the 20th - early 21st centuries. They provided slogans and political forces for the severe political crisis on the eve of the 20th century and ended Russia as a multiethnic state. This book is a collection of articles on the history of social, political, economic and national trends in the Soviet Union which resulted in numerous ethnic conflicts and secession movements in Russia. Bibliographical references.