autonomous oblast

English edit

Pronunciation edit

  • Hyphenation: au‧to‧no‧mous‧ob‧last

Noun edit

autonomous oblast (plural autonomous oblasts)

  1. One of the administrative divisions of the former Soviet Union created for certain “smaller” nations and characterized by following features: they were given an autonomy within a union republic or, in the RSFSR, within a krai; had a status lower than an autonomous republic; had a different titular nation from that of their union republic/krai. Abbreviated as AO.
    • 1989, Daily report: Soviet Union, Issues 181-186, p. 75
      Unlike the Armenians in the NKAO they are deprived even of those opportunities represented by autonomous oblast status.
    • 1992, Rachel Denber, Robert K. Goldman, Helsinki Watch, Bloodshed in the Caucasus: escalation of the armed conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, page vii:
      During the early Soviet period the territory [Nagorno Karabakh] was placed under control of Soviet Azerbaijan and given the status of autonomous oblast.
    • 1992, Draft Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 81
      The autonomous oblast has the rights and bears the obligations of a kray and oblast. The legal status of the autonomous oblast is determined by federal law enacted by the Russian Federation Supreme Soviet in accordance with a representation of the autonomous oblast.

Usage notes edit

Currently there is only one autonomous oblast surviving in Russia, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.

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