Sociological monitoring of interethnic and interfaith relations in the cities of the south of the Tyumen region

The Tyumen region plays an important strategic role among Russian regions, remaining a leading domestic oil and gas producer for six decades. The complex nature of Russia’s current foreign policy situation poses new challenges for society, authorities, and residents of the country in various spheres of life, in particular, in the field of ethno-confessional development and interaction. To assess the impact of ongoing activities, it is necessary to systematically conduct sociological research taking into account the main provisions of the national policy of the state. An example of such research is the monitoring of interethnic and interfaith relations, carried out since 2013 in Russian regions, including the cities of the south of the Tyumen region. Questionnaire surveys conducted by scientists from the Tyumen Industrial University among residents of two provincial cities (Yalutorovsk, Zavodoukovsk) revealed the positive dynamics of the interethnic and interfaith situation in the region. According to the survey results, the number of residents who positively assess the relationships that develop between people of different nationalities and religions increased during the study period by 1–4% and amounted to 90–95%. For comparison, countrywide, three-quarters of Russians give such assessment. 93.3–94.0% of residents of these cities indicated the absence of hostility towards them on the basis of nationality and religion; over five years their number increased by 3.2–5.3%. In the course of the research, it is concluded that in the provincial cities of the south of the Tyumen region, a stable interethnic and interfaith situation has developed, which determines a positive direction in the areas under study. The goodwill of the existing relationships is not influenced by the nationality and religion of the respondents.