Early Soviet Policies toward Ethnic Minorities

• Russia was divided into 30 national territories

  Inside of these, schools, books and newspapers used local languages, rather than Russian

  The Soviet Union was a multi-ethnic nation, containing 180 different national groups.
• Local leaders were trained up and given roles in the party and government

  There was equal treatment of people and all republicans were declared equal

  The communist party did not want to behave like the Tsarist empire
• The Soviet Union was referred to as a 'family of nations' in which different national groups would govern themselves.

  National groups were also encouraged to celebrate their own culture and if they became independent they were able to leave the Soviet union.

  Freedom of religion was also promised.