New jobs can stop KBR's out-migration, experts say

The main reason for the outflow of people from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) is the lack of a sufficient number of jobs and low wages, say the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Traditionally, Russian nationals in the republic were employed in the industry; and the closure of industrial enterprises in the 1990s forced part of the population to leave the KBR. "The economic basis is the main reason for the outflow of people. We can't talk of any interethnic problems that have contributed to the departure of the Russian-speaking population," says Eduard Burda, a candidate of historical sciences and an unemployed resident of the city of Maisky in the KBR.

He noted that when Maisky operated the College of Information Technologies – a branch of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU), the youth went to study there; and the outflow was smaller. "Now, the Russian-speaking population of Maisky and Prokhladnoe moves mainly to Stavropol, Rostov, Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Many work on the Olympic construction sites in Sochi," said Burda.

According to his version, another reason for the exodus is the decline in the agricultural sphere of the republic.

According to the Russian census of 2002, Russians made more than 25% of the population (namely, over 225,000 citizens). According to the 2010 census, Russians made 22.5% of the total population (namely, 193,155 citizens).