This present thesis attempts to explain the contemporary development of the Republic of Saleha (Y akutia) and the development of Russian federalism from the perspective of the "regionalist" approach and to analyze what has brought Y akutia to the point of being "sovereign" within the Russian Federation since 1990. Among 89 subject-units of the Russian Federation the Republic of Sakha occupies a position, which is in some ways common and in some ways unique. The way that the Republic establishes its relations with the federal center in Moscow is an important question in Russia's changing and evolving system. The "centralist" approach exaggerates probabilities of the dissolution of the federation. The Russian Federation was mainly established from the top and the center is stronger than regions. Therefore, probably not disintegration, but centralization is the perspective for the federation. In the case of Y akutia, the Republic does not have any reasonable base for independence. Therefore, the policy of the government of the Republic of Sakha (Y akutia) is directed to an inevitable cooperation with the federal organs. According to the government of Yakutia, Russian federalism should be developed on principles of asymmetrical and constitutional-agreemental federalism, where the "sovereignty" of the republics is coexisted with the sovereignty of the federation. The future development of the Republic is dependent on the general situation in the Russian Federation and policies of the central government, while we should not ignore Sakha nationalism, which might be radicalized in the case of abolition of "sovereignty" rights.

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Gavriliyev, Çokuur