Abstract
<jats:p>The article examines the dynamics of the formation of a multinational population structure during the last decade of Soviet rule (1985–1991), focusing on the republics of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. It analyzes demographic, socio-economic, and political factors that influenced changes in the ethnic composition of the population during the period of perestroika, political liberalization, and systemic crisis within the Soviet state. Particular attention is paid to internal and external migration processes, including repatriation movements and the outflow of the Russian-speaking population. Based on data from the 1979 and 1989 population censuses, the study identifies trends such as the growth in the proportion of titular nationalities and shifts in the social and professional structure of ethnic groups. The article concludes that the final decade of Soviet governance represented a transitional phase from a formally internationalist model toward nationally oriented societies, shaping the ethno-political developments of the independence period.</jats:p>