SUMMARY:

The article examines the complex and often misunderstood legal category of “alien peoples” (inorodtsy) in the late Russian Empire using the example of Eastern Siberia. It argues that the social and legal consequences of belonging to the inorodtsy varied based on regional contexts and administrative practices. While registering the group’s distinctiveness, the legal status of inorodtsy could also provide certain privileges, such as exemption from military conscription. The article presents two case studies. The first concerns the attempt by a group of the Sakha people to revert to inorodtsy status after experiencing increased burdens as “regular” Russian peasants. The second case presents the challenges of defining and governing the Tazy people in the Amur region amid the influx of settlers from European Russia and rising anti-Chinese sentiment. In this case, the status of inorodtsy served as a tool for defending economic interests or establishing Russian subjecthood. Ultimately, the article suggests the fluid and situational nature of imperial social categories such as inorodtsy and their uneven impact on diverse populations.