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This article deals with the history of cultural transformation of the small-numbered peoples of the Far Eastern region in pre-revolutionary period based on the set of published and unpublished materials. The increased focus is put on the problems of advancement of Christianity among the indigenous population of the national areas of the Far East where orthodox missionaries played a key role. The origins and initial processes of interaction between indigenous and alien population in the Far East during the period of accession of the region to the Russian Empire are investigated. A brief description of social and cultural life foundations of aborigines before the arrival of the Russians is given. The influence of Russian policy has extended to all spheres of life of the aboriginal population – household activities, religious views and national crafts. Social and economic contacts with the Russians have predetermined the life of the indigenous population of the Far East in all aspects. The religion turned out to be the most affected by the Russian government. The work includes the comparative study of the influence of Christian missionaries on different small-numbered peoples: the Chukchi, the Chuvans, the Evens, the Orochis, the Yukagirs etc. In general, Christianity was not predominant among the aborigines. On frequent occasions Christianity was adopted in view of benefits from interaction with the Russians. Christianization of traditional ethnic groups was superficial. Heathen beliefs had retained their influence. Multiform contacts with outnumbering alien population resulted in penetration of Russian culture into all spheres of life of the small-numbered ethnic groups - from economic to cultural and general. Economic, social and cultural development of the indigenous population resulted in unusual combination of traditional and innovative forms of living.

The article deals with the history of socialistic modernization of traditional ethnic groups of the Russian Far East in 1920s-1930s on the basis of the unpublished documents from federal and national archives introduced for scientific use for the first time. The increased focus is put on the problems of transformation of ethnical and cultural processes in the national areas of the Far East where the role of the Committees for Affairs of the North was fundamental. The key areas of radical changes included educational and fostering institutions, medical, sanitary and hygienic services of the native minorities of the Far East. Outreach centers, innovative schools, northern branches of the leading Institutions of Higher Education became the institutional basis for moderniztion. The main problem at this stage was training of teaching staff. Lack of teachers in the first instance created a considerable obstruction to modernization activities. A lot of efforts were spent to development of a hospital system in national areas. However this goal had not been achieved in pre-war period. The conclusion on critical consequences of these activities for further development of intellectual and material culture of aborigines including the formation of national clerisy was made. The development of clerisy among the peoples of the North was considered the most effective way of their integration into the Soviet system. The Soviet government did not always take into account special aspects of life and traditions of the native minorities of the Far East, the peculiarities of their material and intellectual culture. The forced modernization of the country resulted in unrecoverable damage to the traditional culture of the indigenous peoples who had just reached the primitive communal system breakup stage and created on its ruins the new socialist culture acceptable to the Soviet state.

Based on the documents which are unpublished and introduced into the scientific usage for the first time (the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Archive of Economics, the State Archive of Khabarovsk Territory) the article considers the problem of forming written language of small native peoples of the Far East. Special attention is given to reformation of national alphabets, where an important role belonged to the Institute of Northern Peoples, with the focus placed on the transition from the Latinized alphabet to Cyrillic alphabet, and all positive and negative results of this process are revealed. The author concludes that these activities had very important consequences for further development of culture and everyday life of the native people, including for the foundation of their national literature.