Nomads

Nomading groups' lifestyles were respected yes, and they were generally allowed to continue to live as they had for generations before the Soviet period (with some new modern technological conveniences). Some groups (particularly among the northern peoples) did become partially stationary with the advent of collective farms and technologically inspired feedlots. Also, improved education, as well as urbanization and industrialization of areas to the East encouraged young people to leave their group to find new work and a new lifestyle. Some groups, among them the Uzbeks and Tajiks, were quite successful in retaining their nomadic traditions. I have no idea what caused the relative success or failure of these groups to survive as nomads. Perhaps it had something to do with the initial quality of life and the extent that education impacted peoples thinking.


Oh and Fellow Comrade: People didn't need permission to travel, but only to move to another part of the country (because the regional 'plans' required rather precise information on the amount of people living and working in their areas to be able to accomodate them all).