Adyghe Autonomous Oblast (Adyghe AO) was an administrative-territorial unit of the RSFSR, which existed from July 27, 1922 to July 1991. The capital was Maykop. (Until 1936, Krasnodar).
The Adyghe Autonomous Oblast was established on July 27, 1922, as the Cherkess (Adyghe) Autonomous Oblast. On August 24, 1922, it was renamed the Adyghe (Cherkess) Autonomous Oblast of the North Caucasus Krai. On August 3, 1928, it was renamed the Adyghe Autonomous Oblast. On February 7, 1929, as a result of enlargement, 3 districts were formed within the oblast: Krasnogvardeysky (village of Nikolayevskoye), Psekupsky (aul of Ponezhukay) and Shovgenovsky (aul of Khakurinokhabl). From January 10, 1934, the autonomous oblast was part of the Azov-Black Sea Krai. On December 28, 1934, 5 districts were newly formed in the oblast: Koshekhablsky, Krasnogvardeysky (village of Nikolayevskoye), Ponezhukaysky, Takhtamukaysky and Shovgenovsky (aul of Khakurinokhabl). On April 10, 1936, the city of Maykop, Giaginsky District and the Khansky selsoviet of Maykopsky District were transferred to the oblast from the Azov-Black Sea Krai. As a result, the administrative center of the oblast was moved from Krasnodar to the city of Maykop. From September 13, 1937, the Adyghe Autonomous Oblast was part of Krasnodar Krai. On February 21, 1940, the Kuzhorsky rural council of the Tulsky District of Krasnodar Krai was transferred to the Adyghe AO, and the Maykopsky District was formed within its composition.
The oblast then consisted of 7 districts: Giaginsky, Koshekhablsky, Krasnogvardeysky (village of Nikolayevskoye), Maykopsky, Takhtamukaysky, Teuchezhsky (aul of Ponezhukay) and Shovgenovsky (aul of Khakurinokhabl). On April 28, 1962, the territory of the abolished Tulsky District of Krasnodar Krai was annexed to Maykopsky District, thereby giving the territory of the Adyghe Autonomous Oblast its modern shape.
On October 5, 1990, an extraordinary session of the Adyghe Regional Council of People's Deputies adopted a decision to raise the status of Adygea to the level of an independent subject of the RSFSR (republic) and proclaimed the Adyghe Soviet Socialist Republic. On December 15, 1990, the secession of Adygea from Krasnodar Krai was legalized by the Second Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR, which amended the Constitution of the RSFSR to remove autonomous oblasts from the krais to which they belonged. On July 3, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, "in accordance with the decision of the Regional Council of People's Deputies of the Adyghe Autonomous Oblast", adopted a law on the transformation of the Adyghe AO into the Soviet Socialist Republic of Adygea within the RSFSR and submitted the corresponding amendment to the Russian constitution for consideration by the Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR. On March 23, 1992, the Supreme Soviet of Adygea adopted a law renaming the SSR Adygea to the Republic of Adygea (Adygea). On April 21, 1992, the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation introduced the provision on the Republic of Adygea into the Constitution of the RSFSR. The amendment entered into force upon publication on May 16, 1992, in "Rossiyskaya Gazeta"
As of January 1, 1985, the Adyghe Autonomous Oblast included 2 cities of oblast subordination:
and 7 districts:
Dynamics of the population of the oblast:
National composition of the population according to the 1979 census: