Abstract
This article considers the problem of social well-being of an ethnic group in the context of urbanization processes. One of the ethnic groups of Russia, the Yakuts (Sakha), was chosen for analysis. The data of a sociological study on the project “The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and big challenges: social well-being, mobility and adaptation strategies” are presented. The main reflection of social well-being in this article is the emotional state of the respondents and their subjective assessment of their own socio-economic situation. The answers of 765 respondents who noted their belonging to the Yakuts are analyzed. In a comparative vein, an analysis of social well-being in urban and rural areas was carried out. It was revealed that, despite the fact that, in general, the financial situation of Sakha citizens is better than that of the villagers, the estimates of the emotional state look more positive in rural areas. The respondents who assessed their socio-economic situation as unfavorable assess their emotional state most negatively. The dependence of assessments of the emotional state on the significance of ethnic identity has been revealed. Possible factors contributing to the formation of this situation are proposed. It has been suggested that the loss of close communication and social ties within the Sakha-speaking and mono-ethnic environment when moving to the city is more problematized for the most disadvantaged segments of the population, which causes a feeling of depression, apathy, and indifference.