Formation of the Image of the Orenburg Region as a Multinational Region in Guidebooks of the Post-Reform Period

This article examines the formation of the image of the Orenburg Region as a multinational region in post-reform travel guides. The relevance of this study stems from the need to examine the mechanisms of regional image formation in a historical perspective, particularly in the context of multinational territories. The methodological framework for this study draws on the principles of imagology, regional studies, and the acculturation paradigm. The study identifies key trends in the description of the ethnic composition of the population, cultural traditions, and socioeconomic characteristics of the region. Particular attention is paid to analyzing how travel guides reflected the region's transformation from a marginal territory to a multinational center, highlighting the specific Euro-Asian image of the Orenburg Region with its Cossack population. The author concludes that post-reform travel guides created an image of the Orenburg Governorate as a unique multinational region. They contributed to the formation of ideas about the region as a space of peaceful coexistence of various peoples and their cultural enrichment.