The relevance of the article is due to the following reasons: the increased research interest in regional history under extreme conditions of the Great Patriotic War; the controversy that exists in post-Soviet historiography over assessment of the Soviet national policy during the first decades of the Sovietregime; and the continuing need for studying historical records on the issue. The purpose of the article is to study and consider the historical experience in running national policy and creating a regional system of public education by the political parties of the Khanty-Mansiysk National Okrug in time of war. Based on the analysis of archival documents, the author has concluded that there was critical shortage of national leadership and its share among the leaders of Ugra was low as compared to other national administrative-territorial entities within the USSR. The level of literacy and culture of everyday life among the indigenous population during the studied period was low. However, neither the issues of the national policy nor the low level of literacy prevented the indigenous population of Ugra from participation in the anti-Nazis fight.