A lot of National composition population Russian Federation enshrined in the first lines of the Constitution and conditioned historical traditions, left over from previous historical eras.
The documents of the latest census enshrine the voluntary nature of the national definition of an individual, so the question “how many nationalities are there in Russia” can only be given a conditional answer.
Construction of a common house
Story Russian statehood, which began in ancient times, is the process of formation over a vast area of a social organism consisting of national formations very different in composition. The quantitative predominance of the Russian nation largely determined the qualitative composition of multinational education. The true Russian mentality is characterized by natural tolerance, which was formed from the habit of living in peace with neighbors. And how many nationalities are there in Russia - those who came with menacing intentions and became united people with the Russians?! How can one not recall the history of the Kazan Khanate or the nomadic peoples from the southern steppes.
Another reason for the increase in the number of nationalities gathered on one sixth of the land was the imperial policy of territorial expansion, which led to the unification under a single state entity of a huge number of “foreigners” with their own customs, languages and culture. The respectful attitude of the titular nation towards the way of life of other peoples was in many ways the basis of state unity, and how many nationalities there are in Russia can be understood by the huge variety of languages, costumes and traditions.
Belonging to an ethnic group
It is human nature to strive to understand one’s place in society, belonging to certain linguistic, cultural, professional, educational, and religious groups. Division along ethnic lines has always been one of the most important and familiar; nationality is one of the main categories of stratification. Calls to return to the roots, to search national roots characteristic of even the most advanced and educated layers of society.
Unfortunately, the desire for national identity often takes the form of a fad, a fashionable hobby, or, even worse, xenophobia and chauvinism, in favor of the political needs of the current moment. This has always been a serious danger, given how many nationalities live in Russia. But there remains hope for the intelligence of people, because a rare nation can consciously declare intolerance towards other people’s customs and call for the destruction of a culture born within the framework of another nation.
Fifth column
A mandatory item on nationality (in the sense of belonging to a specific ethnic group) was in the Soviet passport, which was in direct accordance with the beliefs of the founder of the communist state, Lenin. Even before the revolution, in the questionnaires of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, at the direction of the leader, the column “nationality” was introduced.
Stalin became a faithful successor of the national policy, which aimed to hide interethnic problems, and solve obvious and urgent ones with an iron hand, without taking into account the diversity, how many nationalities and nationalities there are in Russia, evicting entire peoples from their usual places or creating artificial formations type complex in composition autonomous republics. This approach gave rise to huge problems during the collapse of the USSR in the form of interethnic conflicts, often with the use of armed force.
Soviet document circulation made the state bureaucracy a powerful force. It was easier to take into account how many nationalities lived in Russia with such document flow, although some nationalities, in particular small Finno-Ugric groups, were considered non-existent because they were not on the list approved by the authorities.
Modern views on national identity are in the nature of approaching a specific person, who himself makes conclusions about belonging to a specific ethnic group based on linguistic and cultural preferences.
Number of nations and nationalities
The census reports noted more than 800 answer options to the question on the census form about nationality, but after processing the numbers with the participation of ethnographers, it turned out that the names of many nations and nationalities differ only in pronunciation options in different dialects.
Thus, 193 ethnic formations of various scales were identified: 145 were separate ethnic groups, and 48 were their constituent parts in the process of historical and cultural evolution. This is one of the answer options to the question “how many nationalities are there in Russia.” That this is only an option is clear from an analysis of the results of censuses conducted in other years. It becomes clear that the identification of ethnic groups in separate category or their inclusion in another education is made at the discretion of ethnographic experts based on their scientific developments.
Indigenous Peoples
There is another type of statistical data showing how many nationalities there are in Russia. They divide all the nationalities of Russia into three groups:
The first is large ethnic groups, most of which live within the borders Russian state, often forming national administrative units. A minority of such peoples live outside the Russian Federation. This group includes Russians, Tatars, Chuvash, Komi, Yakuts, Kalmyks and others - about 100 peoples in total.
The second group is peoples from neighboring countries (former Soviet republics). Namely: Ukrainians, Belarusians, Armenians, Kazakhs, etc.
The third group includes representatives of nations that are small in number, most of whom live outside of Russia: Romanians, Hungarians, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. Total number ethnic groups the second and third categories depend on the calculation method and range from 60 to 90. These statistics show how many nationalities in Russia and nationalities whose representatives belong to a foreign ethnic group.
The majority of the Russian population consider themselves Russian - 81%, that's 111 million people. In addition to them, there are six more nationalities that number more than 1 million people: Tatars - 5.3 million (3.72%), Ukrainians - 1.92 million (1.35%), Bashkirs 1.58 million (1.11%). ), Chuvash 1.43 (1.01%), Chechens - 1.41 million (1.0%) and Armenians - 1.1 million (0.83%).
Geographic ethnography
The history of the Russian Empire, the history of the Soviet Union, the present period is an endless process of interaction between large and small ethnic entities, resettlement of peoples, migration and re-emigration. How many nationalities are there in Russia that have experienced cataclysms of various scales in their history at the behest of the authorities?
As a result, there are no more or less vast areas left on the map of Russia inhabited by representatives of one nation; there are areas with a relatively homogeneous national composition and areas that represent a motley mixture of customs and languages. The latter can safely include the Middle Volga region and North Caucasus. Using their example, one can imagine how many nationalities live in Russia if, say, in small developed mountain areas, speakers of several dialects belonging to different language families coexist.
Tree of languages
It is the language, and not the typical way of life for a group of people or similar external signs, that is the defining category for a nationality. There are almost as many languages in Russia as there are nationalities! That is, no one knows a definite answer, and every linguist and ethnographer has his own opinion. This is as true as the fact that language is like a living organism: it changes, develops or withers. Science knows many dead languages.
The number of language families alone, to which scientists classify the dialects spoken by Russians, is striking; there are 14 of them. This is like the number of branches extending from a single trunk, and smaller branches extend from them, the number of languages is comparable to the number of leaves, and in the case of languages throughout Russia, according to a number of scientists, this figure is close to two hundred.
Conclusion
Even world-famous scientists, linguists, ethnographers, and sociologists consider the most reasonable answer to the question of how many nationalities and languages there are in Russia to be more than a hundred. But just reasonable people add that it’s not a matter of quantity, but of common house enough space for happy life to all peoples, and the smallest of them would feel like part of a friendly family.
Planet Earth is a multinational community inhabited by a large number of various nationalities. How many peoples live in the world? Surely every person has asked a similar question at least once in his life. At the same time, the exact answer is practically unknown, since even historians find it difficult to give exact figures. In Russia alone there are more than 1194 nationalities, and if we take into account how many peoples are in the CIS countries, then the number will be several times larger.
General classification of nationalities
Most people are interested in a quantitative indicator, but if you collect all the data on how many peoples exist, the list can turn out to be almost endless. Most often, the unification of different peoples into groups occurs either according to species characteristics, or according to the language spoken by one or another group, or according to the territory of residence.
Sometimes division into groups can occur in accordance with cultural traditions and foundations
In total, there are 20 language families on the planet, which include different peoples.
In 2016, the largest language families were the following 4 groups:
- Indo-European. In total, this group includes 150 nations, which are located in Asia and Europe. The total population of this group is 2.8 billion people.
- Sino-Tibetan. This group includes the entire population of China and neighboring countries that share common language and culture. In total, there are almost 1.5 billion people in this group.
- Afro-Asian. A language family that includes the peoples of Southwest Asia and North Africa.
- Niger-Kordofanian. The remaining peoples inhabiting the African continent, including the regions of Central and Southern Africa.
The largest nations of the world
Over the entire history of existence on Earth, a large number of nationalities have emerged
Some of the nationalities are small by historical standards and number no more than a million people (there are only 330 peoples). There are numerous ones where the number of people exceeds 100 million. There are only 11 such nationalities:
- Chinese. The top spot is occupied by the Chinese, who number 1 billion 17 million people on the planet.
- Hindustani. In second place are the Indian nationalities, which number 265 million people.
- Bengalis. Their number is 225 million.
- Americans. There are more than 200 million people in the United States.
- Brazilians. There are 175 million indigenous people living in Brazil.
- Russians. If we talk about how much Slavic peoples there are, then we can note the number of Russians, who form a large group and number 140 million.
- Japanese. Despite the limited territory of the islands, their population numbers 125 million people.
- Punjabis. Another Indian nationality, numbering 115 million people.
- Biharis. A people also living in India and numbering 115 million.
- Mexicans. There are 105 million of them worldwide.
- Javanese. The last of 11 large nationalities, which number 105 million people.
Let's sum it up
When talking about the concept of “people”, it is very difficult to achieve a unified interpretation.
Also, do not forget that the planet is home to several endangered peoples, some of which number only 280 people. In any case, each nationality is original and unique.
Video on the topic
How many peoples live in Russia?
The existence of the population of Russia as the sum of numerous peoples - nationalities - has become an integral part of our consciousness and existence. One of the first articles of the Russian Constitution reads: “The bearer of sovereignty and the only source of power in the Russian Federation is its multinational people" Thus, the presence of many nationalities in Russia is enshrined in law.
How many are there? The phrase “more than a hundred peoples live in Russia” is common. It’s interesting that they said this about both the Russian Empire and Soviet Union.
Russia inherited from the USSR a fairly clear record of the ethnic (in official Russian terminology “national”) affiliation of each individual. Until recently, there was a mandatory fixation of such affiliation. Until now, ethnicity is optionally noted in vital records (birth and death certificates). There are statistical summaries of demographic phenomena. Questions about ethnicity are regularly asked in censuses. Moreover, by law, it is the census data that must serve as the basis for all official documents. The official ethnic picture seems very definite, with clear interethnic boundaries, a precise place in it for almost every person. Moreover, nationality/ethnicity has long been officially considered almost an integral characteristic, received at birth and irreplaceable throughout life. In many ways, this ethnic picture appears in mass consciousness, this often appears in academic articles. Most scientists - not ethnographers - use census materials as a background accompanying one or another historical processes, as a slice of reality that helps to better understand the existing situation in a given period of time.
As we have already said, the main source of information about the national composition of Russia is population censuses. In public opinion, the population census looks like a procedure for inventorying the country's human resources.
But the opposite hypothesis is also widespread among ethnographers and anthropologists. It is most convincingly presented in B. Anderson’s work “Imaginary Communities,” where the author convincingly shows that the way the state designates and classifies people greatly influences how these people perceive themselves. Those. The “fiction” of the state contributes to the formation of the self-awareness of its citizens. Anderson showed nations not as originally existing, but as communities created through the written word and literacy, maps and censuses.
From this point of view, both the conditions and methods of conducting population censuses become significant. And censuses, in turn, turn out to be not only a mirror reflection of the real ethnic composition, but also an instrument for its formation and, possibly, change.
Technologically it looks like this.
In all Soviet and Russian censuses, when answering the question about nationality (nationality), the principle of self-determination was and is in effect. In particular, when asked about nationality, the census taker can name any name of the nationality, nationality or ethnic group to which he identifies himself. And the census taker (until 2002 – a counter) writes down what was said on the census form without changes.
However, when developing census materials, not all responses are highlighted. Before the census, a list of nationalities is determined that will be identified during the census and for which its materials will be developed.
Special manuals are being created: dictionaries of nationalities and languages, which indicate which of the selected nationalities a particular answer should be attributed to. These lists of nationalities and corresponding dictionaries are the fruit collaboration ethnographers (now ethnologists) and statistics workers.
This is how they wrote about this procedure after the last census.
In general, the latest population census most fully and openly presented the stages of structuring the national composition of Russia:
– all the peoples identified during the development of census materials are listed: there were only 182. Moreover 142 of them were presented as independent peoples, and 40 – as ethnic groups that make up some of these distinct peoples. It was to this list that it was ultimately reduced 776 variants of ethnonyms.
As for previous population censuses, we can only see the final results of this " technological process» is the finite number of identified ethnic/national units.
As is known, the 1897 census did not ask a question about ethnicity. In 1926 it was allocated 175 ethnic units (including 4 ethnic groups that were part of the Georgians, and 6 nationalities that ethnographers considered “imprecisely defined”); in the “rejected” census of 1937 they intended to highlight 109 ; in 1939 they allocated 99 "nations, national groups, nationalities and nationalities" (including two groups: "other nationalities of Dagestan" and "other northern nationalities"); in 1959 it was divided 121 ethnic unit ; in 1970 – 122 ; in 1979 – 123 ; in 1989 – 128 ; in 2002 – 182 (including 40 ethnic groups that were part of other nations (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Number of ethnic units counted in Russia during population censuses
The identification of individual peoples depended and depends not only on certain modern scientific views of ethnologists, but also on the political situation, often on the influence of lobbying groups, etc.
For example, Latgalians were considered a separate people in 1926, 1939. and were developed as a result of the census, but in 1959-1989 they were not singled out and were classified as Latvians. It can be assumed that until 1940 they were considered an oppressed national minority of a foreign and capitalist state, and then merged with the powerful Latvian socialist nation. To confirm my assumption, in 2002 they again began to be identified as a separate people.
There were also examples of direct dependence on the domestic political situation. In 1926 and 1939, Crimean Tatars were not distinguished from other Tatars in the country during the census. And in 1959-1989. they were considered a separate people and data about them was developed based on the results of all four censuses. But nowhere in official open publications of 1959-1979. the name “Crimean Tatars” was not mentioned, they were added to the rest of the Tatars, and only in the 1989 census were data about them published openly.
Thus, the exact number of peoples is always just a reflection of the current opinions of the ethnological and political community. And, to the question “How many nationalities are there in Russia?”, it is best to answer “More than a hundred” - you probably can’t go wrong.
The stock phrase wanders from text to text and refers both to the country as a whole and to individual regions, and more precise numbers are often mentioned. Sometimes this accuracy even looks strange... For example: “According to the 2002 census, there are more than 134 nationalities in the Saratov region (according to the 1989 census, 111 nationalities lived in the region).” N.B. Telyatnikov. Peoples of the Saratov Volga region: modern demography. Questions of Statistics 2007, 4, p.64 Literally it can be understood this way: in 1989 there were representatives of exactly 111 nationalities, and by 2002 more than twenty-three more people were somehow added, perhaps arrived. Without understanding the procedure for conducting and processing census data, it is difficult to understand this.
Such hereditary consolidation of nationality was introduced through the efforts of the NKVD in personal documents (passports, etc.) in 1938.
Similar ideas are expressed in the article by V. Tishkov “Construction of categories and identities” .
“In the USSR, the question of nationality is included in the programs of all population censuses... To develop materials for the 1989 population census, a list of nationalities was adopted, containing 128 names. ... In all post-war population censuses, the number of identified nationalities fluctuated ... very slightly: in the 1959 census, 126 nationalities were identified, in 1970 - 122, 1979 - 123.” ( National composition of the population of the USSR. M.: Finance and Statistics, 1991. P.3).
What is surprising, however, is the 40,551 people with “options of answers to the question about nationality not listed above.” What “NOT LISTED” options could there be if the list itself implies ALL answers. We can only assume that these are fictitious names, like “goblins”, “elves”, etc.
Russia is rich not only amazing monuments nature, beautiful architectural structures and other wonderful sights. She also has multinational composition indigenous population. At the beginning of this decade, more than two hundred different species were officially documented. different nationalities. The country has about 145 million residents who live there permanently, of which the largest group is Russians, there are 116 million of them in Russia, which is 80% of the total population.
It is worth adding that the national composition of our country is not some kind of static indicator; it is constantly changing under the influence of various processes (migration, wars, relocation, etc.).
Russia ranks 7th in the world in terms of population and 2nd in density, second only to the United States of America. 1/5 of our country's population lives in 13 largest cities countries. 7 peoples living in Russia have a population exceeding a million people.
Indo-European group
This vast group includes two subgroups: the Slavic, which is the most numerous, and the group of other peoples. IN Slavic group includes Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles. The peoples of other groups include Jews, Ossetians, Armenians and Germans.
From time immemorial, the Central regions of the country, the North-West and the European North have been considered Russian regions, but Russians live everywhere.
The Ukrainian people in Russia make up a little more than 2% of the total population (4 million 360 thousand people). Ukrainians take their origins from the Circassians. The main thing in the diet of this nationality is flour (dumplings, dumplings, dumplings) and vegetable (borscht, cabbage soup) foods, as well as porridge (favorites are buckwheat and wheat). The most common meat products are pork and lard. On all holidays, Ukrainians dress up in national sundresses and embroidered shirts.
Belarusians make up about 1% of the population of our country. This nationality is the descendants of the ancient Vends, who settled in the territory of what is now Smolensk, Vitebsk, Pskov, Minsk and Mogilev regions. The Belarusian table has long consisted of milk, cabbage, cottage cheese, eggs, peas, beans, rye bread, in general, everything that can be prepared from products household. Indigenous Belarusians are distinguished by their short stature, sunken eyes, thick build, and round face framed by light brown hair.
The number of Poles in Russia is about 70 thousand people. This nationality is characterized by short representatives. Traditionally, on great holidays, Poles wear their national clothes: striped skirts, aprons, men's trousers made of white cloth, plain shirts and leather belts. National dishes are kvasnitsa, zhur, barshch with the addition of sour cream, lard or butter. Potatoes, mushrooms, apples, homemade sausage, cheese, cottage cheese and milk. The Poles have well-developed folk crafts: carving, embroidery, painting on glass surfaces, ceramics, basketry, sculpture and weaving.
Jews in Russia make up about 0.5% of the country's total population. “Russian Jews” are distinguished by their low religiosity compared to the indigenous population of Israel. Jews have an elongated nose with a curved tip, which indicates their belonging to this nation. They are distinguished by a cheerful disposition, resistance to stress, and good intelligence.
There are about 515 thousand Ossetians living in our country, which is 1.8% of the country's population. They are mainly located in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria. This nationality is considered to be the descendants of the Alans. Ossetians for the most part have dark eyes and hair, dark skin tone, and tall stature. These people are quite moderate in food, the diet mainly consists of wheat, barley, corn, cheese, millet and milk; on holidays they eat meat. 
Armenians make up more than 4% of the total population of the Russian Federation, which is approximately 1 million 150 thousand people. The Armenian family is characterized by a large number with a clear definition of the rights and responsibilities of its members. Traditional food is grain crops, from which they bake lavash, butter cookies, make noodles, make porridge and pilaf. Among dairy products, the most popular are various cheeses, buttermilk, milk, and matsun.
The German nation in Russia makes up 2.1% (843 thousand). It is typical for Germans to have a small family with one or two children. There is quite a lot of severity in the appearance of representatives of this nationality; they are silent and inhospitable, but at the same time neat, friendly and practical.
Altai group
This group is divided into two subgroups: Turkic, which numbers about 11 million people in our country, and Mongolian, whose representatives in Russia are about 800 thousand. The Turkic group is represented by such peoples as: Tatars, Kazakhs, Chuvashs, Azerbaijanis, Bashkirs, Yakuts and Tuvans. The Mongolian group includes Kalmyks and Buryats.
The Tatars are the most numerous nationality in the Russian Federation, after the Russians, they make up 3.8% of the entire population of the country, that is, approximately 5.5 million people. Tatars are distinguished by their bright appearance: brown eyes, dark hair, well-defined cheekbones, wide nose, narrowed eyes. These people are hospitable, hardworking and clean, but they are also characterized by stubbornness and indifference.
There are more than 655 thousand Kazakhs. They live mainly in Western Siberia, Lower Volga region and the south of the Urals. Traditionally, Kazakhs are engaged in livestock breeding (cattle, sheep, goats, camels). It is customary for women to work with wool, and for men to work with jewelry, leather, wood and metal.
The number of Chuvash in our country is 1.2%. The Chuvash are traditionally employed in the agricultural sector, but now many representatives of this nation are employed in the services, culture and trade sectors. 
Azerbaijanis live in the Republic of Dagestan, their number is 4.5% total number residents of this republic. The traditional occupation of Azerbaijanis is gardening, farming and viticulture; common crafts are leather working, jewelry making, and making copper objects.
Bashkirs live mainly in the Republic of Bashkortostan, which is part of the Russian Federation. There are approximately 1 million 670 thousand people. They have a memorable appearance: a straight, wide nose, a protruding chin, a large head, and short stature.
The Yakuts number 444 thousand people and live primarily in the Republic of Sakha. Here the share of the urban population is low, since the traditional occupation of the Yakuts is farming and other agricultural activities. Residents live in small villages.
The nationality of Tuvans in our country is about 223 thousand inhabitants, living mostly in the Republic of Tyva.
The Buryats number about 460 thousand people, they are settled in the Republic of Buryatia. Folk crafts - fishing, hunting, livestock breeding, farming.
Kalmyks are located in the Republic of Kalmykia, Rostov, Astrakhan, Orenburg and Volgograd regions; there are 147 thousand of them.
Ural group
This family includes Finnish and Ugric group. Finnish consists of representatives of the Mordovians, Komi, Mari, Karelians, and Udmurts. And Ugric - Mansi and Khanty.
Mordva lives in the Republics of Mordovia, Chuvashia, Bashkiria, in the Ulyanovsk, Samara, Orenburg and Penza regions, the population is 1 million 720 thousand people. The occupations of the Mordovians are not very different from the Russians; preference is given to agriculture. 
There are almost 605 thousand Mari people in the population of Russia. Since ancient times they have been engaged in the cultivation of oats, hemp, rye, barley, buckwheat, carrots, onions, flax, turnips, hops and potatoes.
The number of Karelians in the Russian Federation is approximately 100 thousand people. The traditional crafts of the Karelians are weaving, hunting, fishing, embroidery, and reindeer herding. The national drink is turnip kvass.
There are 637 thousand Udmurts in our country. The national clothes of this people are very bright and painted. However, in holidays Udmurts wear exclusively white outfits. The territory where the Udmurts live is perfect for growing all types of grains, so this activity is a priority here.
The Khanty and Mansi are representatives of the peoples of the North. The first nationality consists of 21 thousand representatives, and the second - of only 7.6 thousand.
Caucasian group
This group included representatives of the peoples of Dagestan, Ingush, Chechens, Georgians, and Kabardians.
The Ingush number 411 thousand people, whose main occupation is agriculture, growing grapes, tea, honey production, and gardening. In addition, horse and cattle breeding is common.
The number of Chechens is more than 1 million 300 thousand people. They live in villages and eat wheat stew, home-made bread, corn porridge, urek and shish kebab. They are engaged in the production of carpets, shoes and clothing, cloth and felt. 
More than half a million Kabardians live in our country. The etiquette of communication between older and younger generations, women and men is preserved here. From time immemorial, Kabardian men have been considered excellent warriors; national clothing contains many devices for carrying weapons and ammunition. Women's clothing distinguished by long, closed dresses and high headdresses.
There are 131 thousand Georgians in the Russian Federation. Positive features Their character is hospitality, friendliness, tact and tolerance.
Welcome to Russia!!!
Great and varied. In its vastness there is nature, beautiful in its versatility, and other miracles created by man. In addition, the territories of the largest country in the world shelter dozens of different peoples. Exactly this great wealth amazing hospitable state.
We know that many nationalities live in Russia - Russians, Udmurts, Ukrainians. What other peoples live in Russia? After all, in the far corners of the country, small and little-known people have lived for centuries, but interesting nationalities with its own unique culture.
National composition of the population of Russia
Let's say right away that Russians make up approximately 80% of the total population. A full one would be very large. According to some reports, more than 200 different nationalities are registered. This information corresponds to the state of 2010.
We will begin our acquaintance with the rest of the national composition of Russia with the most common ones. Large nationalities those that are present on the territory of the state in quantities of more than 1 million are considered.
Tatars
The ratio of the Tatar people among all others in the country is 3.8%. has its own language and regions of greatest distribution.
In addition, it includes several ethnic groups: Crimean Tatars, Volga-Urals, Siberians and Astrakhan. Most of them live in the Volga region.
Ukrainians
Let's continue our short excursion on the topic of what peoples live in Russia and move on to the Ukrainians. Their number in Russia is 2% of the total population. Based on materials from some historical information, the name of the nationality comes from the word “outskirts”, which served as the basis for the name of the country - Ukraine.
Ukrainians living in Russia continue to honor their traditions, celebrating holidays according to their customs, wearing folk clothes. A special feature of Ukrainian clothing is embroidery in a variety of colors. The main symbolic colors in the ornaments are red and black.
Bashkirs
The ratio of the Bashkirs to the entire population of the country is 1.2%. The territories where most of these people live are Altai, Tyumen, and other regions of Russia (Orenburg, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan and others).
Ethnologists to this day do not agree on where the name of the nationality came from and what it means. The most common interpretations are “main wolf”, “separate people”, “brother-in-law of the Ugrians”. In total there are about 40 different assumptions.
The culture of the Bashkirs is significant for their songs, fairy tales, and ditties.
Chuvash
Next we’ll talk about the Chuvash, answering the question about what peoples live in Russia. The Chuvash people make up 1.1% of the Russian population. Most Chuvash live in Tatarstan, Samara and many other regions of the country, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. And today their main occupation is handicrafts, animal husbandry and agriculture.
The Chuvash culture is amazingly beautiful and interesting. They have their own ancient, developed mythology. National clothing is extremely diverse, with many dozens of different cuts and color options.
Chechens
Chechens in Russia make up about 0.9% of the total population. This is one of the harshest people in the country. At the same time, they are distinguished by wit, they are characterized by courage and endurance.
The peculiarity of Chechen songs is a deep, incommensurable longing for home. Their poetry and songs contain many motifs of exile. Such poetry cannot be found anywhere else in folklore.
You can notice the similarity of the Chechen people with the Circassian and Lezgin people. The explanation for this is simple: all three nationalities belong to the same Caucasian nationality.
And we continue to reveal most interesting question about what peoples live in Russia.
Armenians
Armenians make up 0.8% of the Russian population. Their culture is very ancient. Its roots can be traced back to Greek culture. The special flavor of this nation is created by their irrepressible cheerfulness and hospitality.
Armenian music appeared before our era. And today we know many world singers with Armenian roots. Among them are the French singer David Tukhmanov, Dzhivad Gasparyan and many others.
Armenian clothing is luxurious and pretentious. And children's costumes are simply irresistible, something that has not been seen in other nations.
We now know what peoples inhabit Russia, but that’s not all. In the far corners of the vast country there are still peoples who are not so numerous in number, but their culture is so diverse and interesting that we simply cannot help but remember them.
Small nations
Russians know quite a lot about peoples whose number exceeds 1 million. But there are also small peoples of Russia that you may not even hear about in your entire life.
Thus, in the Volga-Vyatka region, such nationalities as the Mari and Mordovians have lived for many centuries. The server region is native to the Karelians, Komi, Sami, and Nenets. Komi-Permyaks and Udmurts live in the Urals. Kazakhs and Kalmyks settled in the Volga region long ago.
Western Siberia is the homeland of the Selkups, Altaians, Mansi, Khanty, Shors, Eastern Siberia is the homeland of the Tuvinians, Buryats, Khakassians, Dolgans, Evenks.
On Far East There live such nationalities as the Yakuts, Koryaks, Evens, Udeges, Nanais, Orochs and many other peoples, the number of which is very small.
The peculiarity of small nations is that they have preserved and still revere their ancient pagan beliefs. They are characterized by adherence to animism (animation of natural objects and animals) and shamanism (belief in shamans - people who speak with spirits).
How many peoples live in Russia in total?
A pan-European survey was carried out in 2002. The data collected also included information on the ethnic composition of the countries' populations. Then it was received interesting information about what peoples live in Russia and their numbers.
Census figures in Russia showed that representatives of 160 different nationalities live in the country. This figure is simply huge compared to European countries. On average, they are home to people belonging to 9.5 nationalities. On a global scale, Russia's indicators are also high.
It is interesting that in 1989, when a similar census was carried out in Russia, a list of 129 nationalities was compiled. The reason for such a difference in indicators, according to experts, is the possibility of self-determination as belonging to one or another nationality. This opportunity arose in 1926. Previously, different peoples of Russia considered themselves Russians based on geopolitical factors.
Dynamics in the ratio of nationalities
According to demographic researchers, last years the number of Ukrainians in Russia has decreased threefold. There are also much fewer Belarusians, as well as Mordovians.
The number of Armenians, Chechens, Azerbaijanis, and Tajiks has increased. Some of them were even among those who number more than a million in Russia.
The dynamics in the ratio of nationalities are believed to be influenced by several factors. One of them is the decline in the birth rate, which has affected the entire country. The other is emigration.
Jews left Russia. Russian Germans also emigrated from the country.
Positive dynamics are observed among small indigenous peoples. On the contrary, they are for last decades became more. Thus, we see that the question of what peoples inhabit Russia is always relevant for study due to its dynamics.
Do only Russians live somewhere?
We learned that many different nationalities live in Russia, in addition to Russians. Many who have discovered it may wonder if there is an area where only Russians live.
The answer is clear: there is no region with a completely homogeneous composition of the Russian population. Only the Central, Central Chernozem, and Northwestern regions are close to this. All other territories of the country are replete with different nationalities.
conclusions
In the article, we looked at what peoples live on the territory of Russia, found out what they are called and where they are most common. We have once again seen how rich the country is not only natural resources, but also human, and this is many times more important.
In addition, we learned that the national composition of the Russian population is not somewhat static. It changes over the years under the influence various factors(migration, possibility of self-determination, etc.).
We hope that the article was interesting for you: it helped you take a mental journey across the expanses of Russia and introduced you to its different, but so hospitable and interesting inhabitants. Now we can tell anyone without hesitation, if he becomes interested, what peoples live in Russia.