When did the Russian nationality appear? Why were Russians called Russians? Origin of the Russian people

24.04.2019

Historians have been trying for hundreds of years to figure out who the Russians are and where they came from, but no one has yet found a single correct answer to this question. There are a dozen of the most plausible theories, but each of them has its own shortcomings and weak points. It is quite possible that we still have not figured out where the ancestral home of the Slavs and the Russian people is, so everyone can believe in what they consider the most probable.

Where did the Russians come from?

It's no secret that Russians came from the Slavs, but where these ancestors of ours came from is a mystery.

In this regard, a number of interesting theories have been put forward:

Norman.
Scythian.
Danube.
Autochthonous.
Gellenthal.

Briefly about each theory:

Everyone has heard about the first theory; the Scandinavian leaders came to us from the northern lands , brought a squad and began to rule. But it is difficult to believe that the tribes living in this territory did not have their own government structure, culture and customs.
Consider yourself descendants Scythians- one of the most pleasant options. Yet ancient Greek historians gave them too flattering a description. The veracity of this idea can also be doubted, especially if you approach the issue from the point of view of genetics.
There is an assumption that everything Slavic tribescame from across the Danube, from the territory of Europe. This happened about one and a half thousand years ago, and since then the Slavs have firmly established themselves in new territories and actively explored the North and East.
According to fourth theory, our distant ancestors were the “indigenous” inhabitants of the territories in which we live today. Where they were born, they came in handy.
And here Hellenthal expressed an interesting hypothesis. According to this scientist, for more than 4 thousand years, part of the tribes from the territory of modern Germany and Poland moved to Eastern Europe. And 3 thousand years ago there was a migration of the population from Altai, the mixing of these two groups led to the emergence of the Slavs, and later the Russians.

Where did Russian music originate?

With music everything is much simpler. On the territory of modern Russia lived a huge number of disparate tribes, each of which sought to fill their lives with music and fill solemn events with it. Folk music is at least a thousand years old and includes:

Wedding songs.
Dance.
Ritual.
Calendar.
Lyrical.

It is not for nothing that folk art is called oral, because it was passed on from mouth to mouth, rarely when the works were recorded in writing.

So there are not so many sources that have come down to us from ancient times. Judging by the number of songs and musical instruments, one can only indirectly conclude that our ancestors were musical people.

They used sonorous melodies not only to celebrate special occasions, but also to brighten up everyday life.

Where did the Russian language come from?

But in the history of the Russian language there are three stages:

Old Russian	Old Russian	National
It began to take shape during the birth of Kievan Rus.	A relatively recent period, its heyday came in the XIV-XVII centuries.	Already in the 17th century, Russians began to form as a nation.
In truth, it has little in common with modern Russian.	The spelling and pronunciation are more similar to modern language.	Any nation needs a language, so Old Russian began to change.
It was used in the pre-Christian era.	Actively used in church services.	The formation of the language is almost complete.

Even in our time, new words appear, new rules are introduced and completely new features are indicated.

The Russian language is not some kind of frozen substance; it changes according to modern trends. But the foundation of the language was laid many centuries ago and it does not change. If two Russian people from the 17th and 21st centuries met now, they would not be able to explain things normally.

But at the same time, our contemporary would have grasped the essence of the ancestor’s statements, but the “traveler from the past” would have too many problems with understanding. Nowadays there are too many foreign words in the Russian language, and even without that it has changed a lot over the past centuries.

Modern research on the problem

Pseudoscientific articles regarding the origin of the Slavs have now become fashionable. And they not only raise the topic of a common ancestor, but also in all seriousness “researchers” try to find the most “worthy” descendant. In fact:

The process of nation formation is up and running full swing just four centuries ago.
Before this, self-identification was based on belonging to a certain territory, religion or community.
The neighbors always had a very similar culture, the same religion and called themselves almost the same, with minor differences.
Our ancestors probably would not have understood the hostility and the current degree of tension.
They were absolutely not concerned about the dignity or non-dignity of their descendants; in harsh times, people were faced with more pressing problems. Yes, at least basic physical survival.

Unfortunately, these simple facts are now ignored by many. We can only hope that in their works all researchers will rely on historical sources, and not write what comes into their heads. It's not hard to follow fashion, but the value of such materials tends to zero.

Common ancestral home of Russian people

Until now, the origin of Russians and all Slavs causes fierce debate:

Most likely, we were not born in this territory, but came from somewhere.
The starting point of migration is Western Europe, the mouth of the Danube and the region of the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
It is possible that the Slavs were formed as a result of the mixing of two or more groups that migrated en masse towards each other or in the same direction.
It is likely that our distant ancestors were Indo-Europeans.
On the territory of modern Russia, ancient Roman helmets and other signs of the West are found, so our ancestors were familiar with Europe thousands of years ago. The only question is who “went to visit” whom.
Written sources of antiquity provide conflicting information, but they agree on one thing - initially the Slavs came from somewhere in the West and moved to the East, exploring new lands.

It would be nice to get a final answer to the question and find out where that very “small Motherland” of the entire people is located. But for now we have to make do with theories like these.

Someday we will be able to find out who the Russians are and where they came from. But you shouldn’t hope that scientists will name just one village; rather, we will be talking about a territory stretching over tens of thousands of square kilometers.

Video about the appearance of the Russians

In this video, historian Anatoly Klesov will tell you where, in his opinion, the Russians came from and who they are, what ancient race they belong to, what peoples they were formed from:

Russian people - East Slavic ethnic group , is the largest ethnic group in Europe. According to various sources, the world is inhabited by from 129 to 160 million people. Russian diaspora is huge and concentrated in the countries of the former USSR: Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Moldova and other countries. 86% of Russians live in their historical homeland – Russia. Two thirds of the Russian population are adherents of Orthodox Christianity. The national language is Russian.

Origins of the Russian people

Peoples related by origin: and. Assumptions about the origin of the Russian people some. Here are the most famous:

1. Danube theory.

The chronicler Nestor worked hard on the Tale of Bygone Years. The author determined the territory of settlement of Slavic tribes along the Danube. Subsequently, the chronicler's version was developed by historians Klyuchevsky and Soloviev. Many linguists and researchers still adhere to this theory.

2. Scythian theory.

The outstanding Russian genius Mikhail Lomonosov adhered to the Scythian-Sarmatian version of the origin of the Russian people. In his work “Ancient Russian History,” Lomonosov pointed out that the Russian people were formed as a result of the mixing of Slavic tribes and the Finno-Ugric tribe. According to the historian, the pagan beliefs of our ancestors have much in common with ancient culture.

3. Baltic theory

The hypothesis about the origin of Russians is based on DNA research various peoples. According to the scientist Gellenthal, the roots of the Russian population are certainly connected with the trans-Baltic peoples and the migration of the Altai peoples. Alexey Shakhmatov also calls the territory of the Neman and Western Dvina the ancestral homeland of the Russians.

Nuances of Russian culture

Russian culture– this is an immense layer consisting of centuries-old traditions and vibrant rituals, unshakable spiritual values, a specific way of life, and everyday habits. That same Pushkin “Russian spirit” is acquired by a person born in the vastness of our Motherland. Russian man is a strong-willed personality. Breadth of soul, simplicity, kindness characterize the Russian ethnos. Throughout history, the Russian people have experienced enormous trials: wars, famine, devastation, natural disasters, enslavement by the Tatar-Mongol yoke. A stern disposition, a simplified attitude to everyday difficulties, hard work and lack of fear of the enemy characterized the Russian people in the Middle Ages. Mysterious Russian soul modern man does not immediately reveal itself to strangers.

The pride of Russian culture is the legacy of famous artists and writers, composers and architects. Surnames such as Pushkin, Tolstoy, Shishkin and Levitan, Tchaikovsky and Glinka pop up at lightning speed when it comes to Russian geniuses. But not only in creativity, but also in other fundamental fields, be it medicine, military affairs or rocket science, Russians will proudly join the list of famous world personalities.

Traditions of ancestors

In the modern way of life of Russian people, of course, a lot has changed. Fast cars, everyday comfort, glossy clothes, trendy gadgets have penetrated into every home. However, and this is fortunately, in the most significant moments for a Russian person, he returns to the imperishable Slavic traditions and rituals.

Russian wedding certainly begins with matchmaking, and the festivities still contain elements of ancient traditions: bride price, family loaf, gifting of the newlyweds. Baptismal and funeral rites have remained almost unchanged. In many families, farewell to the deceased still follows ancient traditions (hanging mirrors, funeral rites, funeral food). The unity of Russians was manifested not only during sad events, but also in holding public festivities.

It is still celebrated on a grand scale Maslenitsa. The tradition of burning effigy, the ritual of forgiving offenses and eating delicious pancakes gives this holiday a special appeal. Among church holidays, the most revered among Russians are Christmas And Easter. In winter, children have fun, walking from house to house and singing carols. For glorifying Christ, children receive sweets and money from their owners. For Easter, every home will have a fragrant Easter cake prepared and eggs painted. The tradition of visiting cemeteries these days, remembering departed relatives and friends, has not been eradicated.

Nowadays, fair warnings are often heard about this in order to avoid previous misconceptions and mistakes that caused heavy damage to the peoples of Russia when developing a modern strategy for national politics. In our opinion, the erroneous concept of the “Russian nation” raises objections, although some of its supporters may proceed from good intentions of strengthening the unity of the country.

The definition of a concept requires taking into account its characteristics, that is, if our centuries-old culture, great, powerful and free language, spirituality, national idea and psychology, literature, cosmism, breadth of nature, prowess are Russian, then, consequently, the nation is Russian. It would not be amiss to recall the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, which for many centuries played an enormous unifying and nurturing role in our country. The Russian nation itself began to take shape after the adoption of Christianity. Denial of these and other factors, signs, attempts to “remake” the Russian people, as if according to the method of the Marquis de Custine, who made a similar absurd proposal back in the 19th century, will inevitably put would-be innovators, “perestroika” in the disadvantageous position of the barbarians.

It will be difficult for Russophobes to dispute that a huge consolidating meaning is contained in the concepts: Russian nation, Russian culture, spirituality, Russian language, prowess, generosity of nature, kindness, etc. Much has been written about this and is also discussed in this collection.

Refusal of the category “Russian nation” would cause great political, economic, geopolitical, cultural and civilizational damage to all of Russia. Thousands of famous figures in the West, East, and South have been singing the praises of Russian values for centuries and decades. And suddenly they are surprised to learn that we are “giving up” this property, eliminating the nationality column in the passport, etc.

The geopolitical damage may be irreparable. Let's illustrate this with a specific example. One of the foundations of Russian foreign policy is an orientation towards Slavic brotherhood, a course towards comprehensive rapprochement of the three East Slavic ethnic groups. And according to the plans of its organizers, the chimerical Russian nation would include Tatars, Bashkirs, and Ingush (which all these peoples clearly do not want). As you know, they are not Slavs. The question arises: how will we justify the need for Slavic unity and the creation of Slavic organizations? After all, others Slavic peoples in their calls to strengthen fraternal unity they turn specifically to the Russian people. So, at the Slavic Congress, held in! 867 in Russia, a special appeal from foreign delegates to the Russian people was adopted. The document said: “We recognized the purely Slavic people in their feelings and their way of life - a people in whom the consciousness of blood kinship with us and fraternal sympathy for us have already powerfully awakened and are developing more powerfully every day: a great people, not only great in number, but also in terms of the educational successes that he made in such a short time and under such unfavorable circumstances - great both in terms of his high understanding of his significance in the history of mankind, and in terms of the excellent solid foundations he laid for the elevation of his education and his all-round success." And suddenly the Slavic brothers find out that the Russian nation no longer exists?!

Enlightened cultural figures in the West may also be outraged. Let us recall that the German writer Thomas Mann called Russian literature holy. And the French poet Paul Valéry once noted that even if everything perishes, only the legacy will remain Ancient Greece and the Russian 19th century, then nothing will be lost. However, some would like to erase the very word Russian from the treasury of world culture and the community of nations.

It can be added that Russian classical culture was not engaged in preaching sex and violence, enrichment at any cost. In different historical periods, messages about the liberation of the Slavic and eastern peoples were sent in Russian more than once. “We suddenly heard for the first time in a distant village - “freedom”, “equality” and “bread” in Russian,” exclaimed the Tajik poet Mirzo Tursun-zade.

As the experience of history has shown, it is, first of all, Russianness that strengthens the creative, constructive principle in building the power of the Russian State, in sacrificial service to it. “We are Russians, God is with us!” exclaimed Generalissimo A. Suvorov, winning brilliant victories over enemies who sometimes outnumbered our troops many times over. This patriotic line was quite successfully continued by Generalissimo I. Stalin during the Great Patriotic War, turning specifically to Russian values, the Russian idea, Russian military traditions. Countless examples of this kind can be given.

It would not be amiss to note that one of the most zealous pioneers of the concept of the “Russian nation” were the Russian fascists who settled in Harbin. In their program document “The ABC of Fascism” (Harbin, 1934), they stated that although “the main elements of the Russian nation were Great Russians, Little Russians and Belarusians... the Russian nation also included other peoples of Russia, who also took part in its historical life". The compilers of "The ABC of Fascism" advocated that all the peoples of Russia represent "a closely knit family, conscious of the need for strong unity and cohesion."

Some respected modern scientists - supporters of the concept of the “Russian nation” - argue that the alleged use of the concept of “Russian nation” can serve as an incentive to disintegration and separatism2. Caring for our unity is a worthy quality. However, the authors of the thesis about the “Russian nation” must first of all ask the nationally concerned Tatars, Bashkirs, Tuvans, Chechens, Khakassians and all others whether they agree to abandon their own national identity and join the so urgently proposed “Russian nation”? Surely, in this way one can only warm up, essentially stimulate separatist sentiments and actions.

In addition, significant historical experience and facts irrefutably indicate that when our state was Russian (before 1917), it included Poland, Finland, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Moldova. The rejection of Russianness, its suppression in state building, and the adoption of foreign ethnopolitical models stimulated disintegration and separatism.

A qualified discussion of the issue requires the use of cultural, historical, psychological, linguistic arguments and facts. In this regard, we note that of the works included in the AKIRN collection “Russian Nation: Historical Past and Problems of Revival” (1995), the work of the famous domestic linguist and historian, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences O.N. Trubachev “Russian - Russian: history, dynamics, ideology of two attributes of a nation." The author, using a large amount of specific material, shows the genesis and meaning of the words “Russian”, “Rus”, which have been in use from time immemorial. Thus, since the time of Vladimir the Saint, the following words have been used: Russian people, Russian cities, Russian goods, Russian forest, Russian silver money, Russian double wine, etc. “The borrowed, mainly Western, character of the name Russia,” notes O.N. Trubachev, “is quite obvious” (p. 31). Further the reader will find interesting information about using these words in life. M. Lomonosov, for example, was more impressed by the concept of “Russian”. A. Radishchev wrote about the Russian man as the maker of Russian history. Let us turn to A.S. Pushkin as the highest authority. Academician O.N. Trubachev gives the following figures: in the works of Alexander Sergeevich the word “Russian” appears 53 times, and “Russian” - 572 times, that is, almost 11 times more often. “The linguistic and other differences between Russian and Russian are often simply not understood in the West, just as our home-grown translators do not understand it,” noted Academician Trubachev. The data provided by a well-known scientific authority helps to methodologically correctly approach the resolution of the dispute: Russian nation or Russian , thereby refuting new concepts of destruction of the system of domestic statehood.

The concept of the “Russian nation” is clearly at odds with the theoretical constructs of a number of well-known modern Western authorities. Back in the 70s and 80s. In the USA, the theory of ethnicity, which is still quite fashionable, was spreading. According to one of the American Political Dictionaries (1992), ethnicity is “the group identification of a particular people on the basis of common characteristics. Among the main ones: race, language, national origin or culture.”

Indeed, the role of ethnic factors in national consolidation cannot be underestimated. Let us quote L. N. Gumilyov’s warning about the stability of stereotypes of ethnic behavior: “God forbid, try to remake them”...

A very large theoretical, cultural, and ethnic potential can be mobilized against the concept of the “Russian nation.” Speaking against the abuse of the word “Russian” in the national-cultural sense, reproaching some part of the intelligentsia for such self-denial, A. I. Solzhenitsyn recalled the following words of P. B. Struve, spoken by him back in 1909: The Russian intelligentsia is discoloring itself into Russian... is needlessly and fruitlessly covering up its national face,” and “it cannot be covered up.” “Nationality is something much more undeniable (than race, skin color) and at the same time subtle.”

The collapse of the concept of the “Russian nation”, the term “Russians”, etc., is forced to be recognized to one degree or another by the liberal media. Thus, S. Babaeva and A. Kolesnikov, in an article published in Izvestia, stated: “Then we began to be called the pompous word “Russians.” But it didn’t take root. Some have become cosmopolitan “ladies and gentlemen.” Others remained impersonal “comrades.” The brunettes were unlucky: they merged into “a person of Caucasian nationality.”

In the current difficult transition period, it is important to take into account the lessons of recent history and the materials of previous discussions, adhering to sober political realism. New Russian chimeras and illusions are beneficial to our competitors, who do not lose sight of their own national and state interests for a second. Past unfounded, intensively spread Russian myths were very beneficial to our opponents.

Of course, the Russian origin is just as valuable as the national and ethnic origin. It includes sovereignty, national patriotism, multinationality, the common citizenship of all Russians, territoriality, common international political interests, joint concern for the difficult process of revival and development of a single all-Russian market, other most valuable qualities and conciliar aspects of the life of our country.

In a word, both Russian and Russian origins are dear and valuable, they should mutually complement and enrich each other. Therefore, supporters of the concept of “Russian nation” - instead of Russian - make a fundamental methodological mistake, opposing both of these principles, which is especially harmful and dangerous.

Russians- East Slavic people, ethnic group, nation. The most widespread religion among Russians is Orthodox Christianity. The national language of Russians is Russian.

Number

The total number of Russians in the world currently amounts to, according to various estimates, up to 150 million people, of which in Russia - 116 million (2002) (about 79.8% of the country's population).

Make up the majority of the population Russian Federation, as well as a significant part of the population in the countries of the former USSR: in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, Lithuania, Moldova, Transnistria, Turkmenistan. Large diasporas are present in the USA, Canada, Brazil, and Germany.

Ethnographic groups

In the Russian language, two dialect groups are distinguished - Northern Russian (okayaya) and South Russian (akayaya), each of which is divided into smaller dialect groups. Between the northern and southern dialects is the territory of Central Russian dialects. The border between the Northern Russian and Southern Russian groups runs along the line Pskov - Tver - Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod. In the northern dialect, three groups of dialects are distinguished: Ladoga-Tikhvin, Vologda and Kostroma. In the southern dialect, five groups of dialects are distinguished: Western, Upper Dnieper, Upper Desninsk, Kursk-Oryol and Eastern (Ryazan). On the basis of the Central Russian dialect group, the unification of the Russian language and the entire culture occurs.

Currently, due to the development school education and mass communication, differences in dialects have greatly diminished.

Based on differences in the type of economy, characteristics of folk culture, and religious differences among Russians, a number of ethnographic groups:

Goryuny
Gurans
Tundra peasants
Cossacks - in the basins of the Don, Kuban, Ural rivers, as well as in Siberia

Amur Cossacks
Astrakhan Cossacks
Don Cossacks
Transbaikal Cossacks
Kuban Cossacks
Nekrasov Cossacks (Nekrasovtsy)
Orenburg Cossacks
Semirechensk Cossacks
Siberian Cossacks
Terek Cossacks (Grebensky Cossacks)
Ural Cossacks (Yaik Cossacks)
Ussuri Cossacks

Masons (Bukhtarma)
Kamchadal
Karymy
Kerzhaks - in the Nizhny Novgorod Trans-Volga region, the Urals and Siberia
Kolyma residents
Lipovane (Romania)
Markovites
Molokans - in the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia and the Pacific coast of the USA
Oboyantsy - in the south of Odessa region, in Budzhak
Odnodvortsy
Polehi
Poles (ethnographic group of Russians)
Pomors - on the coasts of the White and Barents Seas
Ptishany - in the north-west of the Stavropol Territory
Pushkari (ethnographic group of Russians)
Russkoustyintsy
Sayans (ethnographic group of Russians)
Semeyskie - in Transbaikalia
Siberians
Sitskari
Tudovlyans
Tsukany - in the Tambov region
Shapovala - in the south of the Bryansk region
Yakutians

Anthropology of Russians

According to most anthropological characteristics, Russians occupy a central position among the peoples of Europe.

Russian populations are fairly homogeneous anthropologically. Average anthropological indicators either coincide with average Western European values or deviate from them, remaining, however, within the range of fluctuations of Western groups.

The following characteristics can be noted that distinguish Russians from Western European populations:

Lighter pigmentation. The proportion of light and medium shades of hair and eyes is increased, the proportion of dark shades is reduced;
Decreased eyebrow and beard growth;
Moderate face width;
The predominance of an average horizontal profile and a medium-high nose bridge;
Less forehead tilt or more poor development eyebrows.

The Russian population is characterized by the extremely rare occurrence of epicanthus. Out of more than 8.5 thousand Russian males examined, epicanthus was found only 12 times, and only in its infancy. The same extremely rare occurrence of epicanthus is observed among the population of Germany.

Based on the results of studies of Y-chromosomal markers, two groups of Russian populations are distinguished. In the northern group (Mezen, Pinega, Krasnoborsk) closeness with neighboring Finno-Ugric and Baltic populations was revealed, which may be explained by a common substrate. The South-Central group, to which the vast majority of Russian populations belong, is included in a common cluster with Belarusians, Ukrainians and Poles. According to the results of a study of mtDNA markers, as well as autosomal markers, Russians are similar to other populations of Central and Eastern Europe. High unity in autosomal markers of East Slavic populations and their significant differences from neighboring Finno-Ugric, Turkic and North Caucasian peoples were revealed.

In Russian populations, there is an extremely low frequency of genetic traits characteristic of Mongoloid populations. The frequencies of East Eurasian markers among Russians correspond to the European average.

Language

The Russian language belongs to the eastern subgroup of Slavic languages, which are part of the Indo-European family of languages. The Russian language uses writing based on the Russian alphabet, which goes back to the Cyrillic alphabet (Cyrillic alphabet).

Russian is the only state language of Russia.

Russian is one of the six official languages of the UN. According to data published in the magazine “Language Monthly” (No. 3, 1997), approximately 300 million people around the world at that time spoke Russian (which put it in 5th place in terms of prevalence), of which 160 million considered it their native language (7th place in the world). The total number of Russian speakers in the world, according to an estimate in 1999, is about 167 million, and another 110 million people speak Russian as a second language.

Russian, along with Belarusian, is also the official language in Belarus. In addition, Russian is one of the three state languages of the unrecognized Transnistria.

The Russian language is the official language (in all cases, another language or other languages acts as the state or second official) in the following states and in certain territories of the states:

In Kazakhstan ( In state organizations and local government bodies, Russian is officially used along with Kazakh- Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Art. 7, paragraph 2),
In Kyrgyzstan ( In the Kyrgyz Republic, Russian is used as the official language- Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic),
In partially recognized South Ossetia (Constitution of the Republic of South Ossetia, Art. 4, paragraph 2),
In part of Moldova (autonomous Gagauzia),
In some communes of Constanta and Tulcea counties in Romania, where the Lipovane Old Believers are an officially recognized minority.

Russian language has the status of a language government and other institutions in partially recognized Abkhazia (Constitution of Abkhazia, Art. 6) and regional status in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within Ukraine (since 2010) and some regions of Ukraine. (for more details see Russian language in Ukraine)

In a Gallup, Inc. sociological study on attitudes toward the Russian language in post-Soviet countries, 92% of the population in Belarus, 83% in Ukraine, 68% in Kazakhstan and 38% in Kyrgyzstan chose Russian to fill out the survey questionnaire. . The Institute designated this section of the study as “Russian as the Mother Tongue” (Russian as a native language). The verbal construction of questions and the practical difficulties of conducting surveys may have introduced errors or bias into the results.

In the USA, in the state of New York, in 2009, an amendment was made to the election legislation, according to which in all cities of the state with a population of more than a million people, all documents related to the election process must be translated into Russian. Russian has become one of eight foreign languages in New York, in which all official materials must be printed election campaigns. Previously, the list included Spanish, Korean, Filipino, Creole and three dialects of Chinese.

Until 1991, Russian was the language of interethnic communication of the USSR, de facto performing the functions of the state language. It continues to be used in countries that were formerly part of the USSR, as a native language for a significant part of the population and as a language of interethnic communication. In places where emigrants from the countries of the former USSR live compactly (Israel, Germany, Canada, the USA, Australia, etc.), Russian-language periodicals are published, radio stations and television channels operate, Russian-language schools are opened where Russian is actively taught (for example, Shevach-Mofet). In Israel, Russian is studied in the upper grades of some high schools as a second foreign language. In the countries of Eastern Europe, until the end of the 80s of the 20th century, Russian was the main language foreign language in schools.

All astronauts working on the ISS must study spoken Russian.

Ethnic history

Until the 20th century

The ethnic origin of the first bearers of the ethnonym Rus is still debatable. The Norman theory assumes their Scandinavian origin, other scientists consider them Slavs, others - Iranian-speaking nomads (Roxalans), others - other Germanic tribes (Goths, Rugians, etc.). M.V. Lomonosov developed a theory about the Finno-Ugric origin of the ethnonym, but modern scientists, as a rule, consider it outdated.

Around the 12th century, as a result of the merger of East Slavic tribal unions, the Old Russian nationality was formed. Its further consolidation was prevented by the feudal disintegration of Kievan Rus and the Tatar-Mongol invasion, and the unification of the principalities under the rule of several states (the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) laid the foundation for its further disintegration into three modern peoples: Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians . It should be noted that not all scientists completely agree with the proposed scheme (V.V. Sedov, E.M. Zagorulsky, B.N. Florya), and some do not recognize the existence of a single ancient Russian nation at any historical stage.

The Russian ethnos was mainly formed from the descendants of the following East Slavic tribes: Ilmen Slovenians, Krivichi, Vyatichi, Northerners and Radimichi. To a lesser extent, the formation of the Russian people was affected by the later assimilation of part of the Finno-Ugric tribes (Merya, Meshchera, Murom) who lived in the northeastern territories colonized by the Slavs. It should be noted that the assimilation of the Finno-Ugric tribes living on the Russian Plain had virtually no effect on the anthropological type of the Slavic colonists. This may be explained by the proximity of the Finno-Ugric population of the Russian Plain to the rest of the population of Eastern Europe. A noticeable Finno-Ugric component is noted among northern Russians, in particular among the Pomors. In addition, the supposedly Baltic-speaking Golyad tribe was assimilated by the Eastern Slavs, mainly the Vyatichi.

Based on the colonization of the Finno-Ugric lands by the Slavs, some Polish and then Western historians of the 19th century who sympathized with them (for example, Franciszek Duchinsky and Henri Martin) generally denied the Russians (Great Russians) to belong to the Slavs. This theory, recognized from the very beginning as having political rather than scientific foundations, still has followers in nationalist circles in Eastern European countries.

In the 16th century, Russians began to populate the steppe regions of the Volga region and North Caucasus, Cis-Urals, colonized Siberia and the Far East in the 17th century. The largest role in the initial stages of colonization of Siberia and the Far East was played by Cossacks and Pomors. IN late XIX- at the beginning of the 20th century, a new wave of Russian colonization of Siberia and the Far East took place, this time predominantly peasant. The main settlement of Siberia took place along the Siberian Highway and the Trans-Siberian Railway.

In the 17th-19th centuries, Russians were understood as a combination of three ethnographic groups: Great Russians, Little Russians (Rusyns were also included here) and Belarusians, that is, all Eastern Slavs. It was 86 million (1897) or 72.5% of the population Russian Empire. This was the dominant point of view, reflected in encyclopedic publications (see section “ Historical sources"). However, already from the beginning of the 19th century, a number of researchers considered the differences between the groups to be sufficient to recognize them as distinct peoples. In connection with the subsequent deepening of these differences and the national self-determination of Ukrainians and Belarusians, the ethnonym “Russians” ceased to apply to them and was preserved only for the Great Russians, replacing the previous ethnonym. The results of such a change in concepts did not become visible immediately: after the first Soviet census, about half of the inhabitants of Kuban and the majority of residents of Novorossiya (including Donbass) were classified as Ukrainians in connection with the replacement of the concept of “Russian of Little Russian origin”, but a spontaneous protest against Ukrainization among the Kuban Cossacks a Also, the rehabilitation of the Cossacks in the 1930s decisively “returned” the Russian names to the Kuban people. Currently talking about pre-revolutionary Russia, by Russian they mean only Great Russians - in particular, claiming that Russians made up 43% of its population (about 56 million).

In the XX-XXI centuries

In the 20th century, Russians experienced one of the most difficult periods in their history. As a result of the World War I that followed Civil War 1918-1922, Russia lost large territories; a significant number of representatives of the aristocracy, intelligentsia, Cossacks, officers and other social strata left it. The Russians lost significant layers national customs and Orthodox culture, during the war itself and the period that followed, a huge number of the population died.

Catastrophic damage to the Russian ethnic group was inflicted during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Among the 8.66 million Soviet soldiers who died at the front and died in captivity, 5.76 million (66.4%) were Russians; some regions with a predominantly Russian population were occupied. The total military and civilian losses of the USSR in the Second World War amounted to about 27 million dead, among whom Russians made up the majority. These losses affected not only the current population decline, but also had a catastrophic impact on the rate of population growth due to the death of people and future generations not born from them.

In the early 1990s, a decline in the number of Russians began: in Russia due to population decline, in the former republics of the USSR - also due to the emigration of the Russian population to Russia, as well as to the EU countries, the USA, Australia and other countries. In particular, during 1989-2002 the number of Russians in Russia itself decreased from 120 to 116 million people, in Ukraine during 1989-2001 - from 11.4 to 8.3 million, in Kazakhstan during 1989-1999. - from 6.2 million to 4.5 million Thus, from 1989 to 1999-2004. total number of Russians in former USSR decreased from 145.2 million (50.5% of 285.7 million people, USSR) to 133.8 million people. (46.7% of 286.3 million people) or by 7.8%, however, taking into account some bias in census data in some former Soviet republics, the number of Russians as a whole can reach more than 137 million people in the territory of the former USSR. (or 47.9%). In countries Western Europe, USA, Australia, the number of Russians by the beginning of the 21st century, on the contrary, increased due to immigration from the countries of the former USSR.

IN different years"Bulletin" Russian Academy Sciences" noted the almost universal oppression of Russians by titular ethnic groups in the former Soviet republics and in some administrative entities of Russia, and also pointed out serious condition Russian ethnicity.

Ethnonym

Russian- partially substantivized adjective. Arose from an early two-part combination Russian people, in which the second part has ceased to be used (ellipsis). Old Russian adjective russk(-yi) derived from the root rus- using the suffix - sk-, which forms derivatives from place names, compare nazaretsk‘from Nazareth’. Rus' was both the name of the state of the Eastern Slavs and their early ethnonym. Until the 18th century, the self-name was Rusyn, plural Rus or Rusyns. From the 17th-18th centuries it was gradually replaced by Russians, Russia or Russians, and later from the 18th-19th centuries - to Great Russians. In the 18th-19th centuries a new collective ethnonym was introduced Russians, which, however, designated all three East Slavic peoples at once, and only after 1917 - only the Great Russians.

Russian culture and philosophy

Representatives of the Russian people, ethnic group, and nation have formed such a broad, multifaceted, global phenomenon as Russian culture. Russian culture is recognized as one of the richest and most multifaceted cultures in the world.

Russian national costume

Although differing in individual elements, Russian folk clothing of the northern and southern regions contains common basic features. A man's suit consisted of a shirt-shirt and narrow trousers made of canvas or dyed fabric. A shirt made of white or colored canvas was worn over pants and belted with a belt or long woolen sash. The outerwear was a zipun or caftan, and the shoes were boots or bast shoes.

Women's costume in the northern and southern regions differed in individual details and the location of decoration. The main difference was the predominance of the sundress in the northern costume, and the poneva in the southern costume. The main elements of feminine folk costume there was a shirt, an apron, a sundress or poneva, a bib, and a shushpan.

Russian kitchen

Dishes such as porridge, cabbage soup, dumplings, pancakes, kvass, okroshka, rye bread and others are traditionally associated with Russian cuisine. Like the cuisines of other countries, Russian cuisine throughout its history has absorbed a large number of various culinary traditions of neighboring peoples. Significant influence Slavic traditional dishes influenced the formation of Russian cuisine. For some time, the fast and fast tables were separated. The isolation of some products from others led to some simplification of the menu, but also led to the creation of many original dishes, which later became business card Russian cuisine. Interest in Russian culinary tradition outside Russia arose in the 19th century. In a matter of decades, Russian cuisine gained popularity in Europe, and then in the world, and since then it has rightfully enjoyed a reputation as one of the most delicious and diverse.

Russians in world science

Science as a public institution arose in Russia under Peter I. In 1725, as part of the general course towards modernizing the country, the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences was created, where many famous European scientists were invited.

Academician Mikhail Lomonosov made a great contribution to the development of Russian and world science, making many discoveries in the fields of astronomy, chemistry, physics, and history. In 1755 he founded Moscow University.

In the 19th century, Russian science reached the world level. Russian chemist D.I. Mendeleev discovered in 1869 one of the fundamental laws of nature - periodic law chemical elements. Global significance had research and inventions in the field of metallurgy by P. P. Anosov, P. M. Obukhov and others. V. G. Shukhov’s discoveries in the oil and construction industries were significant. In the field of electrical engineering: V.V. Petrova, N.G. Slavyanov, M.O. Dolivo-Dobrovolsky and other inventors. In 1904, I. P. Pavlov was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in the field of digestive physiology, and in 1908, I. I. Mechnikov was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research into the mechanisms of immunity.

One of the outstanding scientists and philosophers of the 20th century, Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky, created the doctrine of the biosphere, the noosphere, developed the foundations of geochemistry, biogeochemistry, radiogeology, hydrogeology and other areas, and made an invaluable contribution to the development of other natural sciences. The creator of many scientific schools. His works fundamentally changed the scientific worldview of the 20th century.

In the 20th century, under the leadership of Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov, the Russian nuclear industry was created. Under him, the development of domestic nuclear weapons began, which gave the USSR, and subsequently the Russian Federation, a guarantee against any foreign invasion.

In 1957, under the leadership of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the first artificial Earth satellite was launched into low-Earth orbit, and in 1961, the first manned spacecraft.

Religion

According to legend, the first preacher of Christianity on Russian lands was Andrew the First-Called.

The baptism of Kievan Rus, which then united all the Eastern Slavs, was performed in 988 by Prince Vladimir (see Baptism of Rus). Christianity came to Rus' from Byzantium in the form of the Eastern rite (after the Great Schism of 1054 - Orthodoxy) and began to spread in the upper strata of society long before this event. Meanwhile, the abandonment of paganism proceeded slowly. The Magi (priests) of the old gods had a noticeable influence back in the 11th century. Until the 13th century, princes received two names - pagan at birth and Christian at baptism (Vsevolod the Big Nest, for example, also bore the name Dmitry); but this is not necessarily explained by the remnants of paganism (“princely”, the dynastic name had a state and clan rather than a pagan-religious status).

The largest religious organization uniting Orthodox Russians - Russian Orthodox Church(ROC), its dioceses, autonomous Orthodox churches and self-governing parts of the Russian Orthodox Church function outside Russia (see Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Japanese Orthodox Church). In the 17th century, a small part of Russians did not support the church reforms carried out by Patriarch Nikon, which became the cause of the Schism and the emergence of the Old Believers. Large Old Believer organizations are also ethnographic groups.

Many pagan beliefs survived in modified form until the 20th century and even to this day, existing together with Christianity. The attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards them is ambiguous, from disapproval to inclusion in the official cult. Among them are rituals (the holidays of Maslenitsa, Ivan Kupala, Navy Day, etc.), and belief in creatures of pagan mythology (brownies, goblins, mermaids, etc.), witchcraft, fortune telling, omens, etc.

The second largest denomination among Russians is Protestantism (1-2 million). By expert assessment, already in 1996 in Russia there were over a million Protestant believers belonging to dozens of different churches. The largest Protestant movement in Russia is Baptistism (according to various sources, from 85,000 to 450,000 registered members, the real number is higher due to unregistered associations), which has a 140-year history in Russia. There are also a large number of Pentecostals and charismatics (the so-called “neo-Pentecostals”), there are Calvinists, Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. Some Russians are followers of such para-Christian religious associations as Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and Moonies.

There are more than 200 parishes of the Catholic Church in Russia. Total number Catholics - less than a million.

Currently, there is an interest of a small part of the Russian population in paganism in the form in which it existed before the introduction of Christianity in Rus'. The number of adherents of the pagan (Rodnoverie) religion is currently small. In the 1980s, various movements of Hinduism (Gaudia-Vaishnavism, etc.), Buddhism (Geluk, Zen, Theravada) penetrated into Russia, and Confucian unions were created.

After the October Revolution of 1917, Christian churches (the Russian Orthodox Church, other branches of Orthodoxy, Protestant and Catholic) experienced serious persecution (and some Protestants even under the tsarist regime), many churches, monasteries and houses of worship were closed, destroyed or turned into museums, warehouses, workshops etc., the ideology of scientific atheism was introduced at the highest level. Due to the change in the political situation in the country and the proclamation of freedom of conscience, Christian churches (and other religions) were able to freely conduct religious activities, although a certain part of the population is atheistic.

Wikipedia materials used

Russian blood in global politics

IN Lately The “Russian theme” has become very relevant, actively used in the political sphere. The press and television are full of speeches on this topic, usually muddy and contradictory. Some say that the Russian people do not exist at all, who consider only Orthodox Christians to be Russians, who include in this concept everyone who speaks Russian, etc. Meanwhile, science has already given absolutely definite answer to this question.

The scientific data below is a terrible secret. Formally, this data is not classified, since it was obtained by American scientists outside the scope of defense research, and even published here and there, but organized around it conspiracy of silence is unprecedented. The atomic project at its initial stage cannot even be compared, then some things still leaked into the press, and in this case, nothing at all.

What is this terrible secret, the mention of which is a worldwide taboo?

This the mystery of the origin and historical path of the Russian people.

Why information is hidden, more on that later. First, briefly about the essence of the discovery of American geneticists. There are 46 chromosomes in human DNA, half of which are inherited from the father and half from the mother. Of the 23 chromosomes received from the father, only one - the male Y chromosome - contains a set of nucleotides that is passed on from generation to generation without any changes for thousands of years. Geneticists call this set haplogroup. Every man alive today has in his DNA exactly the same haplogroup as his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, and so on for many generations.

Our ancestors migrated from the ethnic home not only to the east, to the Urals, and to the south, to India and Iran, but also to the west, to where European countries are now located. In the western direction, geneticists have complete statistics: in Poland, the owners of the Russian (Aryan) haplogroup R1a1 make up 57% male population, in Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Slovakia – 40% , in Germany, Norway and Sweden – 18% , In Bulgaria - 12% , and in England the least - 3% .

Unfortunately, there is no ethnogenetic information yet on the European patrimonial aristocracy, and therefore it is impossible to determine whether the share of ethnic Russians is evenly distributed across all social strata population or, as in India and, presumably, Iran, the Aryans constituted the nobility in the lands where they came. The only reliable evidence in favor latest version was a by-product of a genetic examination to establish the authenticity of the remains of the family of Nicholas II. The Y chromosomes of the king and heir Alexei turned out to be identical to samples taken from their relatives from the English royal family. This means that at least one royal house of Europe, namely the house of the Germans Hohenzollern, of which the English Windsors are a branch, has Aryan roots.

However, Western Europeans (haplogroup R1b) in any case are our closest relatives, oddly enough, much closer than the Northern Slavs (haplogroup N) and southern Slavs (haplogroup I1b). Our common ancestor with Western Europeans lived about 13 thousand years ago, at the end ice age, thousands five years before gathering began to develop into crop farming, and hunting into cattle breeding. That is, in the very gray Stone Age antiquity. And the Slavs are even further from us in blood.

The settlement of Russian-Aryans to the east, south and west (there was simply nowhere to go further to the north, and so, according to the Indian Vedas, before coming to India they lived near the Arctic Circle) became a biological prerequisite for the formation of a special language group, Indo-European. These are almost all European languages, some languages of modern Iran and India and, of course, the Russian language and ancient Sanskrit, which are closest to each other for the obvious reason - in time (Sanskrit) and in space (Russian language) they stand next to the original source, the Aryan proto-language , from which all other Indo-European languages grew.

The above are irrefutable natural scientific facts, moreover, obtained by independent American scientists. Disputing them is the same as disagreeing with the results of a blood test in a clinic. They are not disputed. They are simply hushed up. They are hushed up unanimously and stubbornly, they are hushed up, one might say, completely. And there are reasons for this.

The first such reason is quite trivial and boils down to scientific false solidarity. Too many theories, concepts and scientific reputations will have to be refuted if they are revised in the light of the latest discoveries of ethnogenetics.

For example, we will have to rethink everything that is known about the Tatar-Mongol invasion of Rus'. The armed conquest of peoples and lands was always and everywhere accompanied at that time by the mass rape of local women. Traces in the form of Mongolian and Turkic haplogroups should have remained in the blood of the male part of the Russian population. But they are not there! Solid R1a1 and nothing more, the purity of the blood is amazing. This means that the Horde that came to Rus' was not at all what is commonly thought of it; if the Mongols were present there, it was in statistically insignificant numbers, and who was called “Tatars” is generally unclear. Well, which scientist would refute scientific principles supported by mountains of literature and great authorities?!

No one wants to spoil relationships with colleagues and be branded an extremist by destroying established myths. This happens all the time in an academic environment - if the facts don't match the theory, so much the worse for the facts.

The second reason, incomparably more significant, belongs to the sphere of geopolitics. The history of human civilization appears in a new and completely unexpected light, and this cannot but have serious political consequences.

Throughout modern history, the pillars of European scientific and political thought proceeded from the idea of Russians as barbarians who had recently climbed down from the trees, backward by nature and incapable of creative work. And suddenly it turns out that Russians are those same arias, which had a decisive influence on the formation of great civilizations in India, Iran and Europe itself. What exactly Europeans owe Russians to so many in their prosperous lives, starting with the languages they speak. What is no coincidence in modern history a third of the most important discoveries and inventions belong to ethnic Russians in Russia itself and abroad. It is no coincidence that the Russian people were able to repel the invasions of the united forces of continental Europe led by Napoleon and then Hitler. And so on.

It is no coincidence that behind all this there is a great historical tradition, thoroughly forgotten over many centuries, but remaining in the collective subconscious of the Russian people and manifesting itself whenever the nation faces new challenges. Manifesting itself with iron inevitability due to the fact that it grew on a material, biological basis in the form Russian blood, which remains unchanged for four and a half millennia.

Western politicians and ideologists have a lot to think about in order to make their policy towards Russia more adequate in the light of the historical circumstances discovered by geneticists. But they don’t want to think or change anything, hence the conspiracy of silence around the Russian-Aryan theme. However, the Lord is with them and with their ostrich politics. What is much more important for us is that ethnogenetics brings a lot of new things to the Russian situation itself.

In this regard, the main thing lies in the very statement of the existence of the Russian people, as a biologically integral and genetically homogeneous entity. The main thesis of the Russophobic propaganda of the Bolsheviks and current liberals is precisely the denial of this fact. The scientific community is dominated by the idea formulated Lev Gumilev in his theory of ethnogenesis: “from a mixture of Alans, Ugrians, Slavs and Turks, the Great Russian people developed”. The “national leader” repeats the common saying “scratch a Russian and you will find a Tatar.” And so on.

Why do the enemies of the Russian nation need this?

The answer is obvious. If the Russian people as such do not exist, but some kind of amorphous “mixture” exists, then anyone can control this “mixture” - be it Germans, be it African pygmies, or even Martians. The denial of the biological existence of the Russian people is ideological justification for the dominance of the non-Russian “elite” in Russia, formerly Soviet, now liberal.

But then the Americans with their genetics intervene, and it turns out that there is no “mixture”, that the Russian people have existed unchanged for four and a half thousand years, that Alans and Turks and many others also live in Russia, but these are separate, distinctive peoples and etc. And the question immediately arises: why then are Russia not ruled by Russians for almost a century? Illogical and wrong Russians should be ruled by Russians.

The Czech Jan Hus, a professor at the University of Prague, argued in a similar way six hundred years ago: “...Czechs in the Kingdom of Bohemia, by law and by the dictates of nature, should be first in positions, just like the French in France and the Germans in their lands”. This statement of his was considered politically incorrect, intolerant, inciting ethnic hatred, and the professor was burned at the stake.

Now morals have softened, professors are not burned, but so that people are not tempted to succumb to Hussite logic, in Russia non-Russian authorities simply “cancelled” the Russian people– mixture, they say. And everything would have been fine, but the Americans jumped out from somewhere with their analyzes and ruined the whole thing. There is nothing to cover them with, all that remains is to hush up the scientific results, which is done to the hoarse sounds of an old and hackneyed Russophobic propaganda record.

The collapse of the myth about the Russian people as an ethnic “mixture” automatically destroys another myth - the myth about the “multinationality” of Russia. Until now, they have tried to present the ethno-demographic structure of our country as a vinaigrette from a Russian “mixture” of who knows what, and many indigenous peoples and newcomer diasporas. With such a structure, all its components are approximately equal in size, so Russia is supposedly “multinational.”

But genetic studies provide a completely different picture. If you believe the Americans (and there is no reason not to believe them, they are authoritative scientists, their reputation trembles, and they have no reason to lie in such a pro-Russian way), then it turns out that 70% the total male population of Russia is purebred Russians. According to the data of the penultimate census (the results of the latter are not yet known), they consider themselves Russians 80% respondents, that is, 10% more, are Russified representatives of other nations (precisely among these 10% , if you “scratch”, you will find non-Russian roots). AND 20% accounts for the remaining 170-odd peoples, nationalities and tribes living on the territory of the Russian Federation. In summary, Russia is a mono-national country, albeit multi-ethnic, with an overwhelming demographic majority of natural Russians. This is where Jan Hus' logic comes into play.

Next, about backwardness. The clergy thoroughly contributed to this myth - they say that before the baptism of Rus', people lived in complete savagery. Wow, wild! They mastered half the world, built great civilizations, taught the aborigines their language, and all this long before the Nativity of Christ... It doesn’t fit, no way doesn't fit real story with its church version. There is something primordial, natural in the Russian people that cannot be reduced to religious life.

Of course, between biology and social sphere You can't put an equal sign. There are undoubtedly points of contact between them, but how one passes into the other, how the material becomes ideal, is unknown to science. In any case, it is obvious that under the same conditions different peoples have different character life activity.

In the northeast of Europe, in addition to the Russians, many peoples lived and now live. But none of them created anything even remotely similar to great Russian civilization. The same applies to other places of civilizational activity of the Russian-Aryans in ancient times. Natural conditions they are different everywhere, and the ethnic environment is different, therefore the civilizations built by our ancestors are not the same, but there is something common to all of them - they are great on the historical scale of values and far exceed the achievements of their neighbors.

Father of dialectics ancient Greek Heraclitus is known as the author of the saying “everything flows, everything changes.” Less known is the continuation of this phrase: "except the human soul". While a person is alive, his soul remains unchanged (what happens to it in the afterlife is not for us to judge). The same is true for a more complex form of organization of living matter than a person - for a people. The people's soul is unchanged as long as the people's body is alive. The Russian folk body is marked by nature with a special sequence of nucleotides in the DNA that controls this body. This means that as long as there are people with the haplogroup on earth R1a1 in the Y chromosome, their people retain their souls unchanged.

Language evolves, culture develops, religious beliefs, A the Russian soul remains the same, that all four and a half millennia of existence of the people in its current genetic form. And together, the body and soul, constituting a single biosocial entity under the name “Russian people,” have a natural ability for great achievements on a civilizational scale. The Russian people have demonstrated this many times in the past; this potential remains in the present and will always exist as long as the people live.

It is very important to know this and, through the prism of knowledge, to evaluate current events, words and actions of people, to determine one’s own place in the history of the great biosocial phenomenon called "Russian nation". Knowledge of the history of a people obliges a person to try to be at the level of the great achievements of his ancestors, and this is the worst thing for the enemies of the Russian nation. That's why they try to hide this knowledge. And we are trying to make it publicly available.