Many will agree that the names of the peoples of Russia are distinguished by their diversity. True, this is not surprising. Our country is huge, and this, accordingly, means that completely different people with their culture, traditions and religion populate it.
This article will not only tell about the names of the peoples of Russia, for which other religions are traditional, the life of Orthodox citizens will also be affected. Also, the reader will discover some previously unknown characteristics of representatives of different corners of our state.
General Ethnic Information
Traditionally, 3 peoples of Russia (the main) were Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians. At least ten years ago, in search of an answer to the question about the state ethnic group, you would have received exactly this information. But is it really so? Perhaps something has changed over such a period of time? Let's try to figure it out.
According to a recent census, Russia as a whole is a country with a multinational composition, with more than one hundred nationalities.
The bulk of the population are indigenous people, most of whom are Russians. Over 6% are representatives of other ethnic groups whose historical homeland is located outside the Russian Federation. But despite the differences in origin, language and culture, they are all closely interconnected by a common history and are part of a huge power.
The main religions of the country are Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, respectively, it is not surprising that the names of the peoples of Russia with a different religion are found quite often. This is especially true for residents of the Caucasus, as well as Russians living in the Far North and the Far East.
The indigenous peoples of Russia include several regional groups that are similar in geographical location and culture. Less than 8% of the country's inhabitants are the Volga and Ural peoples (Bashkirs, Kalmyks, Tatars, Mari, etc.). Of these, about 4% are Tatars. Bashkirs and Tatars profess Islam, Kalmyks - Buddhism, and the rest - all the same Orthodox.
According to statistics, less than 3% of the population are representatives of the North Caucasus (Abazins, Balkars, Kabardins, Ingush, Ossetians, Chechens, etc.). They also include the peoples of Dagestan. Almost all of them are Muslims (except Christian Ossetians).
The peoples of Siberia and the North include Buryats, Tuvans, Altai, Khakass, Yakuts and Shors. Other small ethnic groups living in the North of Russia can be added to this list. In total, the peoples of Siberia and the North account for 0.6% of the population. Tuvans and Buryats belong to Buddhism, and the rest are Orthodox and pagans.
Unknown nationalities of the state
It is interesting to note that if the names of the peoples of Russia are arranged alphabetically, you will find that almost all letters of the alphabet will be involved. So who are they, residents of a huge state?
Let's try to talk about lesser-known representatives. It turns out that in our time, Russian ethno-groups that have a distinctive culture, about which very few people still know, are still preserved.
For example, in Karelia there is a settlement called Vodlozerye, where lake people live - vodlozery. About 600 people live in the villages. Their ancestors were Russian immigrants from Moscow and Novgorod regions in the 16th century, but life in isolation changed their identity. All of them are Orthodox, despite their faith in the characters of Slavic mythology.
In the Yakut tundra, you can meet the descendants of immigrants from the Cossacks and Pomors, who settled here in the XVII century. The immigrants founded the Russian estuary and called themselves indigirs (from the Indigirka River). Now they are known as Russian Ustyins. Along with Orthodoxy, shamanism is encountered.
By order of Catherine II in the XVIII century. in Transbaikalia, Russian Old Believers who created an ethnic group called Semeyskie were resettled from abroad. In their villages, the Old Believer way of life is still preserved.
Russian immigrants in Western Siberia in the XVI century. the locals nicknamed the "pods", which meant "convict." There is no exact data on their appearance in these places. Chaldons differ from the Mongoloid type of the peoples of Siberia and the Slavs in their appearance, language and culture. Now this small nation is on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, the traditions of the peoples of Russia of this ethnos have practically not survived to the present day.
In the XVI-XVII centuries. the first Russian immigrants immigrated from Central and Eastern Pomerania to Central Siberia, who settled in Taimyr and became the basis of the population of the Taimyr-Tarukhan region and the Angara River. So there was an ethnic group of Russian tundra peasants, who adopted the life of Evenki and Yakuts. Under the influence of the indigenous people, a new Dolgan ethnos appeared, in which Orthodoxy mixed with shamanism.
Disappearing peoples: Khanty and Mansi
The names of the peoples of Russia, the list of which is quite extensive, can not be imagined without Khanty and Mansi. These are related peoples of the North, which appeared as a result of the merger of cultures of the Ural Neolithic and Ugric tribes. In the past, these peoples were famous for fearlessness in the hunt. But now it is a small group of the population of the Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug. The homeland of the Khanty is the Ob River basin, and the Mansi appeared here at the end of the 19th century. After that, these tribes began moving north and east.
The Khanty led a largely taiga lifestyle and were engaged in hunting and fishing. Deer for Khanty served as a source of hides and meat, as well as labor on the farm. They used fish and meat from animals hunted.
No wonder the names of the peoples of Russia in this group are consonant. They have a lot in common. For example, both peoples have always lived in harmony with nature. A close connection with the outside world engendered fishing cults: the first prey or catch was sacrificed to idols. Most tribal holidays were religious in nature.
It should be noted that in our state, children begin to get acquainted with the peculiarities of the country at a fairly young age. For example, the paragraph “Names of the Peoples of Russia”, grade 2 of a comprehensive school is held within the framework of the program approved by the ministry.
Toddlers will learn that many animals and plants are sacred. Initially, information about the traditions of the peoples of Russia is presented in the form of fairy tales, legends and myths, that is, in an form accessible to the little man.
By the way, it would not be out of place for adults to learn that, according to Khanty’s belief, the first woman appeared from a bear. It was the Great Bear that gave people fire and knowledge, was a judge in disputes. It was believed that the Khanty tribe led the beaver to the Vasyugan River . Otters and beavers were revered and belonged to cult animals. The moose was a symbol of strength and affluence.
Trees had their own meaning in the life of the Khanty and Mansi. Some were healing, while others were forbidden to approach. The sun and moon were also revered. It was believed that people appeared due to the union of these two bodies. The sun represented the feminine, and the moon was a symbol of man.
A section of the textbook entitled “The Peoples of Russia” Grade 3 studies already a little differently. Children receive more in-depth information about the ethnographic structure of their own country.
Eskimos - proud inhabitants of the north
The names of the peoples of Russia, whose photos are sometimes quite colorful, can not be imagined without yet another representative of the ethnic group - the Eskimos.
They live in the Chukotka Autonomous District of the Magadan Region. The population is about 1800 people. From a linguistic point of view, the dialect belongs to the Esko-Aleutian family of languages and is divided into two groups: western (Yupik) and eastern (Inupik). In Chukotka, the Eskimos speak their native, Russian and Chukchi languages.
The etymology of the names of the peoples of Russia, photos of which can be found in almost all the main encyclopedias of the world, can sometimes be traced quite simply. But with the Eskimos the situation is more complicated. Accurate information about the origin of the people is not available, but to date it has been established that they are descendants of an ancient culture that existed on the shores of the Bering Sea at the end of the 1st millennium BC. e.
The main source of food is marine hunting, spears and harpoons are considered the main hunting tools. Hunting tactics have always depended on animal migration. The prey was whales, walruses and seals. With a lack of meat, sea animals hunted wild animals and birds, were engaged in fishing. Water hunters moved in canoes and kayaks. To move on land, dog-dusted sledges or sleighs with skids made of walrus fangs are used. From time immemorial, they went skiing in the snow, and in the ice in shoes with spikes made of bone.
Scientists studying the traditions of the peoples of Russia claim that the Eskimos originally built houses from stones and whale ribs, and the frame was covered with deer skins. Later they began to live in semi-underground frame houses similar to the Chukchi yaranga.
Their ancient ancestors located their settlements on a hill so that it was possible to observe the movement of sea animals. The clothes were made from the skins of deer and seals, the shoes were made from seal skins, and seals made of seals and fur stockings were put on their feet. Men and women tattooed their face and body, pierced their nose and lips, hung bone rings, walrus teeth, etc.
Huskies revere nature and adhere to shamanism. The hunting rituals are also devoted to hunting.
A special place in folklore is occupied by legends about the creation of the world, bone carving and folk music. An important role for the Eskimos is played by the tambourine used by shamans.
With a more detailed study of the life of these people, it becomes clear that the different names of the peoples of Russia are only the tip of the iceberg. We are really different, and in many ways: in religion, in views, in priorities, in the structure of social and public life.
Famous Reindeer Herders - Koryak
Leafing through the next edition of the atlas “Peoples of Russia”, pictures with the names of which are presented, as a rule, in a very colorful way, one cannot but pay attention to one more natives.
Koryaks (“Chavchu” - “reindeer herder”) belong to the Arctic Mongoloid race. They live in the Magadan and Kamchatka regions and in the Chukotka Autonomous Region. The language is similar to the Chukchi dialect and is included in the Chukchi-Kamchatka group of Paleo-Asian languages.
The Russians had a significant impact on their culture. Prior to Soviet power, primitive communal relations prevailed in the economy.
Koryak settlement consists of a camp with yarangs. The main type of fishing is considered reindeer husbandry, complemented by hunting and fishing. Vehicles have much in common with Chukchi and Eskimo.
Winter clothing usually consists of a fur shirt, pants and a hood. Shoes are made of reindeer camos. In summer, clothes are made from light materials - dog and deer hides, fabrics, etc. Outfits are decorated with patterns and pendants. The hairstyle and tattoo in women is magical.
The food to date is deer meat. Koryaks catch fish and harvest yukola, pick berries and nuts. Only at the end of the XIX century. they got flour, tea, sugar and cereals.
Women in the village process furs and sew fur carpets, while men are engaged in the manufacture of products from hard materials. Traditional holidays and religious ceremonies are arranged for certain events and are accompanied by ritual dances and songs, games. Of musical instruments, along with a tambourine, a vargan (dental tambourine) is used.
Disappearing Ethnicity
Do you think that you have already studied all the names of the peoples of Russia? We bet that you most likely never heard of tofalars.
In the mountain taiga regions of the Irkutsk region, the local population lives, about 700 people.
These people speak the Tofalar language, adhere to Orthodoxy, but shamanism also occurs. Crafts include hunting and reindeer herding. Applied art is developed - woodcarving, bones, manufacturing of products from birch bark, fur and leather.
After the transition of tofalars to a settled life for housing, they began to build houses from log cabins, and before that they lived in the plague. Traditional clothing was made from the skins of a deer, elk or maral. Winter hats were sewn from deer fur skins, and in summer from fabric. Men in the summer wore a cloth caftan. Now few people wear such clothes.
Previously, they mainly consumed the meat of wild animals and birds, drank deer milk, and baked rye cakes. Tofalars preserved songs, myths and legends.
Original people - archintsy
Archintsy is a small ethnic group living in the Charodinsky district of Dagestan.
According to the census in the late 50s, the ethnic group was ranked among the Avars. Although they have no ethnic and linguistic attitude to this people.
The Archinians are engaged in sheep farming. The main village is Archib. Archin language does not have an official status and its own written language.
Most Archintsy communicate freely in their native, Avar and Russian languages. The life of the Archintsy is almost not subject to negative changes, migration to the city is insignificant, there are practically no mixed marriages.
Young respects his language and customs. Today they are closely related to two nationalities. Favorite dance - Lezginka, musical instruments - drum, kumuz and zurna. Faithful Sunni Muslims. The traditional clothes for men are hats and sheepskin coats, for women - long trousers, bright belts, a head cover and a chukhta (a headdress with silver jewelry).
Who are the vod?
Today, the Vod people live at the mouth of the Luga River in several villages. Their number is only about 100 people who are descendants of the northwestern group of water. The main industries in the past were animal husbandry, farming, and fishing. Housing and buildings were often built from a log house.
The water ration consisted of rye bread, cereals and potatoes, dairy products. For the holidays, they prepared meat dishes and pies, drank beer.
Vod belong to the Orthodox. Many ceremonies were held on calendar holidays or were dedicated to events (birth, wedding, funeral). At the wedding, wedding laments performed by the bride and her friends were common. At the funeral, pagan rituals were preserved - they were buried in holy groves and covered the graves with stones.
Nivkhi - residents of the Khabarovsk Territory
Nivkhs live in the Khabarovsk Territory and on Sakhalin Island. Presumably, these are the descendants of the ancient people who inhabited Sakhalin and the lower reaches of the Amur. Nivkh are spoken in Nivkh language.
The main occupations are marine fishing and fishing. Also engaged in dog breeding, hunting and gathering berries, plants and shellfish. They led a settled life.
Studying the peoples of Russia, the 3rd grade of the general education school of our country also gets acquainted with the ancient legends of these people. It should be noted that we owe much of the myths and fairy tales that have survived to this day to information about the life and culture of this ethnic group.
For example, it was possible to find out that the clothes consisted of pants and a dressing gown sewn from fabric or fish skin. Winter outfits were sewn of dog fur, and shoes were worn of fish or seal skin.
Relate to the Orthodox, but religious beliefs have been preserved.
Selkups - the people of Yamal
In the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug the smallest people of the North live - the Selkups (“forest man”). But this is not the only name of the people. Ob Selkups called themselves Syusekup ("taiga man"), and the southern ones called Chumylkup ("earthman").
The ethnos belongs to the Ural minor race and has common Mongoloid and Caucasoid features. Selkups are engaged in hunting and fishing. The southern people were engaged in agriculture and metal processing, the northern - reindeer husbandry. In the XVII century. Christianity was adopted, but cult rites and holidays were preserved.