Who lives in Russia?

Barbarous and DIRTY...??

What could be said about Russians? Tough… Barbarous…Dirty? Anything that could mean “mad masses that could care less about the rest” “want to conquer all”. Woah, is it like that? If so, you must also believe in Marvel’s parallel Universe ,in tooth fairy.

TO SEE a picture without corners, two questions comes to head: Why certain epithets are used for certain nation? What is the purpose of those made-up images?

Not making the course solely on the Russians here, since its like the global cool-thing-to-do, like a tendency to mock other nation. This rookie habit to rumour out loud the first impression without knowing much about it, is too normal and easily accepted now. And here special thanks goes to… any kind of media. And the bad side is that its comes to the “Bullshit asymmetry principle”: to refute the bullshit is always harder to than to spread it …( also called as Brandolini’s law).

Once spitted silly joke is likely to pull in harsher concepts. Kind of a snowball effect — it gets bigger and bigger…lesser and lesser chances to flat it down. 

A “slip of the tongue” in any narrative, from simple comic to “red-button” militaristic. Once ridiculously labelled is likely to be a troublemaker in a future. Ok, I might sound subjective since am Russian and here you could just stop reading and close this website…

Oh-oh wait! Forgot this… er, special ‘inventory’

Ah, still here?Um, might have noticed some neutrality in my words. Nothing that would put me on a spot to discuss the World’s big disputes. Here I just going to tell and show the ethnic groups that live and considered as Russians. 

In short, perhaps a scarce, very scarce, summery about Russians, would include nation(s) and where do they live, what culture do they have ( the one that West is now trying to cancel), what values do they have. I bet you would appreciate the size of this post — won’t bore you much! 

You can always send to me a ‘nice’ F*U text — “thats not Russians”, using a comment-torment box below 😀 

Territory-wise values

To make this story fly with statements?? Nah, I’m not into those motivation made-up slogans, such as “you are not born blah blah but become one” – this is too cocky, corky (tight), and now rather abusive. But might fit in here. There are many ethnic groups that somehow manage to coexist on one territory sharing culture, tradition, and even religion.

About 89 states/ areas/regions divided into 6 types: 

  • Republic within the Russian Federation

Has own territory that administrated by Republic’s capital city and therefore the big companies that are located in the Republic would not have headquarters in country’s capital (Moscow), means that the capital of the Republic’s businesses are effectively prospering within the region — profit money stay in the Republic. So it has own constitution, laws, and can pick their own language (the second one after Russian). A part of Russia that cant be separated from the country but still has its own identity with hymn and flag. 

  • Oblast or Area

Cannot compare with the Republic type of governing. It does not have legal independence. Yes, it does have own flag. The factories and big corporations in the area are mostly ( more likely all at the moment) located in the country’s capital, Moscow or St Petersburg, which is not the best case for the Oblast — money go to the major capitals. This is one of the biggest concerns of the people that live in Oblasts. To this years, after 2022, government is working on “relocation” of all the HQ to the Oblasts’ main cities and not keeping the top management offices in Moscow/ St Petersburg. 

Capital city residence usually call the folks who live in the Oblasts as Province people…sometimes outlined with an offensive tint, as a second sort people. ” Hey ! Do not dare to mock the governing unit where majority lives” ( 48 out of 89 units are easily could be called as Province or…colony??).

  • Krai or “edges” if to translate exact from Russian

Must know that the real difference between Oblast and Krai was back in the days. At times when USSR was in full speed running, the Krai was holding more territory, comparably; autonomous regions were included in the Krai, and now are known as Republics. 

Nowadays, Krai and Oblast are quite the same only the name is different...for some places whether “Krai” or “Oblast” just sound better: Krasnodarskiy Krai, Volgogradskaya Oblast, etc. 

  • Cities of Federal significance

3 cities officially has a Federal significance in Russia: Moscow, St Petersburg, and Sevastopol. All located in the West of the country…again, what I said regarding the HQ?

Granted with the special status, allowing them greater autonomy and privileges compare to other regions of the country. You would ask “what are those privileges?”. And I would say: Um, could list at least 5 —  administration and top country’s authorities are located here, maintain and control the country’s  budget, law making, strategic military base, cultural legacy. 

Those cities are not a part of any Republic or Krai or Oblast or District…

  • Autonomous oblast/area

So pity but there is only one left — the Jewish one ( Jewish Autonomous Oblast),in the Far East bordering Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast (all Russia). Oh, it’s just one step closer to…um, to China ( bordering Heilongjiang province in the South). Thanks to “parade of sovereignties” in 1988-1991, when all the national autonomies began to be given the status of a republic, and so you know the Jewish Autonomous Region was deprived, maybe because of the small Jewish population there. Despite this, the status of national autonomy still remains.

The name of the area, as you might have guessed, was given for…according to the historic documents, Stalin ordered to build the “Promise land” for the Jews of the Soviet Union. The only region in the world where Yiddish is granted the status of an official language.

It’s all about consequences of WWI, and the Civil War, and more and more of twists and dazzles with different nationalities within the country. For a fact, the wave of anti-Semitism that swept across the European part of Russia was striking far far more concerning than it was ever before. Stalin, as it said, ordered to make a safe place for the Jews and make a Jewish national autonomy. Some related projects were promoted in Crimea, in Belarus but in the end it was decided to allocate the Jews in the Far East. 

Behind this decision was an economic sense: development of the Amur territories, the entrepreneurship and economic ingenuity. In 1928, a corresponding decree was issued, and thousands and thousands of Jewish families from all over Russia flocked to the banks of the Amur to make an earthly Paradise here. Despite that effort, to create a second Israel, did not work out here; Expecting millions but only 20 thousand had arrived on the so-called “Paradise to be ” area. Hey, dah, the mass emigration of Jews to Israel was inevitable, it completely decreased to an indecent 1% of the population. 

  • Autonomous district

4 of the districts : 1) Chukchi (Far East), 2) Khanty-Mantiysk (Western Siberia) , 3) Yamalo-Nenets(North Of Western Siberia), 4)Nenets (North of the East European Plain)

They all are placed in the North(East and West) gas and oil-rich regions. As far as I found about them their legislation is no different form the Oblasts. The one thing is those districts are independent in resolving issues under the jurisdiction of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. But still slightly differ from the Oblast or Krai — has no right to its own language and constitution. 

values and Ethnics

The values are… mostly the same on all the territory but somewhere is more strict especially on gender roles and sex relationship fact:

  • Traditional family (marriage between man and woman, have kids more than one), gay marriages are strongly “NO GO” and “NO” to adoption by one sex parenting (in Caucasus and Chechnya those rules are even more strict, too strict to risk); Recently, in 5th of 2022  “Gay propaganda”, “Sex change” was completely banned by criminal law. Jail would be the home for 3rd, 4th, 5th …and many more genders that are written in the “drag queen bible”.
  • Not patriarchate but still gender roles are assumed for a man to be a bread winner and a woman as a family “carrier” or “holder” you name it (who take care of the house, raise own kids and keeping the family’s bond);
  • Not forcing anybody to believe and engage with the church/religious practices (christians, muslims, jewish freely live in one city, area, street); Yes, sometimes it’s not too ideal but to this day they managed to still coexist with each other. 
  • “Once word given cannot be taken back” — a man of a word, and therefore Russians are not so light-minded when promising smth, this is one of the features why China and Middle East, who heavily rely on this factor when making alliances, are now good friends with Russia — in many cases, keep on promises and give a meaning to any word, thats the motto.

 

Most known Russian ethnic groups in Russia are… (where do they live):

  • Armeni or Armenians(Central, South. Christianity as a religion but not so about religion. One of the largest ethnic minorities and the largest diaspora. More on traditional views and family norms. “Kochari” is the traditional dance that was listed in UNESCO cultural heritage. Bravo Armeni !)
  • Azerbaijani (Central, South. Profess Shia Islam but they more for a freedom of religion and so, some of them could be christians…not that I know tho. Food, dancing “Turaji” “Uzundere” “Terekeme” “Mirzai” ” Gaitagi” “Askerani”, and singing — essential things in their tradition)
  • Tatars (mostly live in the Central and Volga region. They profess islam and have their own region called as Republic of Tatarstan and Kazan is the capital. Family traditions are “must” and always prefer to marry same nationality…However,  some Tatar women prefer not to marry Tatar men, for a reason — Tatar men are demanding (for house carrying) and very jealous or how they say “too protective”, well, you call it )
  • Caucasus (mostly live in the South.They profess islam as well as their neighbouring nationalities, Chechens. Carefully hailing their national and family traditions. Welcoming hosts but respect those who respect their religion and moral values, which include the proper wear (longer skirts with shoulder cover for women, and men should not walk around with naked torso) You’ve been warned!)
  • Chechens (mostly live in the South. Have their own Republic situated in the North Caucasus between Caspian sea and Black sea. Brave warriors when it comes to military service and diligently follow their traditions, which are religion respect (islam as their religion), respect for the elders, show politeness, modesty, respect for women, hospitality. As I mentioned above for another nation, Chechens are welcoming hosts, but respect those who respect their religion and moral values, which include the proper clothes to wear (longer skirts with shoulder cover for women, and men should not walk around with naked torso))
  • Cossacks ( mostly live in the South of Russia, known for their privileged military class status during the war, skilful horse riding and use of bladed weapons, and brave temper, of course) 
  • Kazakhs (mostly live in Siberia, Ural, Far East. Kazakhstan is the country that boarder Russia in the South Siberia. One of the largest diaspora here.) 
  • Bashkirs (mostly in Siberia and Ural. Its Kipchak-Bulgar Turkic ethnic group indigenous to Russia. One known thing about Bashkirs — they are the honey makers! Bee-keepers, agriculture, cattle-rearing . Wild-hive beekeeping is another attested tradition there)
  • Buryats (Siberia, Far East. And this ethnicity is known for religious practices like shamanism (Tengrism, with a focus on worship of nature), ancestor worship, and Buddhism. If to trace back in time they were part of Mongolian Empire so cultural and linguistic traits are shared…and mixed with Tibetan. Unfortunately, cant be certain with their marriage culture: when they marry, how they marry, their gender roles,…) 
  • Jews (Central, North West, Volga, South. Follow Judaism as a religion and prefer same religion marriages. They do like to participate in major events, earning academic achievements, very savvy in economics, politics and law enforcement) 
  • Yakuts (Far East. Horse racing, wrestling, and all-night line dancing to improvised chants. The Diamond land, not figuratively. 90% of diamonds and 40% of the gold are extracted in Yakutia So, dancing with the diamonds and deers, “igloo”* people — the image of Yakuts who live in such a freezing to the bones territory in winter and forest burning area in the summer)
*Igloo –winter home for hunting-ground dwelling of Canadian and Greenland Inuit (Eskimos). The term igloo, or iglu, from Eskimo igdlu (“house”).
They are Russians as they were born and now fully citizens of Russia, just to make it more clear for you, as there, below, i mention ethnicities that belong to other countries, like most Armenians do live in Armenia, but there is a big number of Armenians that were born and one-country residents (in Russia), and so they are Russians (or as they also call themselves — Russian-Armenian)
without my marker by gisreportsonline.com

FAR EAST with 11 regions*

(main city Khabarovsk or Vladivostok)

Population is roughly about %: Russian, Chukchi, Yakuts, Buryats  Nivkhov, Korean, Koryaki,…

SIBERIA*

(main city Novosibirsk)

Russian, Yakutu, Tuvans, Khakass, Kazakhs, Altaians, Korean, Chinese,..

 

URAL*

(main city Ekaterinburg)

Khantu and Mansi, Udmurts, Bashkiru, Komi, Tatars, Russian, Chuvashi, Maris, Jews…  

NORTH WESTERN*

(main city Saint Petersburg)

Russian, Jews, Komi, Karrels, Saami, Nenets,… 

 

 

PRIVOLJSKY or VOLGA*

Russian, Tatars, Chuvashi, Mordova, Bashkirs, Maris…

Tatars would be the majority is you would ask my experience in that region. National 

CENTRAL*

Russian, Jews, Caucasians, Armeni, Azerbaijanis,…

SOUTH* 

Russian, Caucasians, Chechens, Armeni, Bashkirs, Tatars,…

NORTH CAUSASUS*

Chechens, Caucasus, Ingush, Ossetians, Abazins, Kumyks, Lezgins, Azerbaijanis,… 

from the east to west 

Russia as a Territory is HUGE and it would have been bigger if not 1867 year when Russian Emperor, Alexander II, sold Alaska and la la la, — using sloppy words — Russians f*cked it up, lost such a GOLDEN PLACE (resources: world’s second place for coal mining, zinc, gold, lead, silver. cobalt, copper, crude oil …)for so lil —  sold for $7.2 million($129 million in today’s money) the land that annually generated about $19.4 billion to the state’s GDP (the highest % of total economic contribution). Old and bit forgotten times but still hurting for Russians…however, that “to sell” decision was after the long struggle caused by defeat in the Crimean War 1853-1856, and might be the choice to make by then. Anyway, that was a short back story of a dispute around Alaska’s territory in 19th century. 

 

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