Moscow – Russia is the largest country in the world, based on its territory. Even with the vast terrain and numerous communities, the influence of the Soviet rule on its population continues to be widely practiced across the regions. Throughout the years, the country remains to be home to over 100 nationalities (national minorities).
On the other hand, even with the diverse communities, ethnic Russians have developed and grown but remained mostly connected by their East Slavic language. However, many of the people feel fear and mistrust towards others outside the family (nuclear and extended) as well as those with a close familial connection due to the tradition under the Soviet government.
The Multinational State
The government has inherited the troubles in gathering the regions that were formerly Soviet republics. Even with this situation, the Slavs (i.e., Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians) remain to cover around 85 percent of the country’s population. However, many more minority groups are still living in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other former Soviet states.
As a native community to Eastern Europe, the ethnic Russians also share various cultural traits with their counter parts and some neighboring countries. If the other ethnic communities are identified, the scope of the Russian history, culture, and beliefs are distributed and can be identified in numerous places.
There is the Altaic group that includes speakers of Turkic languages from the middle Volga, the North Caucasus, the southern Ural Mountains, and above the Arctic Circle. In the country, the main Altaic peoples are the Bashkirs, Buryats, Balkars, Chumash, Kalmyks, Dolgans, Evenks, Karachay, Nogay, Yakuts, and Kumyks.
The Uralic group, in contrast, consists of Finnic peoples living in the far northwest, the Urals, and the upper Volga. These peoples include the Karelians, Komi, Mari, Mordovians, and Udmurts. Then, lastly, there is the Caucasus group. They are concentrated along the northern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains. This group has main subgroups, namely the Adyghs, Chechens, Cherkess, Ingush, and Kabardians.
A Minority in Moscow and the Fear of Decline
Despite the fact that ethnic Russians remain part of the large population in the capital city, the number of people in the area is gradually decreasing. Residents are threatened that the declining numbers are indications that the major communities are becoming ever less Russian. With the various minorities living among each other, what could be the future for each one?
This condition is a variable that may challenge the current government’s increasing Russian nationalist policies under the leadership of Vladimir Putin. There are consequences for Russians as well as non-Russians and the Kremlin. In this case, the figures presented are said to be inaccurate at times. Still, the results or the information gathered for such updates should be treated with caution.
With or without the labels or the numbers, the ethnic Russian groups are now becoming a part of the modern world. The Soviet beliefs may still be remembered but over time, the country and its ethnic groups are going to be understood once more. A further exploration of their rich history, culture, and language are only some of the helpful ways to fully engage, inform, and remember the great contributions and stories of the multinational country that encompasses works and lands in both Europe and Asia.
Image from Alla Solovskaya, https://www.facebook.com/alla.solovskaya
