What is Real Russia ? Introduction to Diverse Russia & Russian Regions Krais, Oblasts & Republics.

So what is Real Russia ? Mostly unknown to the outside world !! Here is Russia beyond Moscow & Saint Petersburg ! Introduction to Diverse Russia & Russian Regions Krais, Oblasts & Republics. Russia is often perceived from the outside as a “Slavic” country, which couldn’t be further from the truth. From so-called “European Russia” to Siberia to the Far East, Russia is populated by people of many ethnicities. As the density of population goes Russia takes the second place in the world after the United States. Almost a fifth of the population lives in 13 cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Omsk, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Rostov-on-Don, Ufa, Volgograd, and Perm. The population of the largest mega-cities of Russia: Moscow - more than 10 million people, Saint Petersburg - about 5 million people. The capital of the Russian Federation is among the twenty most populated cities in the world. The greater part of the population are, of course, Russians - more than 80%. The remaining percentage is - Tatars - 3.8%, Ukrainians - 3%, Chuvash - 1.8%, Belarusians - 0.8%, Mordovians - 0.7%, Germans and Chechens - by 0.6%, Avars, Armenians, Jews - by 0.4% and others. Tatars, the second in number, live in the Volga region. Together with the Bashkirs Tatars make up the largest grouping of Muslim nations located almost in the center of Russia. Chuvash, other Turkic people, total about two million people. In Siberia live Altai, Khakassia, Yakuts. In the Caucasus live the people of Abkhaz-Adyghe Group: Kabardins, Adygea and Circassians; Nehsko-Daghestanian Group: Chechens, Ingush, Avars, Lezgins; Ossetins are related to the Iranian group. Russia is a home for the Finno-Ugric peoples - these are the Finnish, Karelians, Komis and Saami in the north of European Russia; Mari and Mordovians in the Volga region, the Khanty and Mansi, engaged in hunting and reindeer, in Western Siberia. In the Far North there are Nenets involved in reindeer herding. In East Siberia live Evenks. On the Chukotka Peninsula - Chukchi - reindeer herders and fishermen. Mongolian group is represented by Buryats in Siberia and Kalmyks on the Caspian Sea. Each nation is seeking to preserve the language, customs and traditions, costumes, traditional occupations and trades. Most of these people have maintained their identity and traditional classes. The wealth of national cultures is the heritage of the country. Russia is indeed a unique country, which, along with highly developed modern culture carefully preserves the national traditions deeply rooted not only in the Orthodox religion but also in paganism. The Russians still celebrate pagan holidays, many people believe in numerous omens and legends. The Russian Federation is a vastly diverse country, with approximately 185 distinct ethnic identities. This ethnic diversity dates back to Russia’s time as an imperial power and its slow but steady expansion of surrounding regions through the nineteenth century. Present-day Russia is a reflection of its imperial conquests. However, unlike other imperial powers who lost or abandoned their imperial holdings in the early twentieth century, Russia has worked to assimilate non ethnic Russians into its national identity through political and military consolidation. According to Russia’s 2010 census data, 77.7 percent of its population identify as ethnic Russians. The other 22.3 percent is made up of other ethnic groups that are indigenous to their respective regions, as well as those that have migrated and created diaspora communities over generations. The ethnic breakdown of some of Russia’s ethnic groups includes: Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Bashkir, Chuvash, Chechens, Armenians, Nenets What is Real Russia ? Introduction to Diverse Russia & Russian Regions Krais, Oblasts & Republics. life in russia,russian regions explained,diverse russia,Russian Regions,Oblast,Russian Oblast,Russian Krais,Russian Republics,Unknown Russia,real Russia