Information about Russian folk. Are Russians a people or a nation? Family traditions and spiritual values of the Russian people

History shows that the word form “Russian nationality” in relation to a specific ethnic group did not become commonly used in Russia even by the beginning of the twentieth century. You can give a lot of examples when famous Russian figures were actually of foreign blood. The writer Denis Fonvizin is a direct descendant of the German von Wiesen, the commander Mikhail Barclay de Tolly is also German, the ancestors of General Peter Bagration are Georgians. There is nothing even to say about the ancestors of the artist Isaac Levitan - and so everything is clear.

Even from school, many remember the phrase of Mayakovsky, who wanted to learn Russian only because Lenin spoke this language. Meanwhile, Ilyich himself did not consider himself a Russian at all, and there is numerous documentary evidence of this. By the way, it was V.I. Lenin who first in Russia came up with the idea of introducing the column “nationality” in documents. In 1905, members of the RSDLP reported in questionnaires about their affiliation with a particular nation. Lenin in such “self-denunciations” wrote that he was a “Great Russian”: at that time, if it was necessary to emphasize nationality, the Russians called themselves “Great Russians” (according to the dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron - “Great Russians”) - the population “ Great Russia”, called by foreigners “Muscovy”, which has been constantly expanding its possessions since the 13th century.

And one of his first works on national question Lenin called it “On the national pride of the Great Russians.” Although, as Ilyich’s biographers found out relatively recently, there were actually “Great Russian” blood in his pedigree - 25%.

By the way, in Europe, nationality as belonging to a certain ethnic group was a commonly used concept already in the 19th century. True, for foreigners it was equivalent to citizenship: the French lived in France, the Germans lived in Germany, etc. In the overwhelming majority foreign countries this identity has been preserved to this day.

It exists now great amount versions and hypotheses about the origin of the Russian people and the first centuries of our history. It is impossible to say which of them is true. It is only clear that Russian history is much more ancient than Norman historians believed. Also in pre-revolutionary time drew attention to the fact that the term Rus' is mentioned much earlier than the beginning of Rurik’s reign in Novgorod. In the same way, the question remains unclear who the Rus were and what relation they had to the Slavic tribes known from the first century AD. After all, even in comparatively late times Prophetic Oleg, the difference between the Slavs and the Rus is emphasized by chroniclers. Option one: the Rus are Slavs. Then the question is, are the Rus a separate clan, tribe, or the name of people of a certain profession, such as the later Ushkuiniki?

Option two: the Rus are not Slavs. Then who? Germans? Perhaps, but not a fact.

Historians have counted at least four direct and eight indirect indications in historical materials that before Kievan Rus there was a certain state that bore the name Russian, headed by the Kagan. This Turkic title denotes the sole leader of a large state and corresponds to the European title of emperor. This emphasizes that the Russian Kaganate was an independent and quite powerful entity, capable of independently determining its policy. However, its exact location is still unknown. Some researchers believe that it was located in the north of the East European Plain, while some scientists believe that this state was located in the area of the Sea of Azov.

According to E.S. Galkina (book “Secrets of the Russian Kaganate”), the center of this state was located in the upper reaches of the Os-kol, Seversky Donets and Don rivers. Russian historian and philosopher Sergei Perevezentsev calls this state Alanian Russia and sees its origins in the Don. Donetsk historian and publicist Alexey Ivanov calls it the Russian Kaganate and outlines the borders of this state along the line Seversky Donets - Don - Sea of Azov in the southeast and the Dnieper in the west. The modern capital of Ukraine was also part of this civilization.

For a long time, the prevailing version was that this was not a separate state, but part of the Khazar Khaganate. This assumption played a fatal role in the study of this civilization. IN Soviet time historical science I practically did not study the Khazar Khaganate. Naturally, no one studied the history associated with our territory. The Russian Kaganate is not studied in independent Ukraine either. But in Russia, articles and entire books are dedicated to this state. Even in pre-revolutionary times, attention was paid to the fact that the term “Rus” was mentioned much earlier than the beginning of Rurik’s reign in Novgorod.

By comparing all available historical data with archaeological finds, we come to the conclusion that the Russian Khaganate can only be the Saltov-Mayatsk archaeological culture.

It was one of the most urbanized states early Middle Ages. Now 25 cities have been excavated, some of which were inhabited by up to one hundred thousand people. For that time, this was a huge population, because Paris at that time had only twenty thousand inhabitants, and in Kyiv, even in the 11th century, no more than forty thousand people lived. The cities of the Russian Kaganate were centers of trade and crafts. Pottery, jewelry, and metallurgy were especially developed. The Russian Kaganate was a trading and military state through which important trade routes passed from northern Europe to Byzantium and Asian countries. For example, one of them began with south coast Baltic, then went along the Dnieper, Seversky Donets, Don and ended in the North Caucasus. Another important trade artery controlled by the Rus was the well-known route “From the Varangians to the Greeks.” In addition, the Russian Kaganate had access to the sea and conducted active maritime trade. The main export goods were weapons, jewelry and slaves. Such activity could not but irritate the Khazar Khaganate, another military-mercantile state that sought control over trade routes. Apparently, relations between the two kaganates were very tense. Apparently certain time Parity was maintained, and the border ran along the Don.

According to archaeological data, this culture of the Kaganate was a mixed Alan-Slavic-Turkic culture. At first (from the 6th to the beginning of the 8th century) the Alan component dominated. Alans are an Indo-Aryan Iranian-speaking people, descendants of the Sarmatians and ancestors of modern Ossetians. It should be noted that our region for a long time was in the area of settlement of Iranian tribes. First they were the Scythians, then the Sarmatians, Roxolans, Yasses, and Alans. It was from those times that the root “don”, meaning “river”, remained in our language in the names of water sources. So the names Don, Sevsrsky Donets came to us from time immemorial. Then the Slavs began to populate the territory of the forest-steppe strip (now the northern part of Donbass). At the same time, the Iranians moved deeper into the Slavic lands. A symbiosis of Iranians and Slavs arises, and the Kaganate can well be called a Slavic-Iranian state. In addition, the Kaganate was inhabited by Bulgars, Ases and even people from Scandinavia. By the end of the existence of the Russian Kaganate, the Slavs constituted the dominant part of its population. And most importantly, they had a high social status. This can be judged by the fact that the found Slavic burials are, as a rule, rich graves.

Now, it’s probably worth considering the origin of the term Rus, Russian. Root "Rus" - Indo-European origin and means “light, white.” It has retained this meaning in the language to this day. For example, in the words “fair-haired”, “fair-haired”, “brown hare” and so on. In addition, this term denoted a noble or dominant family. It is quite natural that this word was used equally by two branches of Indo-Europeans - Iranians and Slavs. Perhaps the spread of the self-name of the “Saltovo people” as “Rus”, “Rus” is connected with the name of the current Seversky Donets, which, according to the Arabic source “Khudua-al-Alam”, was called the Rus River, that is, a bright or clean river. Perhaps, from the name of the river, the inhabitants of the Kaganate began to call themselves that. There is a version that the Kaganate got its name from the Alan people of the Rukhs, descendants of the Sarmatian tribe of Roksalans (light Alans) and Ases.

Probably, the Rus were not originally Slavs, but were assimilated by the Slavs, leaving them their name. It's not the only one similar case in history. Let us at least remember the Bulgarians, Slavic people, which received its name from a tribe of nomadic Turks.

The Russian Kaganate died in the thirties of the ninth century, when its territory was captured by the Magyars (Hungarians), who roamed here until the end of the ninth century, and then went west. After the defeat of the Kaganate, part of the remaining population moved north into the forests and assimilated among the Slavic tribe of northerners. Perhaps thanks to this, the toponymy of our region has been preserved. Some of the fugitives moved to the Dnieper region under the protection of the surviving Kyiv.

But the fate of the third group of people from the Kaganate is especially interesting. These were probably the remnants of a professional squad. They ended their campaign in the Baltic states. Some researchers believe that they new homeland became the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, some historians claim that the Russians settled in Prussia, where they, together with local tribes form tribal union, which is called Russia. In addition, there is a version about the island of Saaremaa as a new refuge for the Rus. Be that as it may, all researchers agree that the new state was in the Baltic states. In it time is running active development of these territories by the Slavs. They needed an ally in new lands. Naturally, they paid attention to the tribal formation, which was close to them in language and culture. So, perhaps the Russian Rurik, invited with his retinue to Novgorod, was not a Scandinavian, but a native of the Russian Kaganate.

If our reconstruction of the history of the Russian Kaganate is based on archeology, hypotheses and scattered historical information, then Rurik is historical figure. His closest associate was Prophetic Oleg. In our country, this name is usually derived from the Scandinavian name Heleg, although it is more logical to derive it from the Iranian Khaleg (creator, creator, prince). Oleg, having become regent for Rurik’s young son Igor in 879, organizes a campaign south along the Dnieper. In 882, Oleg virtually captured Kyiv without a fight. It was then that the words “Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities” were heard. Agree, it sounds more than strange if, following the Norman historians, we consider Oleg a Scandinavian. But if Oleg, like the people of Kiev, comes from the Russian Kaganate, then his action is logical. The prophetic prince proclaimed the beginning of his revival ancient state, but with the capital in Kyiv. By the way, the Kiev people perceive Oleg’s arrival without much indignation. There were no riots or unrest. But when Rurik began to reign in Novgorod, there was an uprising of Vadim the Brave.

After establishing himself in Kyiv, Oleg established his control over the tribes of the Northerners and Radimichi, who had previously paid tribute to the Khazars. That is, Oleg collected around Kyiv exactly those Slavic tribes, who were most closely in contact with the Russian Kaganate. Through the efforts of the Prophetic Oleg, at the beginning of the tenth century, a new state was formed, which united the lands of the Russian Kaganate and received former name Rus', and its ruler calls himself kagan. This title ceased to be used only under Yaroslav the Wise.

Prince Svyatoslav completed what Oleg had started by making a victorious campaign against Khazaria in 965. He not only destroyed this state, but also began to revive the Russian Kaganate through a new Slavic colonization of lands along the Don and Donets, the center of which was the former Khazar city of Sar-kel, renamed by Svyatoslav to Belaya Vezha (vezha - tower). He is trying to resettle the Slavs there, but the situation was different. Pecheneg nomads come from the Volga region to our steppes. After they were defeated in the thirties of the eleventh century, the Polovtsy came to their place. By the way, Vladimir Monomakh made two dozen campaigns in the steppes, where the Russian Kaganate was located, literally clearing them of nomads. So the princes of Kievan Rus did not forget about their ancestral home. But Kievan Rus had already entered a period of fragmentation, and the great princes did not have the strength to retain their southern possessions. Most of the Slavs during the time of Vladimir Monomakh moved back to Kievan Rus. Those who remained were partially massacred by the Polovtsians, who took Belaya Vezha by storm in 1 1 1 7, and partially moved to Tmutarakan. A small part of the Slavs, uniting with representatives of neighboring peoples (Alans and Turks), became the ancestors of the Brodniks - free warriors who led the same lifestyle as the Cossacks four hundred years later.

So, let's summarize. The Russian Kaganate was the first proto-state in relation to which the term “Russian” was used. The legacy of this state subsequently had a serious impact on both Rus' and the states formed on its territory. A lot of elements from the Russian Kaganate passed into Russian state. This is the title of rulers, and gods of Iranian origin in the pantheon of Slavic gods, and numerous words with Iranian roots in our language.

Russian Kaganate and Yarova Rus

Fascinating lectures by V. Chudinov about the latest expeditions and new discoveries... Demonstration and decoding of inscriptions on objects found by archaeologists in the Russian Kaganate, on the territory of Vagria, Scandia and Slavic Rus'... Chudinov Valery Alekseevich Doctor philosophical sciences, professor of the State University of Management, academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, chairman of the RAS Commission on the culture of ancient and medieval Rus', director of the Center for Ancient Slavic writing and culture, writer...

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Russians have been known since ancient times. They are mentioned in both Western European chronicles and Slavic chronicles. And today Russians remain the main people of Russia, maintaining their special character and rich culture.

Anthropologists classify Russians as the so-called Caucasian race. The appearance, height, eye and hair color, and physique of Russians were formed as a result of the long development of their historical predecessors: the Scythians and Proto-Slavs, as well as contacts with other peoples - the Balts, Finno-Ugrians and even the Turks. For an ordinary, typical Russian blonde hair, Not good wide face, fairly large nose. In the northern regions European Russia light-eyed and fair-haired people are common; in the center - brown-eyed, with soft, usually dark brown, slightly curly hair, and in the south - dark-skinned and dark-eyed: the admixture of Mongolian and Caucasian peoples. Russians in the northeast of the country have thin, straight hair and slightly narrowed eyes.

Russians have been known since ancient times. They are mentioned in both Western European chronicles and Slavic chronicles. There are many theories explaining the origin of the words “Rus”, “Russians”. Many modern scientists associate the name of the eastern group of Slavs with the left tributary of the Dnieper - the Ros River. In the first centuries new era along the banks of this river lived a large tribe of “Rossov” or “Rodians”, which, perhaps, gave the name to the first East Slavic state - Rus'.

At the beginning of the 14th century. The Moscow princes managed to unite individual lands, exhausted by internecine wars, and by the end of the 15th century. free yourself from the Horde yoke. The Russian state created by the Moscow rulers (in Western chronicles it was called Muscovy) quickly acquired, in the words of the outstanding Russian historian Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, “independence and greatness.” Ivan III (1462-1505) - the first Moscow prince, who became known as the “autocrat of all Rus'.”

Muscovites XV-XVII centuries. spoke the same language and recognized themselves as a single people with a common faith (Orthodoxy) and culture. They perceived as brothers the inhabitants of the former ancient Russian lands, which ended up being part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Since that time, Russia has repeatedly declared itself as a multinational power. The idea of the special mission of Muscovy as the core of the world Christian Orthodox empire, of its unifying power, was supported by the theory of Moscow as the “third Rome.” According to the monk Philotheus (16th century), “two Romes have fallen, the third stands, and the fourth will not exist.”

Borders Russian state expanded steadily during the 16th and 17th centuries. The annexation of the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates (in 1552 and 1556, respectively), and the development of Siberia opened the way for Russian settlers to pour into these lands. New natural and cultural conditions forced the colonists to adopt forms of land cultivation and farming characteristic of local residents. Getting used to alien living conditions, the Russians, in turn, shared their own experience, including agricultural experience, with their neighbors.

Scientists date the beginning of the formation of the Russian nation to the end of the 16th century. A single material and spiritual culture arose, a unified administration in the created state, a common territory and, which did not exist before, economic life.

The resettlement of Russians to the lands of Left Bank Ukraine, which became part of the Russian state in 1654, the development of the Ural and Siberian lands by “willing people”, the successful struggle of Russia for access to the Baltic and the founding in 1703. new capital- St. Petersburg - expanded the territory inhabited by Russians. In the second half of the 18th century. the lands of Right Bank Ukraine and Crimea were annexed to it. In the same century, settlers from the center of the country moved to Kamchatka and began to develop lands beyond the Bering Strait - “Russian America” (Alaska, part of California and the Aleutian Islands).

In the censuses of that time, religion was noted, not nationality people, so it is difficult to say exactly what the number of each people was in the multinational Russian Empire. According to late XVIII c., out of 37 million people inhabiting Russian Empire, Russians made up approximately 53%, Ukrainians - 21, Belarusians - 8%.

By the beginning of the 19th century. There were two large ethnographic groups among Russians - Northern Russian and Southern Russian. They differed in the type of housing, clothing, language characteristics, and form of farming.

Northern Russian group in early XIX V. occupied the territory from the Volkhov River in the west to the Mezen River and the upper reaches of the Vyatka and Kama in the east (modern Karelia, Novgorod, Arkhangelsk, Vologda,

Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Kostroma, part of Tverskaya and Nizhny Novgorod regions). The inhabitants of these lands spoke (and still speak) the “okay” dialect (for example, they pronounce: fifty dollars). They built monumental tall houses; There were few courtyards in the settlements. The basis of the traditional women's costume here was a sundress and a shirt worn underneath, which were richly decorated with embroidery or linen lace. The arable tool of the northerners was the plow.

Southern Great Russians are the inhabitants of the black earth strip of Russia from the Desna River basin in the west to the Sura River (a tributary of the Volga) in the east (modern Ryazan, Penza, Kaluga, Tula, Lipetsk, Tambov, Voronezh, Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Belgorod regions), They say in the “aka” dialect (here they will say: paltinnik). The basis women's clothing consisted of a richly embroidered shirt with a blanket. Houses in the south were not built as tall as the northerners, and the settlements, on the contrary, were large.

The interfluve of the Oka and Volga (modern Moscow, Vladimir, Kaluga, Ryazan, Penza, part of the Tver and Nizhny Novgorod regions) turned out to be a “transitional” zone, in the culture of which southern Russian and northern Russian traits crossed and modified.

Russians living in western Russia had a lot in common with Belarusians ( light color clothing, culinary preferences, for example love for potatoes), and the Russian population of the Middle Volga region borrowed from their neighbors, the non-Slavic Volzhans, patterns on clothes and features interior decoration dwellings.

The Russians of Siberia were distinguished by their special way of economic life and way of life. They made up almost 70% of the settlers who arrived in this region in the 18th-19th centuries. Among the Old Believers who fled here from the persecution of the Nikonians, several groups formed (see the volume “History of Russia”, part 3, “Encyclopedia for Children”). From the middle of the 17th century. Whole families of Old Believers settled in Transbaikalia, hence the name Semeiskie. As a rule, colonists occupied lands along the banks of large rivers (Ob, Yenisei, Angara, Lena, Amur, Kolyma) and their tributaries. IN late XIX V. Russians settled in southern Siberia along the Trans-Siberian Railway, which was built from 1891 to 1916.

By the beginning of the 20th century. Russians made up 75% of the population of Siberia, 70% - the Urals, 63% - the Volga region, 40% - the Caucasus, 7% - Central Asia. The Russian government did not provide them with advantages on the annexed lands, so there was no hostility between Russian and non-Russian peasants. However, the bulk of Russians (more than 90%) still lived not in Siberia, but in European territory Russia. Almost all of them (98%) were Orthodox.

For many centuries, Russians lived in accordance with their unwritten laws, “according to conscience and truth.” There was practically no xenophobia (hatred of strangers, foreigners) in the Russian national character. Vindictiveness was also uncharacteristic for Russians: either a direct reaction to an insult or forgiveness of guilt was allowed. Orthodoxy demanded adherence to strict moral standards. Modern psychologists studying national character different nations, refer to traditional features Russians are: long-suffering - and at the same time the ability to recklessly rise to rebellion, “senseless and merciless,” in the words of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin; hope for a true king (ruler) who can protect from untruth - and at the same time dreams of “free will” and freedom; asceticism, heroism - and weak character, humility (no wonder Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov wrote: “You are both powerful, you are also powerless, Mother Rus'”); thirst for the absolute (goodness, equality, justice) - and denial of the relative (success for oneself, happiness for a while). Russians have always highly valued a good name, honor, reputation in the eyes of friends and neighbors, and the desire for a united, “whole world” solution to controversial issues.

October 1917 opened a new page in the ethnic history of Russians. The Soviet state sought to replace everything “national” with “international”, workers’ and peasants’. The founder of the Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, directly spoke about the need “not to think about your nation and to put the interests of everyone, universal freedom and equality above it. The central authorities waged a decisive struggle against the “dissenters.” In the press, the word “Russian” began to be replaced with “Russian” (proletariat, revolution, culture, etc.). “It’s over with Russia...” - the poet Maximilian Aleksandrovich Voloshin sadly concluded, seeing how the lines between the national Russian and multinational cultures of the Russian Empire were blurring.

Soviet laws proclaimed the equality of all peoples, religions and languages. After civil war The ideologists of the new life openly announced the policy of “indigenization,” i.e., increasing the share of representatives of the indigenous, non-Russian population in government structures.

In words, the Soviet leadership strove for “the flourishing of all nations and cultures”, their “bringing together and merging.” In fact, this policy has led to a sharp reduction in teaching at national languages, and this caused a natural protest from non-Russian peoples. Russian was legally declared the “second native language” for all peoples of the Union. However, Russians did not have any advantages. Their standard of living in the RSFSR, especially in the provinces, was lower than in many republics (primarily in the Baltic states). This situation led to mutual antipathy in everyday life. The declaration of the RSFSR as “first among equals” gave rise to national discord between Russians and other peoples of the “fraternal family of republics.” The desire to develop a “multinational Soviet” (and in fact, nationally faceless) culture to the detriment of national cultures, including Russian, led to the eradication of the peculiarities of Russian folk life.

The collapse of the USSR in December 1991 changed the position of Russians in the former Soviet republics. They turned into a national minority there and quickly began to join the ranks of emigrants.

In the 90s Nationalist parties and movements emerged in Russia. This is largely explained by the desire to return to the former moral foundations of society, which had previously been eradicated, and the desire to revive Russian culture.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia remains one of the world's largest powers. Russians live in it on a vast territory from the Kaliningrad region to Far East, from Murmansk and northern Siberia to the foothills of the Caucasus and the former Central Asian republics. Their total number in the world - more than 146 million people; Of these, almost 120 million live in the RSFSR (out of the 148 million population of the country as a whole). In the “near abroad” (i.e. in the territory former USSR) turned out to be almost 24 million, in the “distant” (in the USA, Canada and other countries) - 2.5 million people. Russians in Russian Federation They consider Russian their native language and use the Cyrillic alphabet when writing. Most believers are Orthodox.

There are more women among Russians than men (52.7% versus 47.3%), although every year this difference becomes less noticeable. The most common family among Russians today is from three people(parents and one child), which does not even ensure simple reproduction.

Half of all Russians in the Russian Federation (49.7%) live in the center of European Russia, in the northwest, in the Volga-Vyatka region and the Volga region. Russians of the south and north ethnographic groups retain their characteristics, primarily the traditions of building and decorating houses, as well as culinary traditions.

Today, Russians remain the main people of Russia, maintaining their special character and rich culture.

When preparing the article, photographs from V. Belov’s book “Lad” were used

Russian Civilization

How did the Russian people originate? Now (at modern system education in Russia) fewer and fewer Russian people know about the origins of their people. At most, they now know that Russians lived in Ancient Kievan Rus. But even this is not entirely correct. During the times of Kievan Rus there was no Russian people yet, in those distant times the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian people was a single whole people and this people was called Rusichs (Russians). At first I wanted to write the history of the origins of the Russian people, starting from modern times and further delving into the depths of centuries, and I even began to write like that. But I realized that it would still be clearer to write this article, starting from the most ancient times (I will start with 17 million years ago) and gradually (chronologically) describe this history (with ethnic maps) with stops and descriptions of ethnic processes on Earth and Eastern Europe, with stops (and maps) in the following years: So let's start with the most ancient times. 17 million years ago (see map) As you can see from the map, then only asuras (Lemurians) lived on Earth; they were giants with black skin. Now the descendants of these black giants are the aborigines of Australia, the Papuans, the Veddoids of Ceylon, the Khoisans and the pygmies of Africa. This was the first people to exist on Earth 17 million years ago. They were the only people on Earth. His name is Asuras (some researchers call them Lemurians, the Greeks called them Titans, this people has many names). Indeed, representatives of this people were very tall - from 38-50 meters, gradually this height decreased - up to 6-7 meters. I won’t tell you here how this people appeared on Earth. This is a separate long story. I can only say one thing: highly developed civilizations took part in the creation of this people. 4 million years ago. As you can see from this map, division began on Earth around this time. the only people(Asuras) into three other peoples - the Atlanteans, the later Asuras and the Muans. 1 million years ago. At these times, the dominant people on Earth were the Atlanteans. There were, of course, other peoples - the Muans and the later Asuras, but they were completely subordinate to the civilization of the Atlanteans (Toltecs). 79 thousand years BC What happened approximately 80 thousand years ago? On the ground main role the Atlanteans are playing, but they are no longer so united and strong. There are large groups of tribes - Akkadians, Turanians, Australoids (descendants of the later Asuras and Muans) and other mixed peoples; many descendants of Atlanteans who migrated from the dying continent of Atlantis appear in Europe. The world map takes on a modern appearance. Lemuria and the continent of Mu are long gone; all that remains from Atlantis is the island of Poseidonis. 22 thousand years BC We will now consider only part of the world map, namely Eastern Europe, and we will start with the northern part of Europe, since we need it most of all to consider our history. Let's see what happened in northern Europe around 22,000 BC. On the site of the modern islands - Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land there was then a large continent called Arctida (sometimes called Hyperborea), where the Hyperboreans lived (these are northern Atlanteans who moved here from the dying continent of Atlantis and the island of Poseidonis). As we see, besides the Hyperboreans in the center of Eastern Europe Tribes of the Sungir culture and tribes of the Kostenki culture still lived. Some modern historians believe that all Indo-Europeans originated from the Sungirians, and all Caucasian peoples originated from the Kostenkovites, but this is not so. We do not explore these issues. We are only interested in the origins of the Indo-Europeans. And we found ancient homeland Indo-Europeans (and therefore Slavs). But let me remind you that the Hyperboreans are also the ancestors of all the Ural (Finno-Ugric) peoples. 12 thousand years BC What happened in 12000 BC? At this time, there was still a large glacier in northern Europe; it appeared around 12500 BC. This glacier destroyed (covered with ice) the northern continent of Hyperborea. The Hyperboreans had to go south (to the north and middle Urals). There was the legendary country of Biarmia (Perm the Great). Biarmians (Boreans) are descendants of the Hyperboreans. They are also the ancestors of all Indo-Europeans (including the Slavs) and also the Ural (Finno-Ugric) peoples. To the south of the Boreans lived the Gagarin tribes - these are the descendants of the late Atlanteans who migrated from Europe. Historians call them descendants of Cro-Magnons. 6500 BC As we see at this time, tribes of the Shigir culture lived on a vast territory from the Middle and Southern Urals to the Baltic states. These tribes are descendants of the Boreans (Biamians, descendants of the Hyperboreans). These were the ancestors of all Indo-European peoples and the Ural (Finno-Ugric) peoples. At these times, it was probably still difficult to draw a line between the future Indo-Europeans and the Urals. A little later, the Butovo culture stood out from the general mass of the Shigirs (this is also part of the Shigirs, but they are still closer to our ancestors (ancient Slavs), especially since the habitat of the Butovo coincides with the ancestral homeland of the ancient Slavs. But let me remind you once again that they were still not Slavs. 4800 BC By 4800 BC, three new groups of peoples (Indo-European) emerged from the Shigir culture - Narva culture(Narvians), Upper Volga culture (Volzhtsy) and the main group of Indo-Europeans (Indo-Europeans). All other tribes living to the south are not the ancestors of the Indo-European peoples. The Volzhians continue to settle south. 4100 BC By 4100 BC, on the basis of the Upper Volga people moving south, a new culture– Sur-Dnieper (surtsy). By this time, in place of the remaining Boreans and the remnants of the northern tribes of the Shigir culture, only the ancient Finno-Ugrians remained. The Dnieper-Donetsk culture (Dnieper), the Azov-Dnieper culture (Azov) and the Sredny Stog culture (Stogovtsy) were formed. These tribal groups were new groups of Indo-Europeans. 3100 BC By 3100 B.C. in the Middle Volga the Balakhna culture (Balakhna people) was formed. In the steppes of Eurasia (from the Irtysh to the Danube) a new culture was formed - the Yamnaya (Yamniki). These are new groups of Indo-Europeans (the Yamniki can already be called “Aryans”, this is an eastern group of Indo-Europeans. In the north of Belarus, the North Belarusian culture (Severtsy) was formed. In the upper reaches of the Oka, the Belevka culture (Belevtsy) was formed, to the south of the Oka the Ryazan culture (Ryazan people) was formed. Closest to all ancient Slavs - the Dnieper Donetsk culture (Dnieper) - these are the descendants of the tribes of the Upper Volga culture. At that time, the Upper Volga culture itself existed (Volga people), but by this time the tribes of the Volga people were no longer Indo-Europeans, many Ural (Finno-Ugric) people joined them from the north ) tribes. On the maps I will include all groups of tribes that influenced the formation of the Slavic (and later Russian) peoples, I will also sign them with letters. 2500 BC By 2500 BC - in the center of Eastern Europe ( in the upper reaches of the Don) a new culture was formed - the culture of corded ceramics (Lusroviki). This culture was formed on the basis of the Yamnaya culture and other cultures of Eastern Europe related to the Indo-Europeans (Belevskaya, Ryazanskaya, Balakhninskaya). The Corded Ware tribes were Indo-European pastoralists who began their movement to the west - to Western Europe. The settlement of Europe by Indo-Europeans began. All the new cultures that began to appear to the west of this hearth were also Corded Ware cultures (but with different names). From 2500 BC, the massive penetration of Indo-Europeans into Western Europe began. From this time on, the Yamnaya culture included mainly only the ancestors of all ancient Iranians and Indians. The tribes of the Yamnaya culture are often called Aryans. On the basis of the Valdai and North Belarusian cultures, the Neman culture (Nemans) was formed. These were the ancestors of the Western Indo-Europeans. 2100 BC By 2300 B.C. The following significant ethnic events occurred. By this time, the movement of the Corded Ware tribes (Indo-Europeans) began to the west - to Central Europe. In the basin of the Middle and Upper Dnieper, the Middle Dnieper culture (Dnieper-2) arose. In Scandinavia and the Baltic states, a culture of boat-shaped axes (Rookers) was formed (these are also Indo-Europeans - corders). According to the “Tale of Princes Sloven and Rus,” it was at this time (on the site of modern Veliky Novgorod) that the city of Slovensk was founded, and on the site of modern Staraya Russa- the city of Russa. At this place in those days there existed the Fatyanovo culture (these were also Indo-Europeans, who also participated in the formation of the Slavs and Rus). Volynskaya was formed megalithic culture(Volyntsy). In the northwest of the Caucasus, the Maikop culture (Maikop people) was formed. These are the tribes - the ancestors of the Hittites, Luwians, Palais, who later moved to Asia Minor, as well as the Sindians and Meotians who remained in place. Around the same time, the center of all Aryan (Indo-Iranian) tribes appeared - the city of Arkaim (in the southern Urals). Later - by 2100 BC - the Baltic culture (Balts) was formed on the basis of the culture of boat-shaped axes in the Baltic states. In eastern Poland and western Belarus, the zloty (zloty) culture emerged. This is a continuation of the movement of the Indo-Europeans to the west (this is also the Corded Ware culture). On west coast The Usatovo culture arose from the Black Sea. (Usatovites). 1900 BC A catacomb culture (catacombs) appeared in the lower reaches of the Volga, Don and Dnieper. These are the ancestors of the Cimmerians and Scythians. The North Caucasian culture (North Caucasians) was formed in the North Caucasus. An urban culture (gorodtsy) appeared in western Ukraine. In southern Romania and northern Bulgaria, the Glina (clay) culture formed. In western Romania the Peryamos culture (Peryamo people) appeared. If someone asks what tribes of the culture were the ancestors of the Slavs, then I will answer that it was the Middle Dnieper culture (Dnieper 2), but the formation of the Slavs was also influenced by the tribes of neighboring cultures. 1600 BC By this time, the tribes of the Bell-Beaker culture (subordinate to the ancient Iberians) had advanced to the territory of Western Ukraine (occupying all of Poland). On the territory of the Baltic states, a culture appeared - the south-eastern Baltic. On the territory of Romania, the culture of Monteoru (Monteora) appeared. In the north of Bulgaria, a new people is being formed - the Greeks (these are Dorians, Ionians, Aetolians). But the Indo-Europeans continued their movement to the west. 1300 BC By 1500 BC, the Seima culture (Seima people) appeared in the Middle Oka basin. In the upper reaches of the Don and in the Middle Volga, a log-house culture (srubniki) appeared. The Trzciniec culture (Trzcinets) appeared on the territory of Poland and Ukraine. In the corner of the Urals and the north of Kazakhstan, the Andronovo culture (Andronovo people) was formed. The Tei (Tei) culture appeared in the lower Danube. A new people formed in the Balkans - the Thracians (Thracians). Later - by 1300 BC - the Kuban culture (Kubans) was formed in the Kuban valley - these are the ancestors of the future Sinds and Meots. In Western Ukraine, the Komarov culture (Komarovtsy) was formed. A culture of barrow burials (kurganniks) was formed in the Center of Europe. These are most likely the ancestors of the ancient Celts. 1100 BC By 1100 BC, the Lusatian culture (Lusatians) had formed in the center of Europe. These are the ancestors of not only the ancient Slavs, but also the Germans. In the northeast of Romania and on the territory of Moldova, the Noa (Noa) culture was formed. The Belogrudov culture (Belogrudovtsy) arose on the western bank of the Middle Dnieper. 900 BC By this time, the Yukhnov culture (Yukhnovtsy) had formed in the Desna basin. On the eastern bank of the Middle Dnieper, the Chernoles culture (Chernolessy) was formed. In western Ukraine, the Vysotsky culture (Vysotsy) was formed. In the steppes east of the middle Dnieper, the Bondarikha culture (Bondarikha people) arose. 700 BC By 800 BC, a new people had formed in the Northern Black Sea region - the Cimmerians (Cimmerians). Later - by 700 BC - the Baltic burial mound culture (Baltic-3) was formed in the southern part of the Baltic states. In the Northern Black Sea region, in the Lower Don basin, a new people formed - the Scythians (Scythians). In the lower reaches of the Volga and Ural, a new people appeared - the Sauromats (Sauromats). Tribes of the Hallstatt culture (Hallstatts) appeared on the territory of Yugoslavia. The Hallstatts are the ancestors of the future Celts. By this time, the most likely ancestors of the Slavs are the Chernolestsy and Vysoktsy, although the eastern Lusatians were also the ancestors of the Slavs. 500 BC By 550 BC, the Dnieper-Dvina culture (Dvintsy) arose in the upper reaches of the Dnieper and Volga. On the western bank of the Dnieper, the Zarubintsy culture (Zarubintsy) was formed. On the shores of the Black Sea appeared Greek colonies(Greeks). And by 500 BC, the Gorodets culture (Gorodets) was formed between the Middle Volga and the Upper Don. On the Middle Dnieper the Milograd culture (Milogradtsy) was formed. The Pomeranian culture (Pomeranians) was formed on the territory of Poland. In the Baltic states and north-west Belarus, a culture of hatched ceramics (shtrikhoviki) was formed. Between the Volga and Oka, the Upper Oka culture (Oktsy) was formed. 300 BC By this time, the Poyanesti (Poyanesti) culture appeared on the territory of Moldova. The Gubin culture (Gubins) arose in southeastern Poland. Tribes of the La Tène culture (Celts) entered the territory of Slovakia. A new people formed on the territory of Yugoslavia - the Illyrians (Illyrians). 150 BC By this time in the steppes North Caucasus a new people appeared - the Aorsi (Aorsi). This is an Iranian-speaking people, they separated from the Sauromatians. The Przeworsk culture (Przeworstsy) appeared in southern Poland and western Ukraine. In northern Poland, the Oksyw culture (Oksywtsy) was formed. All historians believe that the Przeworst and Milograd people are Slavs. 200 AD. On the map of 200, the northern neighbors of the Slavs were the Finno-Ugric tribes. The eastern and southern neighbors of the Slavs were the Sarmatian tribes (these are Indo-European tribes of nomads). In the southwest of the Slavs (the territory of Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria) lived the Thracian tribes (these are also Indo-Europeans). Further to the west of the Slavs (in the center of Europe) lived the Celts and Germans (these were also Indo-Europeans). 450 year. But please note that if the southern neighbors of the Antes were Turkic tribes, then to the west of the Antes lived the Slavic tribes of the Sklavins. Sklavins are Eastern Slavs. Without them it is impossible to trace our history. There were times when both eastern and Western Slavs were one large group of related tribes - the Slavs. 950 As can be seen from this map, several groups of East Slavic tribes lived on the territory of ancient Rus' (from north to south) - Ilmen Slavs, Krivichi, Polochans, Vyatichi, Krivichi, Radimichi, Drevlyans, Northerners, Polyans, Volynians, Dulebs, White Croats, Tivertsy, street. Often, all these tribes, faced with a common threat, united into alliances. One of them is known. When the Huns (Turkic-speaking nomads from Central Asia), the Eastern Slavs had a union known as the Antes. This is reflected in an even more ancient map from the year 450. 1300 This map shows that in 1300 the people were still united and had one name - Rusichi. By the 13th century, Kievan Rus had turned into a fragmented state, in which all power was no longer in Kyiv, but in a number of feudal states, headed by princes. This was the reason for the weakness of this territory. 1600 By 1600, Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians were already separate (related) peoples. Why did these related peoples split? Because by the 13th century Kievan Rus had turned into a fragmented state, in which all power was no longer in Kyiv, but in a number of feudal states, headed by princes. For this reason, these states were subordinated to other states. Most of(eastern) was subordinated to the Golden Horde (Mongol-Tatar state) and the Russian people began to form on this territory. The southeastern part of the former Kievan Rus was subordinated long time to the Polish state and its population became Ukrainians. Now we can briefly trace the path of formation of the Russian people, of course, this table describes a simplified path: Hyperboreans - Boreans Boreans - Shigir culture Shigir culture - Upper Volga culture and Eastern Indo-Europeans. Upper Volga culture - Sur-Dnieper culture Sur-Dnieper culture - Dnieper-Donetsk culture Eastern Indo-Europeans - Yamnaya culture Yamnaya culture - Corded ceramics culture Corded ceramics culture - Middle Dnieper culture Dnieper-Donetsk culture - Middle Dnieper culture Middle Dnieper culture - Trshcinets culture Trshcinets culture - Lusatian culture Lusatian culture - Pomeranian culture Pomeranian culture - Przeworsk culture Oksyw culture - Przeworsk culture Przeworsk culture - Slavs Slavs - Anty Anty - Rusichi (a large group of East Slavic tribes) Rusichi - Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians. At the end of this article I want to say. After reading this article, there is no need to say that it is the Russian people who are the descendants of the most ancient people - the Asuras. All peoples of the world are descendants of this people.

Russians have been known since ancient times. They are mentioned in both Western European chronicles and Slavic chronicles. And today Russians remain the main people of Russia, maintaining their special character and rich culture.

Anthropologists classify Russians as the so-called Caucasian race. The appearance, height, eye and hair color, and physique of Russians were formed as a result of the long development of their historical predecessors: the Scythians and Proto-Slavs, as well as contacts with other peoples - the Balts, Finno-Ugrians and even the Turks. An ordinary, typical Russian has blond hair, a not very wide face, and a fairly large nose. In the northern regions of European Russia, light-eyed and fair-haired people are often found; in the center - brown-eyed, with soft, usually dark brown, slightly curly hair, and in the south - dark-skinned and dark-eyed: the admixture of the blood of the Mongolian and Caucasian peoples is reflected. Russians in the northeast of the country have thin, straight hair and slightly narrowed eyes.

Russians have been known since ancient times. They are mentioned in both Western European chronicles and Slavic chronicles. There are many theories explaining the origin of the words “Rus”, “Russians”. Many modern scientists associate the name of the eastern group of Slavs with the left tributary of the Dnieper - the Ros River. In the first centuries of the new era, a large tribe of “Russians” or “Rodians” lived along the banks of this river, which, perhaps, gave the name to the first East Slavic state - Rus'.

The borders of the Russian state steadily expanded during the 16th and 17th centuries. The annexation of the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates (in 1552 and 1556, respectively), and the development of Siberia opened the way for Russian settlers to pour into these lands. New natural and cultural conditions forced the colonists to adopt forms of land cultivation and farming characteristic of local residents. Getting used to alien living conditions, the Russians, in turn, shared their own experience, including agricultural experience, with their neighbors.

Scientists date the beginning of the formation of the Russian nation to the end of the 16th century. A single material and spiritual culture, a single administration in the created state, a common territory and, which had not existed before, economic life emerged.

The resettlement of Russians to the lands of Left Bank Ukraine, which became part of the Russian state in 1654, the development of the Ural and Siberian lands by “willing people”, the successful struggle of Russia for access to the Baltic and the founding of a new capital in 1703 - St. Petersburg - expanded the territory inhabited by Russians . In the second half of the 18th century. the lands of Right Bank Ukraine and Crimea were annexed to it. In the same century, settlers from the center of the country moved to Kamchatka and began to develop lands beyond the Bering Strait - “Russian America” (Alaska, part of California and the Aleutian Islands).

The censuses of that time noted the religion, not the nationality, of people, so it is difficult to say exactly what the number of each people was in the multinational Russian Empire. According to data from the end of the 18th century, of the 37 million people inhabiting the Russian Empire, Russians made up approximately 53%, Ukrainians - 21, Belarusians - 8%.

Northern Russian group at the beginning of the 19th century. occupied the territory from the Volkhov River in the west to the Mezen River and the upper reaches of the Vyatka and Kama in the east (modern Karelia, Novgorod, Arkhangelsk, Vologda,

Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Kostroma, part of the Tver and Nizhny Novgorod regions). The inhabitants of these lands spoke (and still speak) the “okay” dialect (for example, they pronounce: fifty dollars). They built monumental tall houses; There were few courtyards in the settlements. The basis of the traditional women's costume here was a sundress and a shirt worn underneath, which were richly decorated with embroidery or linen lace. The arable tool of the northerners was the plow.

Southern Great Russians are the inhabitants of the black earth strip of Russia from the Desna River basin in the west to the Sura River (a tributary of the Volga) in the east (modern Ryazan, Penza, Kaluga, Tula, Lipetsk, Tambov, Voronezh, Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Belgorod regions), They say in the “aka” dialect (here they will say: paltinnik). The basis of women's clothing was a richly embroidered shirt with a blanket. Houses in the south were not built as tall as the northerners, and the settlements, on the contrary, were large.

The Russians living in western Russia had a lot in common with the Belarusians (light color of clothing, culinary preferences, for example, love for potatoes), and the Russian population of the Middle Volga region borrowed from their neighbors, the non-Slav Volzhans, ornaments on clothes and features of the interior decoration of their homes.

The Russians of Siberia were distinguished by their special way of economic life and way of life. They made up almost 70% of the settlers who arrived in this region in the 18th-19th centuries. Among the Old Believers who fled here from the persecution of the Nikonians, several groups formed (see the volume “History of Russia”, part 3, “Encyclopedia for Children”). From the middle of the 17th century. Whole families of Old Believers settled in Transbaikalia, hence the name Semeiskie. As a rule, colonists occupied lands along the banks of large rivers (Ob, Yenisei, Angara, Lena, Amur, Kolyma) and their tributaries. At the end of the 19th century. Russians settled in southern Siberia along the Trans-Siberian Railway, which was built from 1891 to 1916.

By the beginning of the 20th century. Russians made up 75% of the population of Siberia, 70% of the Urals, 63% of the Volga region, 40% of the Caucasus, 7% of Central Asia. The Russian government did not provide them with advantages on the annexed lands, so there was no hostility between Russian and non-Russian peasants. However, the bulk of Russians (more than 90%) still lived not in Siberia, but in the European territory of Russia. Almost all of them (98%) were Orthodox.

For many centuries, Russians lived in accordance with their unwritten laws, “according to conscience and truth.” There was practically no xenophobia (hatred of strangers, foreigners) in the Russian national character. Vindictiveness was also uncharacteristic for Russians: either a direct reaction to an insult or forgiveness of guilt was allowed. Orthodoxy demanded adherence to strict moral standards. Modern psychologists who study the national character of different peoples consider the following traditional traits of Russians to be: long-suffering - and at the same time the ability to recklessly rise to rebellion, “senseless and merciless,” in the words of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin; hope for a true king (ruler) who can protect from untruth - and at the same time dreams of “free will” and freedom; asceticism, heroism - and weak character, humility (no wonder Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov wrote: “You are both powerful, you are also powerless, Mother Rus'”); thirst for the absolute (goodness, equality, justice) - and denial of the relative (success for oneself, happiness for a while). Russians have always highly valued a good name, honor, reputation in the eyes of friends and neighbors, and the desire for a united, “whole world” solution to controversial issues.

Soviet laws proclaimed the equality of all peoples, religions and languages. After the civil war, the ideologists of the new life openly announced the policy of “indigenization,” i.e., increasing the share of representatives of the indigenous, non-Russian population in government structures.

In words, the Soviet leadership strove for “the flourishing of all nations and cultures”, their “bringing together and merging.” In fact, such a policy led to a sharp reduction in teaching in national languages, and this caused a natural protest from non-Russian peoples. Russian was legally declared the “second native language” for all peoples of the Union. However, Russians did not have any advantages. Their standard of living in the RSFSR, especially in the provinces, was lower than in many republics (primarily in the Baltic states). This situation led to mutual antipathy in everyday life. The declaration of the RSFSR as “first among equals” gave rise to national discord between Russians and other peoples of the “fraternal family of republics.” The desire to develop a “multinational Soviet” (and in fact, nationally faceless) culture to the detriment of national cultures, including Russian, led to the eradication of the peculiarities of Russian folk life.

The collapse of the USSR in December 1991 changed the situation of Russians in the former Soviet republics. They turned into a national minority there and quickly began to join the ranks of emigrants.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia remains one of the world's largest powers. Russians live in it on a vast territory from the Kaliningrad region to the Far East, from Murmansk and northern Siberia to the foothills of the Caucasus and the former Central Asian republics. Their total number in the world is more than 146 million people; Of these, almost 120 million live in the RSFSR (out of the 148 million population of the country as a whole). Almost 24 million people ended up in the “near abroad” (i.e., in the territory of the former USSR), and 2.5 million people in the “far” (in the USA, Canada and other countries). Russians in the Russian Federation consider Russian their native language and use the Cyrillic alphabet when writing. Most believers are Orthodox.

There are more women among Russians than men (52.7% versus 47.3%), although every year this difference becomes less noticeable. The most common family among Russians today is a family of three (parents and one child), which does not even ensure simple reproduction.

Half of all Russians in the Russian Federation (49.7%) live in the center of European Russia, in the northwest, in the Volga-Vyatka region and the Volga region. Russians of the southern and northern ethnographic groups retain their characteristics, primarily the traditions of building and decorating houses, as well as culinary traditions.

Today, Russians remain the main people of Russia, maintaining their special character and rich culture.

When preparing the article, photographs from V. Belov’s book “Lad” were used

Russian Civilization

Information about Russian folk. Are Russians a people or a nation? Family traditions and spiritual values ​​of the Russian people

Russians have been known since ancient times. They are mentioned in both Western European chronicles and Slavic chronicles. And today Russians remain the main people of Russia, maintaining their special character and rich culture.

Russians have been known since ancient times. They are mentioned in both Western European chronicles and Slavic chronicles. And today Russians remain the main people of Russia, maintaining their special character and rich culture.

Information about Russian folk. Are Russians a people or a nation? Family traditions and spiritual values of the Russian people