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Russians

Russians
Русские
Total population
c. 130 – c. 150 million
Regions with significant populations
 Russian Federation: 111,016,896
(census, 2010)
 Ukraine 8,334,141 (census, 2001)
 Kazakhstan 3,793,764 (census, 2009)
 Germany
(including Russian Jews and Russian Germans)
3,500,000 (estimate, 2013)
 United States
(including Russian Jews and Russian Germans)
3,072,756 (census, 2009)
 Israel
(including Russian Jews)
1,240,122 (census, 2015)
 Uzbekistan 1,199,015 (estimate, 2000)
 Belarus 785,084 (census, 2009)
 Canada
(Russian ancestry)
550,520 (census, 2011)
 Latvia 520,136 (census, 2014)
 Kyrgyzstan 419,600 (census, 2009)
 Moldova 369,488 (census, 2004)
 Estonia 324,431 (2013)
 Turkmenistan 297,319 (census, 2000)
 France
(Russian citizens)
200,000 to 500,000
 Brazil
(Russian ancestry)
200,000
 Lithuania 174,900 (census, 2009)
 Azerbaijan 119,300 (census, 2009)
 Georgia 91,091 (census, 2002)
 Finland
(Russian speakers)
72,436 (estimate, 2015)
 Tajikistan 68,200 (census, 2000)
 Australia 67,055 (census, 2006)
 Spain
(Russian citizens)
64,653 (census, 2013)
 Cuba 50,200 (census, 2002)
 Turkey
(Russian ancestry)
50,000
 United Kingdom
(Russian citizens)
35,172 (2011)
 Venezuela 34,600
 Romania
(Lipovans)
36,397 (census, 2002)
 Czech Republic 32,828 (statistical data, 2013)
 Italy
(Russian citizens)
39,314 (2014)
 Greece
(Russian citizens)
18,219 (census, 2001)
 United Arab Emirates 18,000
 Norway 16,833
 China 15,609 (census, 2000)
 Bulgaria 15,595 (census, 2002)
 Armenia 14,660 (census, 2002)
 New Zealand 5,979 (census, 2013)
 Montenegro 946
Languages
Russian
Religion
Predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christianity
(Russian Orthodox Church)
Related ethnic groups
Particularly other East Slavs (Belarusians and Ukrainians)

Russians (Russian: русские, russkiye) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. The majority of Russians inhabit the nation state of Russia, while notable minorities exist in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other former Soviet states such as Belarus. A large Russian diaspora exists all over the world, with notable numbers in the United States, Germany, Israel, and Canada. Russians are the most numerous ethnic group in Europe.

The Russians share many cultural traits with their fellow Eastern Slavic counterparts, specifically Belarusians and Ukrainians as well as with certain Southern Slavs such as Bulgarians, Macedonians, Serbs and Montenegrins. They are predominantly Orthodox Christians by religion. The Russian language is official in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and also spoken as a secondary language in many former Soviet states.

There are two Russian words which are commonly translated into English as "Russians". One is "русские" (russkiye), which most often means "ethnic Russians". Another is "россияне" (rossiyane), which means "citizens of Russia". The former word refers to ethnic Russians, regardless of what country they live in and irrespective of whether or not they hold Russian citizenship. Under certain circumstances this term may or may not extend to denote members of other Russian-speaking ethnic groups from Russia, or from the former Soviet Union. The latter word refers to all people holding citizenship of Russia, regardless of their ethnicity, and does not include ethnic Russians living outside of Russia. Translations into other languages often do not distinguish these two groups.


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