What peoples belong to the Finno-Ugric group. Russia Orthodox Finno-Ugric people

Finno-Ugrians, their place in the history of the Russian nation and the Russian state is an academic question. However, in the last twenty years, at the level of the yellow press, the question of Finns and Ugrians undertook to discuss delitants. I do not consider myself a specialist in anthropology, but I am able to identify the main problematic butt points that do not allow Ukrainians and Russians to find a common language and stick to the thread of the discussion.

The main problems in the issue of the history of the Finno-Ugric peoples, standing on the way to mutual understanding, are the following

Low Education in the Age of the Internet. Unfortunately, the majority of people do not seek knowledge of the academic ( scientific) parts of the question Slavs (including their appearance, jewelry, myths, fairy tales, religion and culture) in the history of Russia. Alas, it is difficult to read academic literature because of the way the material is presented. And so it is! Read the yellow press on the topic " Slavs"(or similar) with loud anti-Ukrainian phrases and extreme statements is very simple and, most importantly, is remembered easily and quickly! Unfortunately! "The mouth of the opponent on the forum and mixing everything into one pile outweighs common sense and - our own mythology and zombies about the Finno-Ugric peoples rushed ...

The unwillingness of the authorities to meet the needs of the people. For the authorities of Russia, this position of Russian citizens is extremely beneficial: no expenses on the part of Russia for the publication and agitation of academic literature; publishing yellow press not at the expense of the state, naturally, and it spreads at lightning speed. Lots of literature on the subject Finno-Ugric(and not only) was published back in the last century before last, and today the newfangled wise men have not come up with anything new on this issue, but are relaying those old sources, not even bothering to review them for refutations. In addition, it is much easier to control the stupid and embittered - point your finger and say: "Face!".

As a result, the following problem emerges: looking for himself and can not find(or afraid). However, Russia at one time was already "found" by Karamzin. Since that Karamzin's story influenced to some extent another Russian historian, Klyuchevsky. And so it has been since then - the main advantageous provisions of the history of the Russian state of Karamzin flow from one textbook to another, forgetting about the population and equating it with the state, which is extremely wrong! In fact, the history of Karamzin became the first custom-made political version of the history of Russia, after which history moved from the plane of science to the plane of politics. It is possible that in Russia no one was engaged in history as a science before Karamzin. Otherwise, Karamzin would not have had to write it under the order of the Tsar.

What can help in resolving the issue of the Finno-Ugric peoples?

Separate questions of language and DNA. So it turns out that according to DNA (roots, genus), the population of Russia really consisted mostly of Finno-Ugric peoples ( read below). However, who said that the Finno-Ugric people cannot master the Slavic language and, being essentially Finno-Ugric people, speak Russian and beat their chests with their fists?

Having read all sorts of things about Ukrainians from the time of Tsar Peas, Russians, for some reason, accuse Ukrainians of disliking Finno-Ugric peoples. We (Ukrainians) do not show dislike for the Finno-Ugric peoples. We oppose the fact that the Russians themselves show dislike for the Finno-Ugric peoples, trying to disown their kinship with them. As a result, the Russians are trying renounce a large part of yourself, and fill in this part with which they are not related. I'm not saying that the Russians Dont Have nothing to do with, but the Russians put the question in this way that we (Ukrainians) remain out of work. As a result, the Russians themselves, with their behavior and lack of education, cause negativity on the part of the Ukrainians, calling them names. Guys, Ukrainians cannot by definition! The question is, why do Russians deny their part of the Finno-Ugric heritage???

Lack of information breeds rumors and fiction. In the question with Finno-Ugric heritage On the territory of Russia, the situation is similar. actively opposes filling in the blank spots in their Finno-Ugric history, and this "forces" the Ukrainians (gives every reason and reason) to fill in these blank spots for the Russians, while setting out, of course, own vision of the issue. But for all this a responsibility the Russians themselves are carrying it - do not be silent! Actively analyze yourself (and do not invent) and thus you will deprive your opponents of arguments. Who interferes?

More on the topic of Finno-Ugric...

According to the successful comparison of Academician Orest Borisovich Tkachenko, world famous meryanista (discipline in Finno-Ugric studies dealing with the study of the Meri people): " The Russian people, maternally connected with the Slavic ancestral home, had a Finn as their father. On the paternal side, Russians go back to the Finno-Ugric peoples.". This explanation makes clear many cultural facts in the life and development of the Russian nation. In the end, both Moscow Russia and Novgorod developed precisely on the lands inhabited by the Finno-Ugric tribes of Chud, Meri and Meshchera, as well as on the Mordovian, Vepsian, Vodka-Izhora , Karelian and Perm territories.

Slavs did not assimilate Finnish tribes a. it Finno-Ugrians have adapted to the new language and adopted part of the Byzantine spiritual culture. Therefore, the Russians have a choice. Realize your rootedness on this earth, see in your ancestors not only and not so much Slavs, feel that the culture of the Russian people is based on the Finno-Ugric basis.

Who are the Finno-Ugrians (literature on the topic)

Finno-Ugrians- an ethno-linguistic community of peoples, numbering more than 20 million people. All Finno-Ugric peoples are indigenous in their territories. Finno-Ugric ancestors lived in Eastern Europe and the Urals since the Neolithic (New Stone Age). From the Baltic Sea to Western Siberia, from the forest-steppes of the Russian Plain to the coast of the Arctic Ocean - primordial Finno-Ugric lands and the Samoyedic peoples close to them.

Linguistically Finno-Ugrians are divided into several subgroups. The Permian-Finnish subgroup is made up of Komi, Udmurts and Besermen. Volga-Finnish group: Mordvins (Erzyans and Mokshans) and Mari. The Balto-Finns include: Finns, Ingrian Finns, Estonians, Setos, Kvens in Norway, mysterious Vod, Izhors, Karelians, Vepsians and descendants of Mary. The Khanty, Mansi and Hungarians belong to a separate Ugric group. The descendants of the medieval Meshchera and Muroma most likely belong to the Volga Finns.

Anthropologically Finno-Ugric peoples heterogeneous. Some scholars highlight a particular Ural race, transitional between Caucasoids and Mongoloids. All peoples of the Finno-Ugric group have both Caucasoid and Mongoloid features. The Ob Ugrians (Khanty and Mansi), part of the Mari, Mordovians have more pronounced Mongoloid features. In the rest, these features are either equally divided, or the Caucasoid component dominates. But this does not testify in favor of the Indo-European origin of the Finno-Ugrians, it is necessary to distinguish Indo-European anthropological features from the linguistic Indo-European community.

Finno-Ugrians all over the world unites a common material and spiritual culture. All true Finno-Ugric peoples live in harmony with nature, with the world around them and with neighboring peoples. Even at the beginning of the third millennium, only the Finno-Ugric peoples preserved their traditional culture in Europe to the fullest extent, including, paradoxically, Russian culture as well. However, this paradox can be explained. Unlike many peoples, the Finno-Ugric peoples try to preserve as many customs and traditions as possible in their culture, including (perhaps in Russia this explains the rather large number of preserved ancient traditions and elements from the times of Russia).

The Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala" was preserved for history by the White Sea Karelians, and not by the urbanized Finns; almost all Russian ancient fairy tales, epics and legends (epic folklore is the oldest of all forms of oral folk culture) were recorded by ethnographers at the end of the 19th century in the areas inhabited by Karelians, Vepsians and descendants of the Finno-Ugric peoples in the Arkhangelsk province. Most of the monuments of ancient Russian wooden architecture were inherited from the Finno-Ugric lands. A few years ago, the epic of the Erzya people "Mastorava" was recorded and restored, which is unique in itself.

The spiritual life of the Finno-Ugric people is impossible without folk beliefs. Even peoples who were baptized long ago retained a huge layer of culture associated with pre-Christian beliefs. And some, like the Mari, still adhere mainly to the traditional faith. Do not confuse these beliefs with paganism. The Maris, Erzyans, part of the Udmurts, the Ob Ugrians have national religions.

Finno-Ugric issue- this is without a doubt a Russian question. The issue of ethnic identification of the Great Russian ethnos. In all the territories of the Russian Plain, where Russians now live, Finno-Ugric peoples used to live. The big problem is what was the nature of the Slavic colonization. After all, the Russians preserve the same material and spiritual traditional culture with the Finno-Ugric peoples, and not with the southern Slavs or Turks. The psychological characteristics of the population, its national character, especially in the north, northwest and northeast of the European part of Russia (the most indigenous part of Russia), Russians and Finno-Ugric peoples are also common.

I hope that the above information on the topic of the Finno-Ugric peoples and Russia will help to find problematic places in the history of Russia and understand in which direction the history of Russia itself should be built, putting politics aside.

Also on the topic:

• Crisis of national and ethnic identity as a diagnosis
• Fables about right and wrong nations. Birth of nations.
• Nationality: how to designate the nationality of people (children) in our hour
• Breaking Moments and Formation of the Ukrainian Nation: Traditions, Ivan Franko
• Leaf to youth of Ivan Franko "Odvertiy leaf to Galician Ukrainian youth"
• The life of the nation. Victory toponyms Rus, Muscovy, Ukraine, Russia
• Russian and Ukrainian historiography. Politics and history like science - like resurrection?
• The right of nations to self-determination. Bashkir experience in the Russian Federation
• A real state-forming nation has been formed in Ukraine and there is no place for the voters of Crimea and Donbass
• Ukraine's development strategy - why is there no state development strategy in Ukraine?
• Russian friendship and its durability as a kind of commercial project
• Finno-Ugric people and Russian culture. Finno-Ugrians in the blood of Russians
• Russia is rewriting the history of neighboring peoples and states - why?
• Biryulyevo - a guest worker in Russia - the backbone of Russia
• Workers in Sochi not to be paid wages for three months - Roman Kuznetsov's report
• Riots in Biryulyovo - redistribution of the land market and political raiding against the vegetable base

The Finno-Ugric languages ​​are related to modern Finnish and Hungarian. The peoples who speak them make up the Finno-Ugric ethno-linguistic group. Their origin, territory of settlement, commonality and differences in external features, culture, religion and traditions are the subjects of global research in the field of history, anthropology, geography, linguistics and a number of other sciences. This review article will briefly cover this topic.

The peoples included in the Finno-Ugric ethno-linguistic group

Based on the degree of proximity of languages, researchers divide the Finno-Ugric peoples into five subgroups.

The basis of the first, the Baltic-Finnish, are the Finns and Estonians - peoples with their own states. They also live in Russia. Setu - a small group of Estonians - settled in the Pskov region. The most numerous of the Baltic-Finnish peoples of Russia are the Karelians. In everyday life they use three autochthonous dialects, while Finnish is considered their literary language. In addition, the same subgroup includes Veps and Izhors - small peoples who have retained their languages, as well as Vods (there are less than a hundred of them left, their own language has been lost) and Livs.

The second is the Sami (or Lappish) subgroup. The main part of the peoples who gave it its name is settled in Scandinavia. In Russia, the Saami live on the Kola Peninsula. Researchers suggest that in ancient times these peoples occupied a larger territory, but were subsequently pushed back to the north. At the same time, their own language was replaced by one of the Finnish dialects.

The third subgroup that makes up the Finno-Ugric peoples - the Volga-Finnish - includes the Mari and Mordovians. The Mari are the main part of Mari El, they also live in Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Udmurtia and a number of other Russian regions. They distinguish two literary languages ​​(with which, however, not all researchers agree). Mordva - the autochthonous population of the Republic of Mordovia; at the same time, a significant part of the Mordvins settled throughout Russia. This people includes two ethnographic groups, each with its own literary written language.

The fourth subgroup is called the Permian. It includes as well as the Udmurts. Even before October 1917, in terms of literacy (albeit in Russian), the Komi were approaching the most educated peoples of Russia - Jews and Russian Germans. As for the Udmurts, their dialect has been preserved for the most part in the villages of the Udmurt Republic. Residents of cities, as a rule, forget both the indigenous language and customs.

The fifth, Ugric, subgroup includes Hungarians, Khanty and Mansi. Although many kilometers separate the lower reaches of the Ob and the northern Urals from the Hungarian state on the Danube, these peoples are actually the closest relatives. Khanty and Mansi belong to the small peoples of the North.

Disappeared Finno-Ugric tribes

The Finno-Ugric peoples also included tribes, the mention of which is currently preserved only in the annals. So, the Merya people lived in the interfluve of the Volga and Oka in the first millennium of our era - there is a theory that they later merged with the Eastern Slavs.

The same thing happened with Muroma. This is an even more ancient people of the Finno-Ugric ethno-linguistic group, who once inhabited the Oka basin.

The long-disappeared Finnish tribes that lived along the Northern Dvina are called Chud by researchers (according to one of the hypotheses, they were the ancestors of modern Estonians).

Commonality of languages ​​and culture

By declaring the Finno-Ugric languages ​​as a single group, the researchers emphasize this commonality as the main factor that unites the peoples who speak them. However, the Ural ethnic groups, despite the similarity in the structure of their languages, still do not always understand each other. So, a Finn, of course, will be able to communicate with an Estonian, an Erzya resident with a Moksha resident, and an Udmurt with a Komi. However, the peoples of this group, geographically distant from each other, should make quite a lot of effort to identify common features in their languages ​​that would help them to carry on a conversation.

The linguistic relationship of the Finno-Ugric peoples is primarily traced in the similarity of linguistic structures. This significantly affects the formation of thinking and worldview of peoples. Despite the difference in cultures, this circumstance contributes to the emergence of mutual understanding between these ethnic groups.

At the same time, a peculiar psychology, conditioned by the thought process in these languages, enriches the universal culture with their unique vision of the world. So, unlike the Indo-European, the representative of the Finno-Ugric people is inclined to treat nature with exceptional respect. The Finno-Ugric culture in many ways also contributed to the desire of these peoples to peacefully adapt to their neighbors - as a rule, they preferred not to fight, but to migrate, preserving their identity.

Also, a characteristic feature of the peoples of this group is their openness to ethno-cultural interchange. In search of ways to strengthen relationships with kindred peoples, they maintain cultural contacts with all those around them. Basically, the Finno-Ugric peoples managed to preserve their languages, the main cultural elements. The connection with ethnic traditions in this area can be traced in their national songs, dances, music, traditional dishes, and clothes. Also, many elements of their ancient rites have survived to this day: wedding, funeral, memorial.

A Brief History of the Finno-Ugric Peoples

The origin and early history of the Finno-Ugric peoples are still the subject of scientific discussions. Among researchers, the most common opinion is that in ancient times there was a single group of people who spoke a common Finno-Ugric parent language. The ancestors of the current Finno-Ugric peoples until the end of the third millennium BC. e. maintained relative unity. They were settled in the Urals and the western Urals, and possibly also in some areas adjacent to them.

In that era, called the Finno-Ugric, their tribes were in contact with the Indo-Iranians, which was reflected in myths and languages. Between the third and second millennium BC. e. the Ugric and Finno-Permian branches separated from each other. Among the peoples of the latter, who settled in a western direction, independent subgroups of languages ​​(Baltic-Finnish, Volga-Finnish, Permian) gradually stood out and became isolated. As a result of the transition of the autochthonous population of the Far North to one of the Finno-Ugric dialects, the Saami were formed.

The Ugric group of languages ​​fell apart by the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. The separation of the Baltic-Finnish occurred at the beginning of our era. Perm existed a little longer - until the eighth century. Contacts between the Finno-Ugric tribes and the Baltic, Iranian, Slavic, Turkic, and Germanic peoples played an important role in the separate development of these languages.

Territory of settlement

Finno-Ugric peoples today mainly live in North-Western Europe. Geographically, they are settled in a vast territory from Scandinavia to the Urals, the Volga-Kama, the lower and middle Tobol region. The Hungarians are the only people of the Finno-Ugric ethno-linguistic group that formed their own state away from other related tribes - in the Carpatho-Danube region.

The number of Finno-Ugric peoples

The total number of peoples speaking the Uralic languages ​​(these include Finno-Ugric along with Samoyed) is 23-24 million people. The most numerous representatives are Hungarians. There are more than 15 million of them in the world. They are followed by Finns and Estonians (5 and 1 million people, respectively). Most of the other Finno-Ugric ethnic groups live in modern Russia.

Finno-Ugric ethnic groups in Russia

Russian settlers massively rushed to the lands of the Finno-Ugric peoples in the 16th-18th centuries. Most often, the process of their settlement in these parts took place peacefully, however, some indigenous peoples (for example, the Mari) long and fiercely resisted the annexation of their region to the Russian state.

The Christian religion, writing, urban culture, introduced by the Russians, eventually began to displace local beliefs and dialects. People moved to the cities, moved to the Siberian and Altai lands - where the main and common language was Russian. However, he (especially his northern dialect) absorbed a lot of Finno-Ugric words - this is most noticeable in the field of toponyms and names of natural phenomena.

In places, the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia mixed with the Turks, adopting Islam. However, a significant part of them were still assimilated by the Russians. Therefore, these peoples do not constitute a majority anywhere - even in those republics that bear their name.

However, according to the 2002 census, there are very significant Finno-Ugric groups in Russia. These are Mordovians (843 thousand people), Udmurts (almost 637 thousand), Mari (604 thousand), Komi-Zyryans (293 thousand), Komi-Permyaks (125 thousand), Karelians (93 thousand). The number of some peoples does not exceed thirty thousand people: Khanty, Mansi, Veps. The Izhors number 327 people, and the Vod people - only 73 people. Hungarians, Finns, Estonians, Saami also live in Russia.

Development of Finno-Ugric culture in Russia

In total, sixteen Finno-Ugric peoples live in Russia. Five of them have their own national-state formations, and two - national-territorial. Others are dispersed throughout the country.

In Russia, considerable attention is paid to the preservation of the original cultural traditions of its inhabitants. Programs are being developed at the national and local levels, with the support of which the culture of the Finno-Ugric peoples, their customs and dialects are studied.

Thus, Sami, Khanty, Mansi are taught in primary grades, while Komi, Mari, Udmurt, and Mordovian languages ​​are taught in secondary schools in those regions where large groups of the respective ethnic groups live. There are special laws on culture, on languages ​​(Mari El, Komi). Thus, in the Republic of Karelia, there is a law on education that secures the right of Vepsians and Karelians to study in their native language. The priority of the development of the cultural traditions of these peoples is determined by the Law on Culture.

Also in the republics of Mari El, Udmurtia, Komi, Mordovia, in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, there are their own concepts and programs of national development. The Foundation for the Development of the Cultures of the Finno-Ugric Peoples (on the territory of the Republic of Mari El) has been created and is operating.

Finno-Ugric peoples: appearance

The ancestors of the current Finno-Ugric peoples occurred as a result of a mixture of Paleo-European and Paleo-Asiatic tribes. Therefore, in the appearance of all the peoples of this group, there are both Caucasoid and Mongoloid features. Some scientists even put forward a theory about the existence of an independent race - the Urals, which is "intermediate" between Europeans and Asians, but this version has few supporters.

The Finno-Ugric peoples are anthropologically heterogeneous. However, any representative of the Finno-Ugric people possesses characteristic "Ural" features to one degree or another. This, as a rule, is of medium height, very light hair color, broad face, sparse beard. But these features manifest themselves in different ways. So, Erzya Mordvins are tall, owners of blond hair and blue eyes. Moksha Mordvins - on the contrary, shorter, broad-cheeked, with darker hair. The Udmurts and Mari often have characteristic "Mongolian" eyes with a special fold at the inner corner of the eye - the epicanthus, very wide faces, and a thin beard. But at the same time, their hair, as a rule, is blond and red, and their eyes are blue or gray, which is typical for Europeans, but not Mongoloids. The "Mongolian fold" is also found among the Izhors, Vodi, Karelians and even Estonians. Komi look different. Where there are mixed marriages with the Nenets, the representatives of this people are slanted and black-haired. Other Komi, on the contrary, are more like Scandinavians, but more broad-faced.

Finno-Ugric traditional cuisine in Russia

Most of the dishes of the traditional cuisines of the Finno-Ugric and Trans-Urals, in fact, have not been preserved or have been significantly distorted. However, ethnographers manage to trace some general patterns.

The main food product of the Finno-Ugric peoples was fish. It was not only processed in different ways (fried, dried, boiled, fermented, dried, eaten raw), but each type was prepared in its own way, which would better convey the taste.

Before the advent of firearms, snares were the main method of hunting in the forest. They caught mainly forest birds (black grouse, capercaillie) and small animals, mainly a hare. Meat and poultry were stewed, boiled and baked, much less often - fried.

From vegetables, they used turnips and radishes, from spicy herbs - watercress growing in the forest, cow parsnip, horseradish, onions, and young goatweed. Western Finno-Ugric peoples practically did not consume mushrooms; at the same time, for the Orientals, they constituted an essential part of the diet. The oldest types of grain known to these peoples are barley and wheat (spelt). They prepared porridge, hot kissels, as well as stuffing for homemade sausages.

The modern culinary repertoire of the Finno-Ugric peoples contains very few national features, as it has been strongly influenced by Russian, Bashkir, Tatar, Chuvash and other cuisines. However, almost every nation has preserved one or two traditional, ritual or festive dishes that have survived to this day. In sum, they allow you to get a general idea of ​​\u200b\u200bFinno-Ugric cooking.

Finno-Ugric peoples: religion

Most Finno-Ugric peoples profess the Christian faith. Finns, Estonians and Western Sami are Lutherans. Catholics predominate among Hungarians, although Calvinists and Lutherans can also be found.

The Finno-Ugric peoples living in are predominantly Orthodox Christians. However, the Udmurts and Mari in some places managed to preserve the ancient (animistic) religion, and the Samoyed peoples and inhabitants of Siberia - shamanism.

Among those living on the planet today there are many unique, original and even slightly mysterious peoples and nationalities. These, of course, include the Finno-Ugric peoples, who are considered the largest ethno-linguistic community in Europe. It includes 24 nations. 17 of them live on the territory of the Russian Federation.

The composition of the ethnic group

All numerous Finno-Ugric peoples are divided by researchers into several groups:

• Baltic-Finnish, the backbone of which is quite numerous Finns and Estonians who have formed their own states. Sets, Ingrians, Kvens, Vyru, Karelians, Izhors, Vepsians, Vods and Livs also belong here.
• Saami (Lapp), which includes residents of Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula.
• Volga-Finnish, including the Mari and Mordovians. The latter, in turn, are divided into moksha and erzya.
• Perm, which includes Komi, Komi-Permyaks, Komi-Zyryans, Komi-Izhma, Komi-Yazvins, Besermyans and Udmurts.
• Ugrian. It includes Hungarians, Khanty and Mansi separated by hundreds of kilometers.

Disappeared tribes

Among the modern Finno-Ugric peoples there are numerous peoples, and very small groups - less than 100 people. There are those whose memory is preserved only in ancient chronicles. The disappeared, for example, include Merya, Chud and Muroma.

The Meryans built their settlements between the Volga and the Oka several hundred years before our era. According to the assumption of some historians, later this people assimilated with the East Slavic tribes and became the progenitor of the Mari people.

An even more ancient people was the Muroma, who lived in the Oka basin.

As for the Chud, this people lived along the Onega and the Northern Dvina. There is an assumption that these were the ancient Finnish tribes from which modern Estonians descended.

Settlement regions

The Finno-Ugric group of peoples today is concentrated in the north-west of Europe: from Scandinavia to the Urals, the Volga-Kama, the West Siberian Plain in the lower and middle reaches of the Tobol.

The only people who formed their own state at a considerable distance from their brethren are the Hungarians living in the Danube basin in the Carpathian Mountains.

The most numerous Finno-Ugric people in Russia are the Karelians. In addition to the Republic of Karelia, many of them live in the Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Tver and Leningrad regions of the country.

Most of the Mordovians live in the Republic of Mordva, but many of them settled in neighboring republics and regions of the country.

In the same regions, as well as in Udmurtia, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm and other regions, Finno-Ugric peoples can also be found, especially a lot of Mari here. Although their main backbone lives in the Republic of Mari El.

The Republic of Komi, as well as the surrounding regions and autonomous districts, are the place of permanent residence of the Komi people, and in the Komi-Permyak Autonomous District and the Perm Region, the closest “relatives” live - the Komi-Permyaks.

More than a third of the population of the Udmurt Republic are ethnic Udmurts. In addition, small communities in many nearby regions.

As for the Khanty and Mansi, their main part lives in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. In addition, large communities of Khanty live in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Tomsk Region.

Appearance type

Among the ancestors of the Finno-Ugric peoples were both ancient European and ancient Asian tribal communities, therefore, in the appearance of modern representatives, one can observe features inherent in both the Mongoloid and Caucasoid races.

Common features to the distinctive features of the representatives of this ethnic group include medium height, very blond hair, a wide-cheeked face with an upturned nose.

At the same time, each nationality has its own “variations”. For example, Erzya Mordvins are much taller than average, but at the same time they are pronounced blue-eyed blonds. But the Moksha Mordvins, on the contrary, are undersized, and their hair color is darker.

The Udmurts and the Mari are the owners of the "Mongolian type" of eyes, which makes them related to the Mongoloid race. But at the same time, the vast majority of representatives of the nationality are fair-haired and light-eyed. Similar facial features are also found among many Izhors, Karelians, Vodi, Estonians.

But the Komi can be both dark-haired owners of slanting eyes, and fair-haired with pronounced Caucasoid features.

Quantitative composition

In total, about 25 million people belonging to the Finno-Ugric peoples live in the world. The most numerous of them are Hungarians, of which there are more than 15 million. Finns are almost three times less - about 6 million, and the number of Estonians is a little more than a million.

The number of other nationalities does not exceed a million: Mordvins - 843 thousand; Udmurts - 637 thousand; Mari - 614 thousand; Ingrians - a little over 30 thousand; kvens - about 60 thousand; vyru - 74 thousand; setu - about 10 thousand, etc.

The smallest ethnic groups are the Livs, whose number does not exceed 400 people, and the Vots, whose community consists of 100 representatives.

An excursion into the history of the Finno-Ugric peoples

There are several versions about the origin and ancient history of the Finno-Ugric peoples. The most popular of them is the one that suggests the presence of a group of people who spoke the so-called Finno-Ugric parent language, and until about the 3rd millennium BC, remained united. This Finno-Ugric group of peoples lived in the Urals and the western Urals. In those days, the ancestors of the Finno-Ugric peoples kept in touch with the Indo-Iranians, as evidenced by all sorts of myths and languages.

Later, a single community broke up into Ugric and Finno-Perm. The Baltic-Finnish, Volga-Finnish and Perm language subgroups subsequently emerged from the second. Separation and isolation continued until the first centuries of our era.

Scientists consider the region located on the border of Europe with Asia in the interfluve of the Volga and Kama, the Urals, to be the homeland of the ancestors of the Finno-Ugric peoples. At the same time, the settlements were at a considerable distance from each other, which, perhaps, was the reason that they did not create their own single state.

The main occupations of the tribes were agriculture, hunting and fishing. The earliest references to them are found in documents from the time of the Khazar Khaganate.

For many years, the Finno-Ugric tribes paid tribute to the Bulgar khans, were part of the Kazan Khanate and Russia.

In the XVI-XVIII centuries, the territory of the Finno-Ugric tribes began to be settled by thousands of migrants from various regions of Russia. The owners often resisted such an invasion and did not want to recognize the power of the Russian rulers. The Mari resisted especially fiercely.

However, despite the resistance, gradually the traditions, customs and language of the "newcomers" began to crowd out the local speech and beliefs. Assimilation intensified during subsequent migration, when the Finno-Ugric peoples began to move to various regions of Russia.

Finno-Ugric languages

Initially, there was a single Finno-Ugric language. As the group divided and various tribes settled further and further from each other, it changed, broke up into separate dialects and independent languages.

Until now, the Finno-Ugric languages ​​have managed to be preserved both by large peoples (Finns, Hungarians, Estonians) and small ethnic groups (Khanty, Mansi, Udmurts, etc.). Thus, in the primary grades of a number of Russian schools, where representatives of the Finno-Ugric peoples study, they study the Sami, Khanty and Mansi languages.

Komi, Mari, Udmurts, Mordovians can also learn the languages ​​of their ancestors, starting from the middle classes.

Other peoples who speak Finno-Ugric languages, they can also speak dialects similar to the main languages ​​of the group they belong to. For example, Bessermen communicate in one of the dialects of the Udmurt language, Ingrian - in the eastern dialect of Finnish, Kvens speak Finnish, Norwegian or Sami.

At present, there are hardly about a thousand common words in all the languages ​​​​of the peoples belonging to the Finno-Ugric peoples. Thus, the “kinship” connection of various peoples can be traced in the word “house”, which sounds like koti among Finns, and kodu among Estonians. “Kudu” (Mord.) and “Kudo” (Mari) have a similar sound.

Living next to other tribes and peoples, the Finno-Ugrians adopted their culture and language from them, but also generously shared their own. For example, “rich and mighty” includes such Finno-Ugric words as “tundra”, “sprat”, “salaka” and even “dumplings”.

Finno-Ugric culture

Archaeologists find cultural monuments of the Finno-Ugric peoples in the form of settlements, burials, household items and jewelry throughout the entire territory of the ethnic group. Most of the monuments belong to the beginning of our era and the early Middle Ages. Many peoples have managed to preserve their culture, traditions and customs up to the present day.

Most often they are manifested in various rituals (weddings, folk holidays, etc.), dances, clothing and household arrangements.

Literature

Finno-Ugric literature is conventionally divided by historians and researchers into three groups:

• Western, which includes the works of Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian writers and poets. This literature, which was influenced by the literature of European peoples, has the richest history.
• Russian, the formation of which begins in the XVIII century. It includes the works of the authors of the Komi, Mari, Mordovians, Udmurts.
• Northern. The youngest group, developed only about a century ago. It includes the works of Mansi, Nenets, Khanty authors.

At the same time, all representatives of the ethnic group have a rich heritage of oral folk art. Each nationality has numerous epics and legends about the heroes of the past. One of the most famous works of the folk epic is the Kalevala, which tells about the life, beliefs and customs of the ancestors.

Religious preferences

Most of the peoples belonging to the Finno-Ugric peoples profess Orthodoxy. Finns, Estonians and Western Sami are Lutheran, while Hungarians are Catholic. At the same time, ancient traditions are preserved in rituals, mostly wedding ones.

But the Udmurts and Mari in some places still retain their ancient religion, just as the Samoyed and some peoples of Siberia worship their gods and practice shamanism.

Features of national cuisine

In ancient times, the main food of the Finno-Ugric tribes was fish, which was fried, boiled, dried and even eaten raw. At the same time, each type of fish had its own way of cooking.

They also used the meat of forest birds and small animals caught in snares for food. The most popular vegetables were turnips and radishes. Food was richly seasoned with spices, such as horseradish, onion, cow parsnip, etc.

Finno-Ugric peoples prepared porridges and kissels from barley and wheat. They were also used to fill homemade sausages.

The modern cuisine of the Finno-Ugric peoples, which has been strongly influenced by neighboring peoples, has almost no special traditional features. But almost every nation has at least one traditional or ritual dish, the recipe of which has been brought to our days almost unchanged.

A distinctive feature of the cooking of the Finno-Ugric peoples is that in food preparation, preference is given to products grown in the place of residence of the people. But imported ingredients are used only in the most minimal amount.

Save and multiply

In order to preserve the cultural heritage of the Finno-Ugric peoples and pass on the traditions and customs of their ancestors to future generations, all kinds of centers and organizations are being created everywhere.

Much attention is paid to this in the Russian Federation. One of these organizations is the non-profit association Volga Center of Finno-Ugric Peoples, established 11 years ago (April 28, 2006).

As part of its work, the center not only helps large and small Finno-Ugric peoples not to lose their history, but also acquaints other peoples of Russia with it, contributing to the strengthening of mutual understanding and friendship between them.

Notable Representatives

As in every nation, the Finno-Ugric peoples have their own heroes. A well-known representative of the Finno-Ugric people - the nanny of the great Russian poet - Arina Rodionovna, who was from the Ingrian village of Lampovo.

Also Finno-Ugric are such historical and modern personalities as Patriarch Nikon and Archpriest Avvakum (both were Mordvins), physiologist V. M. Bekhterev (Udmurt), composer A. Ya. Eshpay (Mari), athlete R. Smetanina (Komi) and many others.

The peoples of the Finno-Ugric group have inhabited the territories of Europe and Siberia for more than ten thousand years, since the Neolithic. Today, the number of speakers of Finno-Ugric languages ​​exceeds 20 million people, and they are citizens of Russia and a number of European countries - modern representatives of the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group live in Western and Central Siberia, Central and Northern Europe. The Finno-Ugric peoples are an ethno-linguistic community of peoples, including the Mari, Samoyeds, Saami, Udmurts, Ob Ugrians, Erzya, Hungarians, Finns, Estonians, Livs, etc.

Some peoples of the Finno-Ugric group created their own states (Hungary, Finland, Estonia, Latvia), and some live in multinational states. Despite the fact that the cultures of the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group were significantly influenced by the beliefs of ethnic groups living on the same territory with them, and the Christianization of Europe, the Finno-Ugric peoples nevertheless managed to preserve a layer of their original culture and religion.

Religion of the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group before Christianization

In the pre-Christian era, the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group lived in isolation, on a vast territory, and representatives of different peoples practically did not contact each other. Therefore, it is natural that both dialects and nuances of traditions and beliefs among different peoples of this group differed significantly: for example, despite the fact that both Estonians and Mansi belong to the Finno-Ugric peoples, it cannot be said that their beliefs and traditions contain a lot general. The formation of the religion and way of life of each ethnic group was influenced by environmental conditions and the way of life of the people, therefore it is not surprising that the beliefs and traditions of the ethnic groups living in Siberia differed significantly from the religion of the Finno-Ugric peoples living in Western Europe.

There was no Finno-Ugric group in the religions of the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group, therefore, historians take all the information about the beliefs of this ethnic group from folklore - oral folk art, which was recorded in the epics and legends of different peoples. And the most famous epics, from which modern historians draw knowledge about beliefs, are the Finnish "Kalevala" and the Estonian "Kalevipoeg", describing in sufficient detail not only gods and traditions, but also the exploits of heroes of different times.

Despite the presence of a certain difference between the beliefs of different peoples of the Finno-Ugric group, there is much in common between them. All these religions were polytheistic, and most of the gods were associated either with natural phenomena or with cattle breeding and agriculture - the main occupations of the Finno-Ugric peoples. The god of heaven was considered the supreme deity, whom the Finns called Yumala, the Estonians - Taevataat, the Mari - Yumo, the Udmurts - Inmar, and the Sami - Ibmel. The Finno-Ugric peoples also honored the deities of the sun, moon, fertility, earth and thunder; representatives of each nation called their deities in their own way, but the general characteristics of the gods, in addition to names, did not have too many differences. In addition to polytheism and similar gods, all religions of the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group have the following common characteristics:

1. ancestral cult - all representatives of the Finno-Ugric peoples believed in the existence of an immortal human soul, and also in the fact that the inhabitants of the afterlife can influence the lives of living people and, in exceptional cases, help their descendants
2. Cults of gods and spirits associated with nature and earth (a nimism) - since the subsistence of the majority of the peoples of Siberia and Europe directly depended on the offspring of farmed animals and the harvest of cultivated plants, it is not surprising that many peoples of the Finno-Ugric group had many traditions and rituals designed to appease the spirits of nature
3. Elements of shamanism - as in, in the Finno-Ugric ethnic groups, the role of intermediaries between the world of people and the spiritual world was performed by shamans.

Religion of the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group in modern times

After the Christianization of Europe, as well as an increase in the number of adherents of Islam at the beginning of the first half of the second millennium AD, more and more people belonging to the Finno-Ugric peoples began to profess any of them, leaving the beliefs of their ancestors in the past. Now only a small part of the Finno-Ugric people profess traditional pagan beliefs and shamanism, while the majority adopted the faith of the peoples living with them on the same territory. For example, the vast majority of Finns and Estonians, as well as citizens of other European countries, are Christians (Catholics, Orthodox or Lutherans), and among the representatives of the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group inhabiting the Urals and Siberia, there are many adherents of Islam.

To date, the ancient animistic religions and shamanism have been preserved in their most complete form by the Udmurts, Mari and Samoyedic peoples - the indigenous inhabitants of western and central Siberia. However, it cannot be said that the Finno-Ugric peoples have completely forgotten their traditions, because they have preserved a number of rituals and beliefs, and even the traditions of some Christian holidays in the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group are closely intertwined with ancient pagan customs.

The people living in the Cheptsa basin (a tributary of the Vyatka) within the Balezinsky, Glazovsky, Yukamensky, Yarsky districts of the Udmurt Republic, as well as in the adjacent areas of the Kirov region of the Russian Federation. The language of the Besermians is an dialect of the Udmurt language.