Where in the world are most Russians?
Several tens of millions of Russians are scattered around the world today. At different times, circumstances forced them to leave their native Russia. Some ancestors emigrated after the Civil War, others were forced to leave after the collapse of the USSR, and many remained abroad after the former Soviet republics became independent states.
In total, from 20 to 30 million people live outside Russia, which can be attributed to the Russians. Although Russian in this case is a relative concept. Should we consider Russian the grandchildren of Jewish grandparents who left for Israel, or the descendants of Volga Germans who spoke German only at school before leaving for Germany, and even if they studied German, not English?
The largest Russian (or Russian-speaking) diaspora in Europe is concentrated in Germany. More than 3,7 million people from Russia and the former republics of the USSR live here. Basically it is either Russian Germans or Jews. Russian shops, cafes, cultural centers in Germany do not surprise anyone. The largest Russian communities live in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt.
At least 3 million people from the USSR and Russia live in the USA. Unlike Germany, America has become a new home for people of various nationalities - from Russians to representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus and Central Asia. Most Russians prefer to settle in New York, where a whole infrastructure has been created for their convenience. Many Americans complain that Russians, especially middle-aged and older, do not even try to learn English - in their areas they can already explain to the seller in the store or the taxi driver. The descendants of Russian emigrants are more adapted, some of them manage to make a good career.
Israel is hard to imagine without immigrants from the former USSR. Today they make up more than 15% of the country's population - over 1,1 million people. When the “Iron Curtain” collapsed, hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews rushed to the “historical homeland”. However, many of them can be called Jews only very conditionally - Israel is open to the children of Jews and the grandchildren of Jews, therefore it is enough to have one Jewish grandfather to get the opportunity to move to this country. However, actually more than 70 thousand people in Russia without Jewish origin in Israel. These are mainly members of Jewish families who left Russia and other former Soviet republics with them.
In the post-Soviet space, Russians make up a significant part of the population in several republics at once. In Latvia, Russians are about 35% of the population. Many of them still do not have citizenship, which is why great tension remains in Latvian society. In Kazakhstan, a quarter of the country's population identifies itself as Russian - 26% or 4 million people. These are not only ethnic Russians, but also children from mixed marriages. In addition, very impressive Russian communities live in Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Azerbaijan. You can not even talk about Ukraine and Belarus - there it is more a question political self-identification of a person.
In the past two decades, the number of Russians in Latin America, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria has increased significantly. So, in the countries of Latin America there are many descendants of white emigrants and even religious communities who moved there at the beginning of the twentieth century. Mostly Russian wives of the Turks live in Turkey, Bulgaria has become due to linguistic and territorial proximity and a good climate the center of gravity of wealthy pensioners. In Greece, there are many “Russian” Greeks and their families, who also repatriated from the former Soviet republics.
Now Russians live even in such exotic countries as India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia. And these are not only tourists, but also “free artists” - freelancers and small entrepreneurs who run their own business there, usually associated with tourist activities.
In total, from 20 to 30 million people live outside Russia, which can be attributed to the Russians. Although Russian in this case is a relative concept. Should we consider Russian the grandchildren of Jewish grandparents who left for Israel, or the descendants of Volga Germans who spoke German only at school before leaving for Germany, and even if they studied German, not English?
The largest Russian (or Russian-speaking) diaspora in Europe is concentrated in Germany. More than 3,7 million people from Russia and the former republics of the USSR live here. Basically it is either Russian Germans or Jews. Russian shops, cafes, cultural centers in Germany do not surprise anyone. The largest Russian communities live in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt.
At least 3 million people from the USSR and Russia live in the USA. Unlike Germany, America has become a new home for people of various nationalities - from Russians to representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus and Central Asia. Most Russians prefer to settle in New York, where a whole infrastructure has been created for their convenience. Many Americans complain that Russians, especially middle-aged and older, do not even try to learn English - in their areas they can already explain to the seller in the store or the taxi driver. The descendants of Russian emigrants are more adapted, some of them manage to make a good career.
Israel is hard to imagine without immigrants from the former USSR. Today they make up more than 15% of the country's population - over 1,1 million people. When the “Iron Curtain” collapsed, hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews rushed to the “historical homeland”. However, many of them can be called Jews only very conditionally - Israel is open to the children of Jews and the grandchildren of Jews, therefore it is enough to have one Jewish grandfather to get the opportunity to move to this country. However, actually more than 70 thousand people in Russia without Jewish origin in Israel. These are mainly members of Jewish families who left Russia and other former Soviet republics with them.
In the post-Soviet space, Russians make up a significant part of the population in several republics at once. In Latvia, Russians are about 35% of the population. Many of them still do not have citizenship, which is why great tension remains in Latvian society. In Kazakhstan, a quarter of the country's population identifies itself as Russian - 26% or 4 million people. These are not only ethnic Russians, but also children from mixed marriages. In addition, very impressive Russian communities live in Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Azerbaijan. You can not even talk about Ukraine and Belarus - there it is more a question political self-identification of a person.
In the past two decades, the number of Russians in Latin America, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria has increased significantly. So, in the countries of Latin America there are many descendants of white emigrants and even religious communities who moved there at the beginning of the twentieth century. Mostly Russian wives of the Turks live in Turkey, Bulgaria has become due to linguistic and territorial proximity and a good climate the center of gravity of wealthy pensioners. In Greece, there are many “Russian” Greeks and their families, who also repatriated from the former Soviet republics.
Now Russians live even in such exotic countries as India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia. And these are not only tourists, but also “free artists” - freelancers and small entrepreneurs who run their own business there, usually associated with tourist activities.
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