ChuvashiaChuvashia (Чувашия; Çăvaš Jen), officially the Chuvash Republic — Chuvashia, is a republic of Russia located in Eastern Europe. It is the homeland of the Chuvash people, a Turkic ethnic group. Its capital is the city of Cheboksary. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 1,251,619. The Chuvash Republic is located in the center of European Russia, in the heart of the Volga-Vyatka economic region, mostly to the west of the Volga River, in the Volga Upland.
KipchaksThe Kipchaks or Qipchaks, also known as Kipchak Turks or Polovtsians, were a Turkic nomadic people and confederation that existed in the Middle Ages, inhabiting parts of the Eurasian Steppe. First mentioned in the 8th century as part of the Second Turkic Khaganate, they most likely inhabited the Altai region from where they expanded over the following centuries, first as part of the Kimek Khanate and later as part of a confederation with the Cumans. There were groups of Kipchaks in the Pontic–Caspian steppe, China, Syr Darya and Siberia.
Bashkir languageBashkir (UKbæʃˈkɪə, USbɑːʃˈkɪər; Башҡортса Bashqortsa, Башҡорт теле Bashqort tele, bɑʂ'qʊ̞ɾt tɪ̞ˈlɪ̞) is a Turkic language belonging to the Kipchak branch. It is co-official with Russian in Bashkortostan. It is spoken by approximately 1.6 million native speakers in Russia, as well as in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Estonia and other neighboring post-Soviet states, and among the Bashkir diaspora. It has three dialect groups: Southern, Eastern and Northwestern.
UdmurtsThe Udmurts (Удмуртъёс, ) are a Permian (Finnic) ethnic group in Eastern Europe, who speak the Udmurt language. In the course of history, Russian-speakers have referred to them as (чудь отяцкая), Otyaks, Wotyaks or Votyaks. The name Udmurt comes from *odo-mort 'meadow people,' where the first part represents the Permic root *od(o) 'meadow, glade, turf, greenery', and the second part, murt means 'person' (cf. Komi mort, Mari mari), probably an early borrowing from an Iranian language (such as Scythian): *mertä or *martiya 'person, man' (cf.
TengrismTengrism (also known as Tengriism, Tengerism, or Tengrianism) is an ethnic Turkic, Yeniseian, Mongolic religion originating in the Eurasian steppes based on shamanism and animism. It generally involves the titular sky god Tengri, who is not considered a deity in the usual sense, but a personification of the universe. According to some scholars, adherents of Tengrism view the purpose of life, to be in harmony with the universe.
MordvinsMordvins (also Mordvinians, Mordovians; Mordva; no equivalents in Moksha and Erzya) is an official term used in the Russian Federation to refer both to Erzyas and Mokshas since 1928. Soviet people According to recent Oxford studies: In Mordovia, policies aiming at the revival of the Mordvin languages started late. The language law and the education law were adopted only in 1998. Even these measures were controversial, as opinions differ concerning the status of the two standardized main language varieties and ethnic (sub) groups, Erzya and Moksha.
Crimean Tatar languageCrimean Tatar (qırımtatar tili, къырымтатар тили) also called Crimean (qırım tili, къырым тили), is a Kipchak Turkic language spoken in Crimea and the Crimean Tatar diasporas of Uzbekistan, Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria, as well as small communities in the United States and Canada. It should not be confused with Tatar, spoken in Tatarstan and adjacent regions in Russia; the two languages are related, but belong to different subgroups of the Kipchak languages, while maintaining a significant degree of mutual intelligibility.
UdmurtiaUdmurtia, officially the Udmurt Republic, is a republic of Russia located in Eastern Europe. It is administratively part of the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Izhevsk. The name Udmurt comes from odo-mort ('meadow people'), where the first part represents the Permic root od or odo ('meadow, glade, turf, greenery'). This is supported by a document dated 1557, in which the Udmurts are referred to as lugovye lyudi ('meadow people'), alongside the traditional Russian name otyaki.
Mari ElMari El (Марий Эл; Марий Эл; Мары Эл), officially the Mari El Republic, is a republic of Russia. It is in the European Russia region of the country, along the northern bank of the Volga River, and is administratively part of the Volga Federal District. The republic has a population of 696,459 (2010 Census). Yoshkar-Ola is the capital and the largest city. Mari El is one of Russia's ethnic republics, established for the indigenous Mari people, a Finnic nation who have traditionally lived along the Volga River and Kama River.
Kirov OblastKirov Oblast (Kirovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is the city of Kirov. As of the 2010 census, the population is 1,341,312. The basis of the natural resources are forest (mostly conifers), phosphate rock, peat, furs, water and land resources. There are widespread deposits of peat and non-metallic minerals: limestone, marl, clay, sand and gravel, as well as the extremely rare mineral volkonskoite.
