Russian diaspora

The term Russian diaspora refers to the global community of ethnic Russians. The term "Russian speaking (Russophone) diaspora" (русскоговорящая диаспора, russkogovoryaschaya diaspora) is used to describe people for whom Russian language is the native language, regardless of whether they are ethnic Russians or, for example, Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews or Chechens.

The number of ethnic Russians living outside the Russian Federation is estimated at roughly between 20 and 30 million people (depending on the notion of "ethnicity" used), the majority of them in countries of the Former Soviet Union; about 30 million native speakers of Russian are estimated to live outside the Russian Federation (compared to 147 million living within the Russian Federation).

The largest overseas community is found in the United States, estimated at some 3 million people. The next largest communities of Russian speakers outside the Former Soviet Union are found in in Israel and then in Germany, both of unknown size but estimated in the six-figure range in Israel and in the five-figure range in Germany. In addition, in Canada, Brazil and Venezuela, several hundred thousand citizens each identify as of partial Russian descent.

Russians

Russians (Russian: русские, russkiye) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, who speak the Russian language and primarily live in Russia. They are the most numerous ethnic group in Russia constituting more than 80% of the country's population according to the census of 2010, and the most numerous ethnic group in Europe.

Ethnonym

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.

Serbian Russians

A Serbian Russian (Russian: Российские сербы; Serbian: Руски Срби / Ruski Srbi) or Serbs in Russia (Russian: Сербы в России; Serbian: Срби у Русији / Srbi u Rusiji), is a Russian citizen of Serbian descent or a Serbia-born person who resides in Russia.

Serbian Russians out Russia

There is also a similar Russian community, near Belgrade, but those individuals were Muslims, and some Serbian individuals of Russian descent were as aprovisioned to local restaurants and hotels.

Notable people

Citizenship of Russia

Citizenship of Russia is regulated by the federal act regarding citizenship of the Russian Federation (of 2002, with the amendments of 2003, 2004, 2006), Constitution of the Russian Federation (of 1993), and the international treaties that cover citizenship questions to which the Russian Federation is a party. In accordance with the supremacy clause of the Constitution, international treaties of the Russian Federation have precedence over Russian domestic law.

Terminology

In Russian language, there is a distinction between citizens of Russia, referred to as Rossiyane (plural, Russian: россияне; masc. singular россиянин Rossiyanin and fem. singular россиянка Rossiyanka), and ethnic Russians, referred to as Russkie (русские). The word Rossiyane is used much more often than Russkie – in media, official documents and scientific papers. Those who have received Russian citizenship via naturalisation are also called Rossiyane, regardless of ethnicity and mother tongue (for example, Gérard Depardieu or Viktor Ahn). The word Rossiyane was coined by Mikhail Lomonosov in the 18th century.