The Russian Nationality

The Russians, with a population of about 13,000, have their own language-Russian-and believe in the Orthodox Eastern Church. Most of them live in Ili, Tacheng, Altay and Urumqi in the north of Xinjiang, while some can also be found scattered in Heilongjiang province and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region. The Russians living in towns are mostly engaged in the service business, handicrafts, transport, and other commercial occupations. In rural areas, they are involved in farming and animal husbandry.


Along the peacefully flowing Ili River in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, live an ethnic group of people-the Russians, whose ancestors crossed the border to settle in China. In the former ª©Sovietªª Union, the Russians form a majority but exist in China as a minority group. Over 13,000 Russians are now living in Ili, Tacheng, Altay and Urumqi in China's Xinjiang Province. They have been in the country for more than 300 years.

The Russians put a great deal of emphasis on education. Wherever they settle, they set up schools. The schools run by the Russians who moved to Ili, Xinjiang in the 19th century were considered highly prestigious in the Middle East. Being well-educated and able to use the language of the indigenous people, they were admired especially by the youths of the other ethnic groups in the region as early as in the 1930s and the 1940s. The worshipping complex for the former Soviet Union remains up to now. About sixty percent of the Uygur vocabulary, especially that related to modern politics and economy, are borrowed from Russian.

The importance the Russians attach to education is due to the high social strata they are from. The first Russian immigrants were the Gilkaks. Then came some businessmen and diplomatic envoys in 1851, followed by the third wave of immigrants composed of military servicemen ª©and civilians.ªª The next group were mainly the spouses of the Russian Chinese who returned to China after the Second World War. All the immigrants had a good educational background. Understanding the essential role education plays in the development of a person's personality and intellectual competence, as well as in the promotion of his or her social status, they always give a overwhelming priority to education.
When the Russians immigrated to Xinjiang, they brought along with them some sophisticated farming tools, improved crops and livestock species as well as advanced techniques of animal husbandry. Today, the potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers that are popularly grown in Xinjiang, the famous Ukraine white pigs, the cows of Dutch origin, and the Atuo hybrid oxen, are either introduced or cultivated by the Russians. They employ technical means to improve the growth of fruit trees and have consequently contributed to Xinjiang (known as the "country of fruits") many ameliorated varieties of fruits: the juicy and tasty lemon, crabapple, the big Winter Fruit and the Lunch Fruit. The Russians are not only expert in agriculture, but they are also dexterous. Many of them excel in handicraft and repairing trades.

The Russians have a pleasant and cheerful character and a good sense of humor. They are particular about the etiquette of treating and entertaining their guests. Greeting and kissing are among most popular courtesies.

Their most ceremonious way of welcoming guests is to offer them some bread and salt. The guests are not supposed to enter the house of the host until they accept the offer by cutting a piece off the bread, dipping it in the salt and then eating it. Thus brides and distinguished guests are treated as a sign of fraternity and an expression of good wills.

Houses of the Russians are built with clay and wood. The roof is covered with wheat straw. Each house contains one or several bedrooms, a living room and a storage room. Households in the town have an ironsheet-coated fireplace that leads up to the roof. In the countryside, the huge coal-scuttle takes the place of the fireplace. All the windows of the buildings face the south so that there is adequate sunshine indoors all-year round. The Russians keep their rooms tidy and orderly. They furnish the windows with embroidered drapes, cover the tables with hand-knitted table-cloth, and the beds with floral-patterned covers.

The Russians living in China have preserved the eating customs of their compatriots back in Russia. They are good at making diverse, delicious breads and cakes. Russian-style fried dishes, beef stewed with potatoes, and various kinds of soup are most popular food on their dinner table. Their favorite vegetables include cucumbers and tomatoes. Russian pastries containing such ingredients as milk, eggs, butter and jam have entered most popular recipes to be followed by the local people. The Russians' home-made sausages, smoked ham, the small sausage prepared in a special way enjoy a great popularity among the people of other nationalities.

Russian men wear split robes and trousers, or white embroidered shirts together with baggy trousers. In winter, they dress in leather or cotton-padded clothes and put on leather hats. Women wear short jackets and floral patterned dress. Some like to wear collarless embroidered blouses to go with long skirts made of home-spun cloth embroidered with bright colored patterns. Both men and women wear leather or felt boots. Russian men living in urban areas prefer Western-style suit, loose-sleeved shirts with embroidered collars, while women like Western-style top outer garment and skirts. The leather or felt winter hats of the latter are often decorated with feathers, but in summer they wear colored scarves.

Balalaika, otherwise known as the Triangular Guitar (thus called because of its triangular resonating box), is a plucked string Russian instrument. Its strings can produce musical notes clear and melodious of four scales, belonging to soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Balalaika playing often goes with mandolin, guitar and accordion.