From its beginnings Russia has been a polyethnic society, and so has a long history of dealing with ethnic problems. From its imperial stage through the Soviet years it has experienced the pressures of ethnic assimilation and ethnic nationalism. In recent years, political liberalization and economic turmoil have released pent-up nationalistic and separatist feelings which had lain dormant through the Communist regimes. This study presents an ethnic history of Russia, placing present-day turmoil in the context of Russian history. The authors analyze inter-ethnic relations in Russia and provide a detailed description of the key ethnic groups. They also look at the evolution of ethnic structure and the current ethnopolitical movements in different regions of Russia. Consequently, the study points the way to future inter-ethnic relations in Russia and, indeed, the future of the Russian Federation.
