This article is about Azeris in Russia. For Azeris in general, see the respective article.

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Aside from the large Azeri community native to Russia's Dagestan Republic, the majority of Azeris in Russia are fairly recent immigrants. Azeris started settling in Russia (with the exception of Dagestan) around the late 19th century, but their migration became intensive after World War II. It rapidly increased with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. According to the 2002 All-Russian Population Census, there are 621,840 Azeris residing in Russia , however the actual numbers are a lot higher due to recent migrations of guest workers from Azerbaijan. The estimated total Azeri population of Russia might be reaching as many as 3,000,000 people,^[1] with more than one and half million of them living in Moscow. The majority of them have come to Russia since 1991 from rural Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Today most provinces of Russia have more or less significant Azeri communities, the biggest ones, according to official numbers, residing in Dagestan, Moscow, Khanty-Mansi, Krasnoyarsk, Rostov-on-the-Don, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Samara, Stavropol, etc.^[2]

[edit] Dagestan

111,656 Azeris lived in the Dagestan Republic as of 2002, which makes them the region's seventh largest ethnic group. Most of them are natives of the city of Derbent (once a part of Persia) living in the historical quarter Mahal and making up about ⅓ of the city's population. Azeris constitute 55% of the population of the Derbent rayon (over twenty towns and villages), 18% of that of the Tabasaran rayon (villages of Maraga, Tsanak, Kheli-Pendzhi, Yersi, Zil, Arak, Darvag, and Yekrakh), 4% in the Rutul rayon (village of Nizhny Katrukh)^[3][4] and 3% in the Kizlyar rayon (villages of Bolshebredikhinskoye and Persidskoye).^[5] The rest live in the cities of Makhachkala, Khasavyurt, Buynaksk and Kizlyar.^[6] Among cultural benefits, available to Dagestani Azeris, there are newspapers and magazines printed in the Azeri language, public schools where Azeri is taught as a first language, and the Azeri State Dramatic Theater in Derbent. Traditionally Azeris of Dagestan were engaged in carpet weaving, currying, jewellery- and copper utensils making.^[7] Starting from the 1920s, the industrialization era opened new career opportunities for Dagestanis.

Map of Dagestan. Azeri-populated regions are shown in yellow

While the majority of Dagestani Azeris descend from the native population of the region, a portion of them (mostly the city-dwellers) come from families, which immigrated to Dagestan from Iran in the 19th century (they were registered as Persians in the early Soviet censūs). These families were subject to deportation in the 1930s, as were all those who retained foreign citizenship while living in the USSR on a permanent basis. Azeris in Dagestan are mostly Shia Muslims, however similarly to those of Azeris in Azerbaijan, their religious beliefs are influenced by old pagan traditions.

For centuries Azeri has been the lingua franca of Southern Dagestan.^[8] It managed to retain that status till nowadays, despite huge competition with Russian in the past 50 years.

[edit] Rest of Russia

For the past decade, Azeris have played significant roles in developing the Russian economy. With many of them being involved in entrepreneurship, many of them have been employed in major economical areas, such as trade and oil industry. Among Russia's 100 richest people ranked by the Forbes in 2004, 4 ethnic Azeris were ranked 5, 22, 66 and 74.^[9]

Azeris have established numerous cultural communities, the largest one being the All-Russian Azeri Congress, which controls smaller communities throughout Russia. In addition, the Moscow Public Secondary School #157 is set up for students with keen interest in the Azeri language and culture.^[10]

[edit] Discrimination

Like many other people, who originated in the Caucasus (commonly referred to as Caucasians (кавказцы), despite the fact that the term has a different dominant meaning in English), Azeris often face Caucasophobia, which might result in severe discrimination and violence.

[edit] Famous Azeris of Russia

Muslim Magomayev, was a Soviet and Azerbaijani baritone operatic and pop singer

Russian-born Azeris:

• Pyotr Babayev, 1917 revolutionist after whom the Babayevski confectionery factory was named
• Geidar Dzhemal, philosopher
• Alla Akhoundova, poet
• Tamilla Abassova, 2004 Olympic silver medalist.
• Elmira Mirzoeva, International Chess Grandmaster
• Aleksandr Samedov, football player

Azeris born elsewhere:

• Avraamy Aslanbegov, Russian admiral
• Alexander Kazembek, 19th century Russian linguist and scholar
• Huseyn Khan Nakhchivanski, Cavalry General and General-Adjutant of the Emperor of Russia
• Vagit Alekperov, President of the leading Russian oil company LUKOIL
• Rustam Ibragimbekov, screenwriter, Academy Award winner
• Farman Salmanov, geologist who first discovered oil fields in Siberia
• Kerim Kerimov, head of Soviet space program
• Tahir Salahov, artist
• Muslim Magomayev, singer
• Geidar Mamedaliyev, 2004 Olympic champion (silver)

[edit] See also

• Azeris
• List of Azerbaijanis
• Azerbaijan
• Russia
• Demographics of Russia
• Dagestan

[edit] Notes and references

1. ^ Azerbaijan Acts to Limit the Discrimination Against Azeris in Russia by Nailia Sohbetqizi. Eurasianet.org. 11 November 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2006
2. ^ 2002 All-Russian Population Census. Official website. Retrieved 15 September 2006
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ [2]
5. ^ [3]
6. ^ Islam and the Problems of National Security in the Southern Federal District by K. Khanbabaev. RIA-Dagestan News Agency. 5 September 2005. Retrieved 15 September 2006 (in Russian)
7. ^ The Peoples of Dagestan. Lakia.net. Retrieved 15 September 2006 (in Russian)
8. ^ - On the Peoples of the Caucasus by Nikolai Trubetzkoy. IRS Magazine, #7. Retrieved 15 September 2006 (in Russian)
9. ^ The 100 Richest Russians by Paul Khlebnikov (ed.). Forbes. 23 July 2004. Retrieved 15 September 2006
10. ^ - The Moscow Public Secondary School #157 with the Ethnocultural Azeri Element by Aida Quliyeva. Azeri.ru. Retrieved 15 September 2006 (in Russian)

[edit] External links

• (Russian) Azeris in Russia