Slavic peoples. Slav - who is this? History and myths of the Slavs. Formation of Polish states

The demographic situation of the Slavic peoples in the post-Soviet period is analyzed. Materials from the All-Russian Population Censuses of 2002 and 2010 were used, as well as statistical data for Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine. The reasons for demographic losses include the transition to a small family, gender disproportion, aging, and emigration.

Loginova Nina Nikolaevna

Candidate of Geographical Sciences,
Associate Professor of the Department of Physical and Socio-Economic Geography
Mordovsky state university them. N.P. Ogareva

Slavs ― the largest ethno-linguistic community in Europe, numbering about 300 million people. The Slavic group of peoples is formed by three subgroups: 1 - Western (Poles - about 45 million, Czechs - over 11 million, Slovaks - about 6 million and Lusatians - about 100 thousand people); 2 - southern (Bulgarians - over 9 million, Serbs - more than 10 million, Croats - about 6 million, Slovenes - about 2.5 million, Macedonians - about 2 million, Montenegrins - about 1 million, Bosnians - over 2.2 million people .) and 3 - eastern (Russians - about 140 million, Rusyns, Ukrainians - about 50 million and Belarusians - over 9 million people).

Representatives of the Slavic ethnic group make up the bulk of the population of the Russian Federation (146.5 million people in 2016), as well as the republics of Eastern Europe: Belarus (9.5 million), Ukraine (42.9 million), Poland (38.5 million) , Czech Republic (10.5 million), Slovakia (5.4 million), Bulgaria (7.2 million). Slavs make up the majority in Western and Southern Europe. Representatives of Slavic ethnic groups live in the Baltic Republics, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Austria, Italy, America and Australia.

The total number of Slavic peoples in the world at the beginning of the 20th century. was about 150 million people, including: Russians ― 65 million, Ukrainians 31 million, Belarusians ― 7 million; Poles ― 19 million, Czechs ― 7 million, Slovaks ― 2.5 million; Bulgarians ― 5.5 million. The bulk of Slavic ethnic groups lived in Russian Empire(approx. 110 million), Austria-Hungary (25 million), Germany (4 million) and the countries of America (3 million people).

According to the All-Russian Census of 1897, more than 100 large nations were identified, although the core of the empire’s population were Great Russians (55.7 million people or 44.35%) (Russians), whose national identity was formed among the East Slavic population Old Russian state. Another large Slavic people were the Little Russians (Ukrainians), whose number reached 22.4 million people. (17.8%) and the third largest Slavic people in number were Belarusians ― 5.9 million people (4.7%). All of them were officially considered “Russians,” whose total number was 83.6 million people, or 66.3% of the empire’s population. All Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles, Bulgarians, Serbs, etc.) made up about 75% population of the Russian Empire.

The first Soviet census of 1926, covering the entire territory of the USSR, showed that the country's population had increased to 147.0 million people. (including the population of Russia ― 92.7 million people), took into account over 190 ethnic communities and about 150 languages ​​(without dialects). On the territory of the RSFSR, the number of large Slavic peoples was: Russians ― 74.0 million people (79.8%), Ukrainians ― 7.9 million people (8.5%), Belarusians 638.0 thousand people. (0.6%). On the territory of Ukraine: Russians lived 2.7 million people, Ukrainians ― 23.2 million people, Belarusians 75.8 thousand people, on the territory of Belarus there were 383.8 thousand Russians, Ukrainians ― 34.6 thousand people, Belarusians ― 4.0 million people .

Two world wars caused severe damage to the population of the Russian Federation and the countries of Eastern Europe. Direct military losses in the first of them amounted to over 7 million people. (only in Germany ― more than 2 million people). If we take into account indirect losses, then combined with direct losses they will amount to more than 25 million people. Second world war killed more than 40 million people. .

In the post-war years, all European countries experienced a slight increase in the birth rate. The number of Slavs grew at a particularly rapid pace, both in the USSR and in the countries of Eastern Europe. In 1961, the Slavic group of peoples amounted to 243 million people, including: Russians ― 121 million, Ukrainians ― 40, Poles ― 35, Czechs ― 9.7, Belarusians ― 8.3, Bulgarians ― 7.5. In 1970 compared to the beginning of the 20th century. the total number of Slavs increased by more than 100 million and amounted to about 260 million people. Of these: Russians - over 130 million, Ukrainians - 41.5 million, Belarusians - 9.2 million; Poles - about 37 million, Czechs - about 10 million, Slovaks - 4.7 million, Bulgarians - 7.9 million people. . In 1975, the number of peoples of the Slavic group increased to 270 million people, including: Russians - 136 million, Ukrainians ― 44, Poles ― 38, Chekhov ― 10.3, Belarusians ― 9.6, Bulgarian ― 8.2 million people The number of Slavic peoples in Eastern European countries also grew in the 1980s. (Table 1,2).

Table 1. The number of Slavic peoples in 1980, thousand people

Table 2 . Population dynamics of the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe after the Second World War, million people

The total number of peoples of the Slavic group at the end of the 20th century. amounted to: in the USSR - 190.7 million people, in Foreign Europe - 78.9 million, in Foreign Asia - 90 thousand, in Africa - 15 thousand, in America - 6.9 million, in Australia and Oceania - 137 thousand people There were about 277 million people in the world as a whole. representatives of the Slavic group of peoples.

The dynamics of the population of the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe in 2014 is given in table. 2. The data in Table 2 indicates that from 1950 to 1988. The population increased in all Slavic countries of Eastern Europe. The largest absolute increase was in Russian Federation, Poland and Ukraine. However, in 1970, the rate of natural growth in the countries of Eastern Europe and the USSR began to decline (Table 3). This led to a slowdown in the growth rate of the Slavs. If the population growth rate of the RSFSR in 1939 - 1959. amounted to 8.4%, in 1959 – 1970. ― 10.7%, then in 1970 – 1980. ― 5.0%; Ukraine, respectively: 3.5%, 12.6%, 5.0% and Belarus: 9.6%, 11.8%, and 5.0%. The main reason, in our opinion, is the decline in fertility rates and the persistence of a high mortality rate.

The decline in the birth rate was the result of deliberate restrictions. This trend was characteristic of both urban and rural populations of Slavic countries. The orientation of spouses towards a small family, with a relatively high life expectancy, has become dominant.

Table 3. Dynamics of general demographic rates in the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe after the Second World War, ‰

The nature of changes in the level of fertility and type of reproduction is reflected by the dynamics of the total fertility rate. During the transition to a new, modern type of population reproduction, a decrease in the total birth rate occurred in all Slavic countries. For example, in 2000, the birth rate in the Russian Federation decreased to 8.6 ‰, and the mortality rate increased to 15.2 ‰, the total fertility rate decreased to 1.20. An increase in the birth rate and a decrease in mortality have been recorded since 2007 (Table 4).

Table 4 . Dynamics of population reproduction rates in the Russian Federation,‰

The size of the Slavic population of Russia grew only in the 20th century: from 1897 to 1926 it increased by 18 million; from 1926 to 1989, by another 36.3 million people. After the collapse of the USSR, the number of Slavs began to decline. Thus, from 1989 to 2002 there were 4.0 million fewer Russians, Ukrainians ― by 1.5 million and Belarusians ― by 0.4 million people From 2002 to 2010, the number of Slavs decreased even more significantly: Russians ― by 4.8 million (but their share in the entire population of the country increased by 0.3%), Ukrainians ― by 1.0 million and Belarusians ― by 0.3 million people Despite the fact that Ukrainians remained in third place in the ranking, their number decreased by 1,014 thousand people, which led to a significant decrease in the share of Ukrainians in the country’s population (by 34.5%). The decline in the number of Belarusians in Russia has become noticeable since 1989. In 2002–2010. the number of Belarusians decreased by 300 thousand people, or 37.5% (Table 5).

Table 5. Dynamics of numbers and share of Slavic peoples in the population of Russia,

Thus, in the modern period Russian history the number of East Slavic peoples decreased by 12.1 million people. During the period under review, Russians decreased by 8.9, Ukrainians ― by 2.5 and Belarusians ― by 0.7 million people

The decline in the number of Slavs led to an increase in their median age. If the average median age of the Russian population was 38.0 years, then among the “young” Chechens ― 23.9 years, and the “oldest” Belarusians ― 54.2, Ukrainians ― 52.5 years old. The period from 2002 to 2010 saw the highest increase in median age among Slavs ― more than 6 years.

This development of demographic processes was largely historically determined. The reasons for this situation are due to three factors. The first factor is associated with differences in the natural reproduction of individual ethnic groups. Second ― with the processes of change in ethnic identity under the influence of a complex of reasons. Third factor ― This is external migration due to many different reasons.

Ethnicity has become an important aspect of the analysis of population dynamics in countries. Population decline is occurring in Russian regions with a predominantly Slavic (Russian) population. The leaders in terms of positive demographic indicators are national republics with a low share of the Russian population, as well as the Tyumen region and Moscow (thanks to immigration and the high standard of living of citizens). Regions with a large share of ethnic Russians have high natural population decline. The highest natural population decline in the Russian Federation was recorded in poor regions with a high share of the Russian population (87-95%). For example, in the Pskov region. (the poorest Russian subject, where after minimal spending a complete family with two children has 570 rubles at their disposal), Tula, Tver, Tambov, Novgorod, Leningrad regions. the decline was -7 to -5 ‰ or -0.7–0.5% per year. It should be noted that the Russian regions of the Central Federal District are characterized by the lowest birth rates and high mortality rates. The subjects of the Central Federal District in terms of birth rates are 1.5 times, and in terms of mortality rates 1.7 times worse than the indicators of the subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District. The prospect of achieving an excess of birth rates over deaths in the Russian (Slavic) regions of the country in the coming years is impossible.

According to the 2010 census, households consisting of 2 people predominated among the Slavic peoples of Russia, for example, among Belarusians ― 62%, Ukrainians ― 59%, Russians ― 41%. Of the total number of households consisting of 2 or more people, 66% had one child, 27% ― 2 children and only 7% ― 3 or more children. The highest percentage of families with one child was among Belarusians (74%), Ukrainians (71%) and Russians (69%). Among families with three or more children, the lowest rates are among Belarusians, Ukrainians (4% each) and Russians (5%). Among Slavic families there are many consisting of one person: 15% among Belarusians, 13% among Ukrainians and 10% among Russians. And the most lonely people are aged 55 and older: Belarusians ― 73%, Ukrainians ― 70% and Russians ― 60 % .

The demographic situation in the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe especially worsened at the beginning of the 21st century, which led to a decrease in the total population. In 2014, compared to 2000, the population decreased in 4 countries (including the Russian Federation), and in 3 countries ― increased. There was a slight increase in population in the Czech Republic (Table 6). The deterioration of the demographic situation can be explained by low birth rates and fairly high death rates, which predetermined the natural population decline at the beginning of the 21st century. in many Slavic countries of Eastern Europe.

In 2014, natural population growth took place in Slovakia and the Russian Federation. In the Czech Republic, simple replacement of generations was registered, and in Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Belarus ― There was a natural population decline. These countries can be classified as demographically disadvantaged regions of Eastern Europe.

Table 6. Dynamics h population density of the Slavic countries of Europe

* Assessment taking into account the population of the Crimean Federal District

In 2014, the highest birth rate was recorded in the Russian Federation, and the lowest ― in Bulgaria. The lowest mortality rate was recorded in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the highest ― in Ukraine and Bulgaria (Table 7).

At the turn of the XX–XXI centuries. became again topical issue about the common destinies of the Western, Eastern and Southern Slavs. The first All-Slavic Congress took place in Prague in 1848. In 1858, the initiative in the Slavic movement passed to Moscow, and ties between the Slavic peoples strengthened. Since 1898, congresses began to be held regularly. But well-known events at the beginning of the 20th century. again destroyed Slavic unity.

Table 7 . Fertility, mortality and natural population growth,‰

During the Second World War, the idea of ​​Slavic brotherhood again became relevant. In 1946, the next Slavic Congress was held in Belgrade, but in 1948, Soviet-Yugoslav relations worsened and the Slavic movement practically ceased to exist.

In 1998, the VII Slavic Congress was held in Prague. The idea of ​​Slavic brotherhood began to revive again. Slavic congresses were held in Moscow (2001), Minsk (2005) and Kyiv (2010). The Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs was proclaimed on June 25, 2013. The ideas of Slavic unity are regaining their relevance. However, the events in Ukraine in 2014-2015. apparently again dealt a serious blow to the international Slavic movement.

References

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The Polish people are one of the most numerous and monoethnic in Eastern Europe.
Its origin is both simple and has many unusual facts!
Where did the Poles come from?

Out of nowhere and straight into the Middle Ages

The Poles, like other Slavs, appeared on the historical scene extremely late!
Rome had long fallen, Attila's horsemen retreated across the Danube, and Germanic tribes took over the Roman provinces en masse.
The Slavs are still nowhere to be seen!
Representatives of the Lusatian and Pomeranian cultures, who are associated with the Wends, lived on the territory of Poland.
Even ten years ago, the Wends were strongly associated with the Slavs, but now it is clear that they were more of a Celtic culture, having undergone strong Germanic influence from the Vandals and Goths who lived nearby.

The era of the Wends was put to an end goths who landed in the Baltic and went through the entire future with fire and sword Kievan Rus, exterminating the disobedient. The place of the Wends in Poland was taken vandals- Germans, virtuoso horsemen who remained there until the arrival of the Huns.

Of course, in the blood of today's Poles there are many traces of the Wendish Celts and Germanic Vandals, but the bulk of the Slavic population lived somewhere to the east and south.
Only in the 7th-9th centuries did the Slavs appear in Poland and in a short time occupy vast territories, the so-called “creeping migration” - small groups of farmers, they settled along the rivers.
Perhaps the key role in the settlement of the Slavs in Eastern Europe was played by Avars, who not only drove away the Germans who lived here, but also forcibly resettled the Slavs around their headquarters, as a buffer in case of attack.

Legends say about three brothers: Czech, Lech and Ruse, who dispersed in different directions, in search of possessions, and Lech went to the very north until he saw a huge white eagle. Taking this as a sign from above, Lech made this eagle his symbol.

In the ancient books they write that Norik is the mother and ancestress of all Slavic peoples... from these Pannonians were born three brothers, the sons of Pan, the rulers of the Pannonians, of whom the first-born had the name Lech, the second - Rus, the third - Czech. These three, having multiplied in their clan, owned three kingdoms: Lechites, Russians and Czechs, also called Bohemians.”

By the 9th century, various Polish tribes united under the threat of invasion from the west and formed the Kingdom of Poland.
By the way, since ancient times Poles were called lekhs or lyakhs, but the word “Pole” existed simultaneously with the Lechs and comes from the root “field”, “dwellers of the fields”, tribe clearing, who lived in the Kiev region, of the same root.
For some reason, in the Russian language the word Poles was replaced by Poles and so it has survived to this day.
But for example, other Russians considered the inhabitants of Novgorod to be relatives of the Poles.
“Behold the Lyash family,” they said about them, and science has confirmed this argument: the skulls of the Novgorodians are most similar to the skulls of the Western, not the Eastern Slavs.

What does science say?

It's a rare case when linguistics and anthropology do not mutually complicate the issue, but are unanimous: Poles are standard Slavs.
Their language occupies a central position among the Slavic languages, it is very archaic, despite some sound features that are not inherent in the Russian or Czech languages.
If the Russian language is rather a periphery of Slavic languages, with a huge number of Turkisms, and Czech gravitates towards German, then Polish, if not directly derived from Old Church Slavonic, like Bulgarian, then retains the right to be one of the basic ones for the Slavic group.

Poles are tall, fair-haired and not massive

Anthropologically, the Poles are extremely close to the early Slavs. The early Slavs were distinguished by their small skull sizes, long heads, narrow faces and large noses, moderately tall stature with a leptomorphic (elongated) build and light pigmentation of hair and eyes, somewhat less massive than the Germans. The Poles still retain these features in their ethnic group as dominant ones.
Genetics, however, stands out from the general chorus and speaks of a noticeable influence on the Poles of other nations!

Who else was part of the Poles?

Despite the dominance of the R1A haplotype, which is characteristic of the Indo-Europeans of the satem group (Balts, Slavs, Iranians), there are quite a lot of carriers of the R1B haplotype in Poland.
These are the descendants of the Celtic population of the Wendish period.
Scandinavian I2, which can be assumed keeping in mind the Vandals and Goths, was almost not discovered.
There are also bearers of Balkan types, probably descendants Thracians who fled from Rome.
The contribution of the Jews, who once played leading roles in the Polish kingdom and very powerfully “inherited” Polish genetics, is significant.
Of course, the role of the Balts, who actively settled in Poland from the Lithuanians, was also great during the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In addition, it must be said about a small Tatar contribution, to the Polish people, when during periods of long civil strife in the Horde, small Tatar princes gladly came to serve in Poland, where it was calmer and more satisfying to live, and Tatar sabers were always in price!

Thus, the Poles descended from the Slavs, or rather, they are the most “pure” Slavic people, who were subjected to the least degree of foreign interference.

The Slavs constantly entered into cultural interaction and mixing with neighbors and invaders. Even during the migration of peoples, the Slavs came under the influence of the Avars, Goths and Huns. Later we were influenced by the Finno-Ugrians, Tatar-Mongols (who, characteristically, did not leave a trace in our genetics, but had a strong influence on the Russian language and even stronger on our statehood), nations of Catholic Europe, Turks, Balts and many other peoples. Here the Poles disappear immediately - their culture was formed under the strong influence of their Western neighbors.

In the XVIII-XX centuries. Poland was divided between neighboring powers, which also affected the national culture and identity. Russians too - our language has many Finnish and Turkic borrowings, our traditions were very strongly influenced by the Tatar-Mongols, Greeks, as well as Peter’s transformations, which were quite alien from the point of view of tradition. In Russia, for several centuries it has been customary to trace the tradition back to Byzantium or the Horde, and at the same time completely forget about, for example, Veliky Novgorod.

The southern Slavic peoples were all subject to the strong influence of the Turks - we can see this in the language, in the cuisine, and in traditions. The least influence of foreign peoples was experienced, first of all, by the Slavs of the Carpathians: Hutsuls, Lemkos, Rusyns, to a lesser extent Slovaks, Western Ukrainians. These peoples were formed in the area of ​​Western civilization, but due to isolation they were able to preserve many ancient traditions and protect their languages ​​from a large number of borrowings.

It is also worth noting the efforts of peoples who strive to restore their traditional culture, spoiled by historical processes. First of all, these are Czechs. When they came under German rule, the Czech language began to rapidly disappear. By the end of the 18th century, it was known only in remote villages, and Czechs, especially in cities, did not know any other language other than German.

Maria Janečkova, a teacher at the Department of Bohemian Studies at Karolav University in Prague, says that if a Czech intellectual wanted to learn the Czech language, he went to a special linguistic circle. But it was precisely these national activists who restored, bit by bit, the almost lost Czech language. At the same time, they cleared it of all borrowings in a rather radical spirit. For example, theater in Czech is divadlo, aviation is leitadlo, artillery is business shooting, and so on. The Czech language and Czech culture are very Slavic, but this was achieved through the efforts of intellectuals of the New Age, and not through the continuous transmission of an ancient tradition.

There are many blank spots in the history of the Slavs, which makes it possible for numerous modern “researchers,” based on speculation and unproven facts, to put forward the most fantastic theories about the origin and formation of the statehood of the Slavic peoples. Often even the concept of “Slav” is misunderstood and considered as a synonym for the concept of “Russian”. Moreover, there is an opinion that a Slav is a nationality. These are all misconceptions.

Who are the Slavs?

The Slavs constitute the largest ethno-linguistic community in Europe. Within it there are three main groups: (i.e. Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians), Western (Poles, Czechs, Lusatians and Slovaks) and Southern Slavs (among them we name Bosnians, Serbs, Macedonians, Croats, Bulgarians, Montenegrins, Slovenes) . Slav is not a nationality, since nation is a narrower concept. Individual Slavic nations formed relatively late, while the Slavs (or rather, Proto-Slavs) separated from the Indo-European community one and a half thousand years BC. e. Several centuries passed, and ancient travelers learned about them. At the turn of the era, the Slavs were mentioned by Roman historians under the name “Venedi”: from written sources it is known that the Slavic tribes waged wars with the Germanic ones.

It is believed that the homeland of the Slavs (more precisely, the place where they formed as a community) was the territory between the Oder and the Vistula (some authors claim that between the Oder and the middle reaches of the Dnieper).

Ethnonym

Here it makes sense to consider the origin of the very concept of “Slav”. In the old days, peoples were often called by the name of the river on the banks of which they lived. In ancient times, the Dnieper was called “Slavutich”. The root of “glory” itself probably goes back to the word kleu, common to all Indo-Europeans, meaning rumor or fame. There is another common version: “Slovak”, “Clovak” and, ultimately, “Slav” are simply “a person” or “a person who speaks our language”. Representatives of ancient tribes did not consider all strangers who spoke an incomprehensible language to be people at all. The self-name of any people - for example, “Mansi” or “Nenets” - in most cases means “person” or “man”.

Farming. Social order

A Slav is a farmer. They learned to cultivate the land back in the days when all Indo-Europeans had a common language. In the northern territories, slash-and-burn agriculture was practiced, in the south - fallow farming. Millet, wheat, barley, rye, flax and hemp were grown. They knew garden crops: cabbage, beets, turnips. The Slavs lived in forest and forest-steppe zones, so they were engaged in hunting, beekeeping, and also fishing. They also raised livestock. The Slavs produced high-quality weapons, ceramics, and agricultural tools for those times.

In the early stages of development, the Slavs had a culture that gradually evolved into a neighboring one. As a result of military campaigns, nobility emerged from the community members; the nobility received land, and the communal system was replaced by feudalism.

General in ancient times

In the north, the Slavs neighbored the Baltic and in the west - with the Celts, in the east - with the Scythians and Sarmatians, and in the south - with the ancient Macedonians, Thracians, and Illyrians. At the end of the 5th century AD. e. they reached the Baltic and Black Seas, and by the 8th century they reached Lake Ladoga and mastered the Balkans. By the 10th century, the Slavs occupied lands from the Volga to the Elbe, from the Mediterranean to the Baltic. This migration activity was caused by invasions of nomads from Central Asia, attacks by German neighbors, as well as climate change in Europe: individual tribes were forced to look for new lands.

History of the Slavs of the East European Plain

Eastern Slavs (ancestors of modern Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians) by the 9th century AD. e. occupied lands from the Carpathians to the middle reaches of the Oka and Upper Don, from Ladoga to the Middle Dnieper. They actively interacted with the local Finno-Ugrians and Balts. Already from the 6th century, small tribes began to enter into alliances with each other, which marked the birth of statehood. Each such union was headed by a military leader.

The names of tribal unions are known to everyone from the school history course: these are the Drevlyans, and the Vyatichi, and the Northerners, and the Krivichi. But perhaps the most famous were the Polyans and Ilmen Slovenes. The first lived along the middle reaches of the Dnieper and founded Kyiv, the last lived on the banks of Lake Ilmen and built Novgorod. The “route from the Varangians to the Greeks” that emerged in the 9th century contributed to the rise and subsequent unification of these cities. Thus, in 882, the state of the Slavs of the East European Plain - Rus' - arose.

High mythology

The Slavs cannot be called Unlike the Egyptians or Indians, they did not have time to develop a developed mythological system. It is known that the Slavs (i.e., myths about the origin of the world) have much in common with the Finno-Ugric ones. They also contain an egg, from which the world is “born,” and two ducks, by order of the supreme god, bringing silt from the bottom of the ocean to create the firmament of the earth. At first, the Slavs worshiped Rod and Rozhanitsy, later - personified forces of nature (Perun, Svarog, Mokoshi, Dazhdbog).

There were ideas about paradise - Iria (Vyria), (Oak). The religious ideas of the Slavs developed according to the same pattern as those of other European peoples (after all, an ancient Slav is a European!): from the deification of natural phenomena to the recognition of a single God. It is known that in the 10th century AD. e. Prince Vladimir tried to “unify” the pantheon by making Perun, the patron saint of warriors, the supreme deity. But the reform failed, and the prince had to turn his attention to Christianity. Forced Christianization, however, was never able to completely destroy pagan ideas: Elijah the prophet began to be identified with Perun, and Christ and the Mother of God began to be mentioned in the texts of magical conspiracies.

Low mythology

Alas, the Slavic myths about gods and heroes were not written down. But these peoples created a developed lower mythology, the characters of which - goblins, mermaids, ghouls, mortgages, banniki, ovinniks and middays - are known to us from songs, epics, and proverbs. Back at the beginning of the 20th century, peasants told ethnographers about how to protect themselves from werewolves and negotiate with the merman. Some remnants of paganism are still alive in the popular consciousness.

One of the largest cultural, linguistic and national communities of almost all the peoples of Europe are the Slavs. If we consider the origin of the name, it is worth clarifying that scientists divide its origin into several options. In the first, the word “Slavs” comes from “slovo”, that is, from a nationality that speaks one language that is understandable and accessible to them, and others were dumb, inaccessible, incomprehensible, alien to them.

Another existing version of the origin of the name speaks of “purification or ablution,” which implies origin from the people living near the river.

An equally popular theory says that “Slavs” came from the name of the first community of the people, which gave rise to the spread of this word to other territories during the process of emigration, especially during the Great Migration.

Today there are about 350 million Slavs across all territories of various states in the Western, Southern and Eastern regions of Europe, which gave them the division into varieties. Also, Slavic communities are partially located in the territory of modern Central Europe, some parts of America and in small areas throughout.

The largest number of Slavs are Russians and the value of this figure is about 146 million people, the second place in number is occupied by the Poles, whom today experts number about 57 and a half million people, and the third place was taken by Ukrainians with a figure of about 57 million people.

Today the Slavs are characterized only as a single language family, which are partially united by religion, some cultural values ​​and the past unity of the entire Slavic people. Unfortunately, obvious antiquities, references and relics have not been preserved. One can only feel the unity in folklore, chronicles and epics, which are still relevant for many peoples today.

Eastern Slavs

Russians

Russians - as an independent people of the entire Slavic community, they appeared in the 14-18th century. The main center of education for the entire Russian people is considered to be the Moscow State, which since its creation has united the territories of the Don, Oka, and Dnieper lands. Afterwards, expanding its borders and conquering new territories, it expanded and settled to the coast of the White Sea.

Delving into the history of life, it is important to note the location of Russian settlements. Most often, this affected their standard of living and their way of life. Mostly people were engaged in cattle breeding, agriculture, collecting gifts of nature, especially medicinal herbs, and fishing. Early peoples processed metal and wood, which helped in construction and everyday life. They also engaged in trade, expanding the routes.

Ukrainians

Ukrainians - the first mention of the word “Ukrainians” appeared around the end of the 12th century. Until the 17th century, the nation was located primarily on the steppe territory of the outskirts of Rus', in the Zaporozhye Sich, but due to the increased onslaught of Catholic Poland, the Ukrainians had to flee to the territory of Sloboda Ukraine. Around 1655-1656, Left Bank Ukraine united with Russian territories, and only in the 18th century did Right Bank Ukraine do the same, which determined the liquidation of the Zaporozhye Sich and the settlement of Ukrainians right up to the mouth of the Danube.

The traditional life of Ukrainians was often determined by the clay stucco of houses and the variety of household decorations. And a rich spiritual culture is defined and maintained to this day in national clothes, songs and decorations;

Belarusians

Belarusians are a nationality formed in the Polotsk-Minsk and Smolensk lands. During the main formation of the people, the life of culture was especially influenced by the Lithuanians, Poles and Russian nationalities, making the language, history and culture close in spirit to many.

According to some legends, the nationality got its name from the hair color of the indigenous population - “White Rus'” and only in 1850 they officially began to use “Belarus”.
The life and main occupations of the population did not differ from the Russian peoples, so agriculture was predominant. Today, Belarusians have preserved a rich cultural heritage expressed in holiday songs, famous national cuisine and decorations for traditional dresses of men and women.

Western Slavs

Poles

Poles are the indigenous population of modern Poland, belonging to the group of Western Slavs. Czechs and Slovaks are considered to be closest to the Poles in terms of the history of development and formation.

Until the 19th century, there was no single Polish nation; there were only nationalities that were divided according to ethnic characteristics, dialect varieties and territorial characteristics of residence. So the nationality was divided into Velikopolians, Krakows, Mazurs, Pomorians and others.

The main occupation of the Poles was hunting to provide themselves with food and good trade raw materials. Falconry was especially valued. In addition to hunting, pottery, bark weaving and charioteering were used in everyday life.
Chronicles have survived to this day with descriptions of richly decorated houses, finds in the form of painted pottery and, of course, bright outfits made of natural fabrics with painted patterns, which are actively used to celebrate national holidays;

Czechs

Czechs - the territory of the modern Czech Republic was occupied by small Slavic tribes back in the 4th century until the 10th century. After the annexation of these lands to the then strong and powerful Roman Empire, the Czech peoples were reunited as a single whole on fertile lands and began their intensive development in agriculture and pottery. A broad Czech culture has been preserved to this day, expressed in legends, famous folklore and applied art;

Slovaks

Slovaks - at the beginning of the 4th century, isolated tribes of Slavs appeared on the territory of modern Slovakia, beginning the gradual development of these lands. Already in the 5th century, the tribes united and created the Nitra Principality, which saved them from ruin from constant attacks by the Arabs. This unification gave rise to the future Czechoslovak Republic, in the division of which Slovenia appeared into independent states.

The life and occupations of the population were completely diverse, as they were divided depending on the location of the people. These included traditional agriculture and construction, whose existence is still confirmed by archaeologists throughout the country. Small-scale livestock raising was also popular;

Lusatians

The Lusatians are the remaining Polabian-Baltic Slavs, who got their name from the location of their territories of residence, namely from the shores Baltic Sea and the Elbe River to the Lusatian Mountains. A certain number of Slavs emigrated to the territory of these lands, numbering only 8 thousand people.

In the new territory, Lusatian residents quickly and efficiently developed by doing handicrafts, fishing, farming and developing trade in many areas. The territorial location contributed to such good development. Trade routes passed to the East and Scandinavia through these fertile lands, which helped maintain trade relations and a decent standard of living for the population.

Southern Slavs

Bulgarians

Bulgarians - the first Slavic tribes on the territory of modern Bulgaria appeared in the 5-6th century. Unification and expansion began only in the 7th century thanks to the Bulgars who came from Central Asia. The unification of the two peoples by the then ruling khan made it possible in the future to create a strong state with a rich and eventful history.
The life and cultural heritage of Bulgarians was influenced by Roman, Greek and Ottoman cultures, which each left a visible mark on the history of the country in its own era. Today you can see architectural monuments from different time frames, enjoy folklore, where several varieties of cultures are mixed, which makes it unique and different from others;

Serbs

Serbs are the indigenous people of the South Slavs. It is the Serbs who are considered closest to the Croats in origin, development, and cultural values, since for a long time they were considered one common Serbo-Croatian tribe. The division of history began in the choice of faith - the Serbs accepted Orthodoxy, and the Croats adopted the Catholic faith.
The cultural heritage and development of Serbia as a whole is rich and multifaceted. In addition to folk, world-famous dances, impressive outfits, distinguished by bright colors and embroidery, in Serbia even today some pagan rituals are honored, which took their basis during the development of the people before the arrival of the main faith - Orthodoxy;

Croats

Croats - mass migration in the 6-8th century to the Adriatic coast made it possible for the Slavic peoples not only to expand the number of the first settlers who inhabited the territory of the future Croatia, but also to strengthen their position by uniting with local communities. The ancient Croatian tribes who came from the Vistula reconquered the coast, bringing their language, a different faith and radically changing the local way of life. The Adriatic Sea was considered a good opportunity for trade and expanding relations between peoples, so the area on the coast has always attracted various settlers.

In Croatia, ancient traditions and the modern rhythm of life are still wonderfully combined. Rich culture brings its own rules to modern life, decorations, traditional holidays and celebrations;

Slovenians

Slovenes - the 6th century, as a time of active migration, became the basis for the peoples of Slovenia. The Slavs who moved to the territory founded practically the first Slavic state - Carantania. Later, the state had to give the reins of government to the Franks who conquered them, but despite this they retained their history and independence, which undoubtedly influenced further development and religion. Another important step in the development of Slovenia was the writing of the first chronicle around the year 1000 in the Slovenian language.
Despite periodic wars and periodic economic losses, the country was again and again able to resume its usual way of life and way of life thanks to widely developed agriculture and applied arts, which made it possible to establish trade with neighboring communities and states.

Today Slovenia is a country with a complex but rich history, maximum security and wide hospitality for every visitor who wants to experience beautiful views in the spirit of ancient Europe;

Bosnians

Bosnians - despite the fact that the territory of the future country of Bosnia was also settled by the Slavs in the 6-7 centuries, it was the last to form an integral and unified state, government and adopted Christianity as practically a single religion. Historians claim that isolation from neighboring countries - Byzantium, Italy, Germany - was a hindrance to this. But despite this, the country flourished thanks to extensive agriculture, which was facilitated by the location of its central part on the Bosna River.

Despite the rather difficult history, the country is distinguished by its bright cultural heritage and maintaining it for their descendants. Having visited the country, anyone can get acquainted with it and immerse themselves in its interesting history.

Disputes about the Slavic peoples and the unity of the Slavs.

Being the largest nationality in all of Europe, scientists from different fields still argue about the true origin of the Slavic people. Some suggest their origin began with the Aryans and Germans, some scientists even suggest the ancient Celtic origin of the Slavs. One way or another, the Slavs are today an Indo-European people, who, due to resettlement, have spread over a vast territory and unite many countries and peoples with their cultural heritage, despite their differences in mentality, nationality and the versatility of the development of history.

Customs and traditions have helped to form entire states, uniting and strengthening over the centuries, which has given us cultural diversity in the modern world.