Ethnic Russians in Eastern Europe

african.mapper:

Ethnic Russians in Eastern Europe are the result of centuries of migration, conquest, and political shifts tied largely to the expansion and collapse of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. In Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova, large Russian communities emerged through imperial annexations in the late 18th and 19th centuries and were reinforced during the Soviet period by industrial development, military postings, and administrative appointments.

In the Baltic states, the Russian presence grew significantly after the Soviet occupation in 1940 and especially in the postwar decades, when large numbers were encouraged or assigned to settle in cities and industrial hubs, altering the demographic balance. In Central Europe, Russian populations are much smaller, often tied to Soviet military deployments after World War II or more recent economic migration.

Since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, many Russians in these regions have either integrated locally, retained strong cultural ties to Russia, or emigrated back, leaving a patchwork distribution that reflects both the Soviet legacy and the diverse historical paths of each host country.

Collection: ethnic-groups - Tags: russians, ethnic-groups, eastern-europe - Source: instagram.com