Indians in Russia

Russian Indians
Regions with significant populations
	Moscow · St. Petersburg · Astrakhan
Languages
	Russian · Various Indian Languages · English
Religion
	Hinduism • Christianity • Sikhism
Related ethnic groups
	People of Indian Origin

Russian Indians include Indian expatriates in Russia, as well as Russian citizens of Indian origin or descent.

Demography

According to the Indian embassy, there are approximately 14,000 Indians in Russia. In addition to this, there are also about 1500 Afghan nationals of Indian origin living in the country.^[1]

History

In the late eighteenth century, Russian traveller Pallas noted the presence of hundreds of Multani Vaiṣṇava Hindu merchant families at the mouth of the Volga river.^[2]

The Hindustani Samaj is the oldest Indian organization to be set up in Russia, in 1957.^[1] The Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Center was opened in 1989 for propagating Indian culture in Russia. Its idea was conceived after the great success of the Festival of India, held in 1988 in the USSR.^[3]

In May 2022, two consignments of medicine were sent to Russian soldiers during the war in Ukraine, under the initiative of Disha: Russian-Indian friendship society. This society was founded in Moscow by Rameshwar Singh, who is an influential Indian origin journalist and businessman in Moscow.^[4]

Religion

A majority of Indians living in Russia are Hindus, with other populations including Christians of Indian origin, Muslims, and Sikhs. Hinduism is practised in Russia, though most ignore it, primarily by followers of the Vaishnava Hindu organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Brahma Kumaris and by itinerant swamis from India.^[5] There is an active Tantra Sangha operating in Russia.

Notable people

Swati Reddy – Indian film actress and television presenter (born in Vladivostok)
Abani Mukherji – Indian revolutionary and co-founder of the Communist Party of India (CPI)
Elena Tuteja – Miss India Earth 2017 Second Runner Up and Indian model
Alesia Raut – Indian model and actress
Anjali Raut – Younger sister of Alesia Raut, an Indian fashion model
Dina Umarova – Russian supermodel and Indian actor Vindu Dara Singh's wife
Abhay Kumar Singh – Indian-born member of legislator in United Russia

References

^ ^a ^b "Embassy of India, Moscow (Russia)". indianembassy-moscow.gov.in. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
^ Entwistle, Alan William (1982). The Rāsa Māna ke Pada of Kevalarāma: A Medieval Hindi Text of the Eighth Gaddī of the Vallabha Sect (Phd thesis). University of London. pp. 89–90.
^ https://iccr.gov.in/indianculturalcenter/jawaharlal-nehru-cultural-center-moscow-russia ^{[bare URL]}
^ Bhattacherjee, Kallol (2022-05-29). "Indians in Russia send relief supplies for Russian soldiers". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
^ "Russia". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-10.