January 01, 2022

TikTok Gets Cultured


TikTok Gets Cultured
Vladimir, of the Khant ethnicity, frolics with his pup Aivas Igorevich on TikTok

TikTok might be best known for banal teen dancing, comedy, and bizarre challenges, but it’s also a place where people of other cultures might challenge you.

Russia boasts over 190 ethnic groups that include approximately 19 percent of the Federation’s population. In late November, National Geographic Russia connected with TikTok influencers from some of Russia’s many ethnic groups who post videos showcasing traditions, dress, food, and other cultural practices.

Vera, who was born in Udmurtia, posts content that both celebrates Udmurt culture and breaks down misconceptions. “There are stereotypes that the Udmurts are modest, and also ugly and envious. Of course, I would like the Udmurts to be known as creative, talented, open-minded, smiling, and beautiful. I would also like to say that the Udmurts are a very sensual people, we have a strong connection with nature and the forest; it is said that we even have some mystical abilities.” There are about 600,000 Udmurts living in Russia today.

Vladimir, of the Khant nationality, spends his time herding reindeer in a nature reserve about 100 kilometers from Kogalym, the city of his birth. “My account is about nature, about the uniqueness of the culture of the North, about the traditional way of life. I also show a strange, very rare way of fishing, without modern bells and whistles. This is how my parents taught me, and their parents taught them,” Vladimir explained. The Khanty people, like the Mansi, are from western Siberia, and both speak the Ob-Ugric language. Together, the two nationalities numbered approximately 30,000 at the end of the twentieth century.

Millions of people globally are following such accounts, and while they raise awareness of  nationalities that might otherwise be unknown, some influencers find it more important to be inspiring youth from these backgrounds to be prouder of their heritage.

Fatima, an Avarka born in the village of Untsukul in the Republic of Dagestan, believes taking joy in one’s culture is essential for its preservation. “I am really rooting for my native languages, which are on the verge of extinction, and I understand that the only salvation of these languages is their speakers. I wanted to show by example that I am not ashamed to speak my native language, that it is beautiful, and that each language is unique and beautiful in its own way." The Avar language is also grouped with the Andi and Dido languages, also known as Dagestanian languages. According to 2010 census data, approximately 910,000 Avars live in Russia today.

Click to learn more about Vera, Vladimir, Fatima, as well as Tatyana and Gulnaz.

 

You Might Also Like

Between Two Worlds
  • July 01, 2015

Between Two Worlds

During the tsarist era, Russians’ perceptions of themselves were powerfully shaped by travelogues about the world that lay beyond the empire’s borders.
The Kryashen
  • May 01, 2015

The Kryashen

Neither Tatar or Russian, the Kryashen are a fascinating ethnic minority that struggles to defend its place, and identity, in southern Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955