Ossetians

Ossetians
(Irættæ)

Total population
c. 750,000[a]
Regions with significant populations
Russia	558,515[1]
(in North Ossetia)	480,310[2]
South Ossetia	51,000[3][4]
Georgia (excluding South Ossetia)	14,385[5]Diaspora
Turkey	50,000[6][7][8]
Tajikistan	7,861[9]
Uzbekistan	5,823[10]
Ukraine	4,830[11]
Kazakhstan	4,308[12]
Turkmenistan	2,066[13]
Azerbaijan	1,170[14]
Kyrgyzstan	758[15]
Syria	700[16]
Belarus	554[17]
Moldova	403[18]
Armenia	331[19]
Latvia	285[20]
Lithuania	119[21]
Estonia	116[22]
Languages
Ossetian, Russian, Georgian
Religion
Predominantly † Eastern Orthodox Christianity with a sizeable minority professing Uatsdin, and Islam
Related ethnic groups
Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans Other Iranian peoples, the Jassic people of Hungary, neighbouring peoples of the Caucasus.
a. ^ The total figure is merely an estimation; sum of all the referenced populations.

The Ossetians or Ossetes (/ɒˈsɛtiənz/; Ossetian: ир, ирæттæ, ir, irættæ; дигорæ, дигорæнттæ, digoræ, digorænttæ) are an Iranian ethnic group of the Caucasus Mountains, indigenous to the ethnolinguistic region known as Ossetia.^[23][24][25]
They speak Ossetic, an Eastern Iranian (Alanic) language of the Indo-European languages family, with most also fluent in Russian as a second language. The Ossetian language is neither closely related to nor mutually intelligible with any other language of the family today.^[26] Ossetic, a remnant of the Scytho-Sarmatian dialect group which was once spoken across the Steppe, is one of the few Iranian languages inside Europe.^[27]

The Ossetians are mostly Eastern Orthodox Christian, with a sizeable minority professing Uatsdin and Islam.

The Ossetians mostly populate Ossetia, which is politically divided between North Ossetia–Alania in Russia, and South Ossetia, a de facto independent state with partial recognition, closely integrated in Russia and claimed by Georgia.

Their closest relatives, the Jász, live in the Jászság region within the north-western part of the Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County in Hungary.

Contents

• 
  1 Etymology
  


• 
  2 Subgroups
  


• 
  3 Culture
  
  
  
  • 
    3.1 Mythology
    
  
  
  • 
    3.2 Music
    
  
  
  
  


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  4 History
  
  
  
  • 
    4.1 Prehistory (Early Alans)
    
  
  
  • 
    4.2 Middle Ages
    
  
  
  • 
    4.3 Modern history
    
  
  
  
  


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  5 Language
  


• 
  6 Religion
  
  
  
  • 
    6.1 History
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  7 Livelihood
  


• 
  8 Demographics
  
  
  
  • 
    8.1 Russian Census of 2002
    
  
  
  
  


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  9 Genetics
  


• 
  10 Gallery
  


• 
  11 See also
  


• 
  12 References
  


• 
  13 Bibliography
  


• 
  14 External links
  

Etymology

The Ossetians and Ossetia received their name from the Russians, who adopted the Georgian designations Osi (ოსი) (sing., pl.: Osebi (ოსები)) and Oseti ("the land of Osi" (ოსეთი)), used since the Middle Ages for the single Iranian-speaking population of the Central Caucasus and probably based on the old Alan self-designation "As". As the Ossetians lacked any single inclusive name for themselves in their native language, these terms were accepted by the Ossetians themselves already before their integration into the Russian Empire.^[28]

This practice was put into question by the new Ossetian nationalism in the early 1990s, when the dispute between the Ossetian subgroups of Digoron and Iron over the status of the Digoron dialect made the Ossetian intellectuals search for a new inclusive ethnic name. This, combined with the effects of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, led to the popularization of "Alania", the name of the medieval Sarmatian confederation, to which the Ossetians traced their origin, and inclusion of this name into the official republican title of North Ossetia in 1994.^[28]

Subgroups

Ossetian tribes (according to B. A. Kaloev).^[29][30]

• 
  Iron in the east and south form a larger group of Ossetians. They speak Iron dialect. Irons are divided into several subgroups: Alagirs, Kurtats, Tagaurs, Kudar, Tual, Urstual, Chsan.
  
  
  
  • 
    Kudar, the southern group of Ossetians.
  
  
  • 
    Tual in the central part of Ossetia (see also Dvals).
  
  
  • 
    Chsan in the east of South Ossetia.
  
  
  
  


• 
  Digoron in the west. Digors live in Digora district, Iraf district and in some settlements in Kabardino-Balkaria and Mozdok district. Digors in Digora district are Christian, while those living in Iraf district are Muslim.^{[citation needed]} They speak Digor dialect.

Culture

Part of a series on the
Culture of South Ossetia
History
People
Languages
Mythology and folklore Mythology
Cuisine
Religion
Literature
Music and performing arts Music
Symbols Flag Coat of arms
South Ossetia portal
v t e

Mythology

Main article: Ossetian mythology

The folk beliefs of the Ossetian people are rooted in their Sarmatian origin and Christian religion, with the pagan gods transcending into Christian saints. The Nart saga serves the basic pagan mythology of the region.^[31]

Music

Main article: Ossetian music

History

Charnel vaults at a necropolis near the village of Dargavs, North Ossetia

Prehistory (Early Alans)

Main article: Alans

The Ossetians descend from the Alans,^[32] a Sarmatian tribe (Scythian subgroup of the Iranian ethnolinguistic group).^[33] About AD 200, the Alans were the only branch of the Sarmatians to keep their culture in the face of a Gothic invasion, and the Alans remaining built up a great kingdom between the Don and the Volga, according to Coon, The Races of Europe. Between AD. 350 and 374, the Huns destroyed the Alan kingdom, and the Alan people was splitted into two parts. One of them fled further to the West and participated in the Barbarian Inasions towards Rome, establishing short-lived kingdoms in Spain and North Africa and settling in the lot of places, including Orleans, France. The other part fled further South and settled on the plains of North Caucasus, where Alans established their medieval kingdom of Alania.^{[citation needed]}

Middle Ages

Main article: Alania

In the 8th century a consolidated Alan kingdom, referred to in sources of the period as Alania, emerged in the northern Caucasus Mountains, roughly in the location of the latter-day Circassia and the modern North Ossetia–Alania. At its height, Alania was a centralized monarchy with a strong military force and had a strong economy which benefited from the Silk Road.

However, after the Mongol invasions of the 1200s the Alans were forced out of their medieval homeland south of the River Don in present-day Russia. Due to this, the Alans migrated towards the Caucasus mountains, where they would form three ethnographical groups; the Iron, Digoron, and Kudar. The Jassic people were a fourth group that migrated in the 13th century to Hungary.

Modern history

Kosta Khetagurov

In recent history, the Ossetians participated in Ossetian–Ingush conflict (1991–1992) and Georgian–Ossetian conflicts (1918–1920, early 1990s) and in the 2008 South Ossetia war between Georgia and Russia.

Key events:

• 1774 — North Ossetia becomes part of the Russian Empire.^[34]
  


• 1801 — Following the Treaty of Georgievsk, the modern-day South Ossetia territory becomes part of the Russian Empire, along with Georgia.^[35]
  


• 1922 — Ossetia is divided^[36][37] into two parts: North Ossetia remains a part of Russian SFSR, South Ossetia remains a part of Georgian SSR.


• 20 September 1990 – independent Republic of South Ossetia. The republic remained unrecognized, yet it detached itself from Georgia de facto. In the last years of the Soviet Union, ethnic tensions between Ossetians and Georgians in Georgia's former Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia (abolished in 1990) and between Ossetians and the Ingush in North Ossetia evolved into violent clashes that left several hundreds dead and wounded and created a large tide of refugees on both sides of the border.^[38][39]
  

Language

Main article: Ossetian language

The Ossetian language belongs to the Eastern Iranian (Alanic) branch of the Indo-European language family.^[32]

Ossetian is divided into two main dialect groups: Ironian^[32] (os. – Ирон) in North and South Ossetia and Digorian^[32] (os. – Дыгурон) of western North Ossetia. There are some subdialects in those two: like Tualian, Alagirian, Ksanian, etc. The Ironian dialect is the most widely spoken.

Ossetian is among the remnants of the Scytho-Sarmatian dialect group which was once spoken across the Steppe. The Ossetian language is not mutually intelligible with any other Iranian language.^[26]

Religion

Religion in North Ossetia-Alania as of 2012 (Sreda Arena Atlas)[40][41]
Russian Orthodoxy			49.2%
Other Orthodox			2.4%
Protestantism			0.8%
Other Christians			9.8%
Islam			4%
Uatsdin/Assianism and other native faiths			29.4%
Spiritual but not religious			0.8%
Atheism and irreligion			3%
Other and undeclared			0.6%

Today, the majority of Ossetians, both from North and South Ossetia, follow Eastern Orthodoxy.^[32] In addition to Christianity, Ossetian ethnic religion is also widespread among Ossetians, with ritual traditions like sacrificing animals, holy shrines, non-Christian saints, etc. There are temples, known as kuvandon in most of the villages.^[42] According to the research service Sreda, North Ossetia is the primary location where Ossetian Paganism is practiced, and 29% of the population reported practicing pagan faiths in the 2012 Russian Census.^[43]Ætsæg Din is the Ossetian ethnic religion, rising in popularity since the 1980s.^[44]

History

Prior to the 10th century, Ossetians were a strictly Pagan group. However, they were partially Christianized by Byzantine missionaries in the beginning of the 10th century,^[45] By the 13th century, most of the Ossetians were Eastern Orthodox Christians^[32] as a result of Georgian influence and missionary work.^[46][47]Islam was introduced during the 18th century by the recently converted members of the Circassian Kabarday Tribe (to whom the religion was introduced by Tatars at the time) after taking over territory in western Ossetia occupied by the Digor, although it did not spread to rest of the Ossetian people successfully.^[48]

Ossetia became part of the Russian Empire in 1774, which strengthened Orthodox Christianity considerably by sending missionaries there from the Russian Orthodox church. However, most of the missionaries chosen were churchmen from Eastern Orthodox communities living in Georgia (including Armenians and Greeks as well as ethnic Georgians) rather than from Russia, so as to avoid being seen by the Ossetians as too intrusive.

Livelihood

The northern Ossetians export lumber and cultivate various crops, mainly corn. The southern Ossetians are chiefly pastoral, herding sheep, goats, and cattle. Traditional manufactured products include leather goods, fur caps, daggers, and metalware.^[32]

Demographics

Outside of South Ossetia, there is also a significant number of Ossetians living in north-central Georgia in Trialeti. A large Ossetian diaspora lives in Turkey, and Ossetians have also settled in Belgium, France, Sweden, Syria, the United States (New York City, Florida and California as examples), Canada (Toronto), Australia (Sydney), and other countries all around the world.

Russian Census of 2002

The vast majority of Ossetians live in Russia (according to the Russian Census (2002)):

• 
  North Ossetia–Alania — 445,300


• 
  Moscow — 10,500


• 
  Kabardino-Balkaria — 9,800


• 
  Stavropol Krai — 7,700


• 
  Krasnodar Krai — 4,100


• 
  Karachay–Cherkessia — 3,200


• 
  Saint Petersburg — 2,800


• 
  Rostov Oblast — 2,600


• 
  Moscow Oblast — 2,400

Genetics

The Ossetians are a unique ethnic group of the Caucasus, speaking an Indo-European language surrounded by Caucasian ethnolinguistic groups. The Y-haplogroup data indicate that North Ossetians are more similar to other North Caucasian groups, and South Ossetians are more similar to other South Caucasian groups, than to each other. Also, with respect to mtDNA, Ossetians are significantly more similar to some Iranian groups than to Caucasian groups. It is thus suggested that there is a common origin of Ossetians from the Proto-Iranian Urheimat, followed by subsequent male-mediated migrations from their Caucasian neighbours.^[49]

Gallery

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  Ossetian woman in traditional clothes, early years of the 20th century
  

  
  

  
  


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  Ossetian women working (19th century)
  

  
  

  
  


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  Ossetian Northern Caucasia dress of the 18th century, Ramonov Vano (19th century)
  

  
  

  
  


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  Three Ossetian teachers (19th century)
  

  
  

  
  


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  Ossetian girl in 1883
  

  
  

  
  


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  Sergei Guriev, economist
  

  
  

  
  


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  Nikolay Bagrayev, politician
  

  
  

  
  


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  South Ossetian performers
  

  
  

  
  


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  Ossetian man in 1881
  

  
  

  
  


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  Veronika Dudarova, symphony conductor
  

  
  

  
  


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  Soslan Ramonov, professional wrestler
  

  
  

  
  


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  Shota Bibilov, professional footballer
  

  
  

  
  


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  Ruslan Karaev, professional kickboxer
  

  
  

  
  


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  Vladimir Gabulov, Ossetian goalkeeper
  

  
  

  
  

See also

• 
  Russia portal
  

• Alans


• Digor (people)


• Iazyges


• Iron (people)


• Jassic people


• Ossetians in Trialeti


• Ossetians in Turkey


• Peoples of the Caucasus


• Sarmatians


• Scythians

References

1. 
   ^ "Russian Census 2010: Population by ethnicity" (XLS). Perepis-2010.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2017-08-21..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ "Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года". Perepis2002.ru. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
   


3. 
   ^ South Ossetia's status is disputed. It considers itself to be an independent state, but this is recognised by only a few other countries. The Georgian government and most of the world's other states consider South Ossetia de jure a part of Georgia's territory.
   
   


4. 
   ^ "PCGN Report "Georgia: a toponymic note concerning South Ossetia"" (PDF). Pcgn.org.uk. 2007. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
   


5. 
   ^ "Ethnic Composition of Georgia" (PDF). Retrieved 3 January 2018.
   


6. 
   ^ "Lib.ru/Современная литература: Емельянова Надежда Михайловна. Мусульмане Осетии: На перекрестке цивилизаций. Часть 2. Ислам в Осетии. Историческая ретроспектива". Lit.lib.ru. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
   


7. 
   ^ "Официальный сайт Постоянного представительства Республики Северная Осетия-Алания при Президенте РФ. Осетины в Москве". Noar.ru. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
   


8. 
   ^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld - The North Caucasian Diaspora In Turkey". Unhcr.org. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
   


9. 
   ^ Национальный состав, владение языками и гражданство населения республики таджикистан(PDF). Statistics of Tajikistan (in Russian and Tajik). Statistics of Tajikistan. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
   


10. 
    ^ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР". Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


11. 
    ^ "2001 Ukrainian census". Ukrcensus.gov.ua. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
    ^{[permanent dead link]}
    


12. 
    ^ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР". Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


13. 
    ^ "Итоги всеобщей переписи населения Туркменистана по национальному составу в 1995 году". Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


14. 
    ^ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР". Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


15. 
    ^ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР". Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


16. 
    ^ "First Ethnic Ossetian Refugees from Syria Arrive in North Ossetia". Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


17. 
    ^ Национальный статистический комитет Республики Беларусь(PDF). Национальный статистический комитет Республики Беларусь (in Russian). Национальный статистический комитет Республики Беларусь. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
    


18. 
    ^ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР". Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


19. 
    ^ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР". Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


20. 
    ^ "Latvijas iedzīvotāju sadalījums pēc nacionālā sastāva un valstiskās piederības (Datums=01.07.2017)" (PDF) (in Latvian). Retrieved 8 February 2017.
    


21. 
    ^ "Lietuvos Respublikos 2011 metų visuotinio gyventojų ir būstų surašymo rezultatai". p. 8. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    


22. 
    ^ "2000 Estonian census". Pub.stat.ee. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
    ^{[permanent dead link]}
    


23. 
    ^ Bell, Imogen (2003). Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 200.
    


24. 
    ^ Mirsky, Georgiy I. (1997). On Ruins of Empire: Ethnicity and Nationalism in the Former Soviet Union. p. 28.
    


25. 
    ^ Mastyugina, Tatiana. An Ethnic History of Russia: Pre-revolutionary Times to the Present. p. 80.
    


26. 
    ^ ^ab Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. (1991). "The New Encyclopaedia Britannica: Marcopædia". Encyclopædia Britannica. 22. p. 625. ISBN 9780852295298. Ossetic is not mutually intelligible with any other Iranian language.
    


27. 
    ^ Minahan, James (1998). Miniature Empires: A Historical Dictionary of the Newly Independent States. New York City, NY: Routledge. p. 211. ISBN 1-57958-133-1.
    


28. 
    ^ ^ab Shnirelman, Victor (2006). "The Politics of a Name: Between Consolidation and Separation in the Northern Caucasus" (PDF). Acta Slavica Iaponica. 23: 37–49.
    


29. 
    ^ "Map image". S23.postimg.org. Archived from the original (JPG) on 2017-02-05. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
    


30. 
    ^ "Map image" (JPG). S50.radikal.ru. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
    


31. 
    ^ Lora Arys-Djanaïéva "Parlons ossète" (Harmattan, 2004)
    


32. 
    ^ ^abcdefg "Ossetians". Encarta. Microsoft Corporation. 2008.
    


33. 
    ^ James Minahan, "One Europe, Many Nations", Published by Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. pg 518: "The Ossetians, calling themselves Iristi and their homeland Iryston are the most northerly Iranian people. ... They are descended from a division of Sarmatians, the Alans who were pushed out of the Terek River lowlands and in the Caucasus foothills by invading Huns in the 4th century AD.
    


34. 
    ^ "Getting Back Home? Towards Sustainable Return of Ingush Forced Migrants and Lasting Peace in Prigorodny District of North Ossetia" (PDF). Pdc.ceu.hu. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
    


35. 
    ^ "Ca-c.org". Ca-c.org. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
    


36. 
    ^ Svante E. Cornell, Small nations and great powers: a study of ethnopolitical conflict in the Caucasus. Routledge, 2001
    ISBN 0-7007-1162-7
    


37. 
    ^ "South Ossetia – MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
    


38. 
    ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
    


39. 
    ^ [2]^{[dead link]}
    


40. 
    ^ "Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia". Sreda, 2012.
    


41. 
    ^ 2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps. "Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017. Archived.
    


42. 
    ^ "Михаил Рощин : Религиозная жизнь Южной Осетии: в поисках национально-культурной идентификации". Keston.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
    


43. 
    ^ Arena - Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia. Sreda.org
    


44. 
    ^ "DataLife Engine > Версия для печати > Местная религиозная организация традиционных верований осетин "Ǽцǽг Дин" г. Владикавказ". Osetins.com. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
    


45. 
    ^ Kuznetsov, Vladimir Alexandrovitch. "Alania and Byzantine". The History of Alania.
    


46. 
    ^ James Stuart Olson, Nicholas Charles Pappas. An Ethnohistorical dictionary of the Russian and Soviet empires. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. p 522.
    


47. 
    ^ Ronald Wixman. The peoples of the USSR: an ethnographic handbook. M.E. Sharpe, 1984. p 151
    


48. 
    ^ James Minahan. Miniature empires: a historical dictionary of the newly independent states. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998. p.211
    


49. 
    ^ Nasidze, I; Quinque, D; Dupanloup, I; et al. (November 2004). "Genetic evidence concerning the origins of South and North Ossetians". Ann. Hum. Genet. 68: 588–99. doi:10.1046/j.1529-8817.2004.00131.x. PMID 15598217.
    

Bibliography

• 
  Nasidze; et al. (May 2004). "Mitochondrial DNA and Y-Chromosome Variation in the Caucasus". Annals of Human Genetics. 68: 205. doi:10.1046/j.1529-8817.2004.00092.x.
  


• 
  Nasidze; et al. (2004). "Genetic Evidence Concerning the Origins of South and North Ossetians" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
  

External links

• Ossetians.com – a site about famous Ossetians

v t e Iranian peoples
Ethnic groups	Baloch Gilak Kurd Lak Yazidi Lur Bakhtiari Mazanderani Ossetian Jasz Pamiri Mountain Tajik Wakhi Pashtun Persian Tajik Talysh Tat of the Caucasus Tat of Iran Yaghnobi Zaza
Ancient peoples	Ancient Iranian peoples
Origin	Indo-Iranians Proto-Indo-Europeans
Languages	Iranian languages
Iranian religions	Ancient Iranian religion Ætsæg Din Bábism Bahá'í Faith Khurramites Manichaeism Mazdakism Mazdaznan Yarsanism Yazdânism Yazidism Zoroastrianism

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History	Eastern Orthodox Church Byzantine Empire Ecumenical council Church of the East Council of Chalcedon Iconoclastic controversy Saint Thomas Christians/Malankara Church Christianization of Bulgaria Christianization of Kievan Rus' East–West Schism
Scriptures	Books Canon Old Testament New Testament Deuterocanon Septuagint Peshitta
Theology	Hesychasm Icon Apophaticism Filioque clause Miaphysitism Dyophysitism Nestorianism Theosis Theoria Phronema Philokalia Praxis Theotokos Hypostasis Ousia Essence–energies distinction Metousiosis
Worship	Sign of the cross Divine Liturgy Iconography Asceticism Omophorion
Ethnic groups with significant adherence	Majorities Indo-European Armenians Aromanians Belarusians Bulgarians Greeks including Greek Cypriots Macedonians Megleno-Romanians Moldovans Montenegrins Ossetians Romanians Russians Serbs Ukrainians Afro-Asiatic Agaw Amhara Assyrians Copts Chaldean Catholics Maronites Tigrayans Turkic Chuvash Dolgans Gagauz Khakas Kryashens Yakuts Kartvelian Georgians including Svans and Mingrelians Finno-Ugric Izhorians Karelians Khanty Komi Mansi Mari Mordvins Setos Udmurts Vepsians Votes Samoyedic Enets Nenets Nganasans Selkups Chukotko-Kamchatkan Alyutors Itelmens Kereks Koryaks Dené–Yeniseian Kets Tlingits Eskimo–Aleut Aleuts Yupiks Northwest Caucasian Abkhazians Nakh Batsbi Minorities Adyghe Kabardians Kists Albanians Altai Arabs Buryats Chukchi Estonians Setos Kihnu Finns Inuit Malayali Oromos Romani Rusyns Saami
Eastern Christianity portal

v t e European Muslims
Majority	Indo-European Albanians Bosniaks Gorani Kurds Kurds in Germany Kurds in France Kurds in the Netherlands Muslimani Pomaks Talysh Tats Turkic Azerbaijanis Balkars Bashkirs Crimean Tatars Karachays Kazakhs Kumyks Lipka Tatars Nogais Volga Tatars Turks Meskhetian Turks Turks in Germany Other Caucasian Abazins Aghuls Andis Akhvakhs Archis Avars Bagvalals Bezhta Botlikh Budukh Chamalals Chechens Kists Circassians Dargins Hinukh Hunzib Ingush Jeks Karata Khinalugs Khwarshis Kryts Laks Lezgins Rutuls Tabasarans Tsakhurs Tindis Tsez Other Arabs Arabs in Europe Moors Moroccans in Spain Berbers Berbers in France Berbers in Belgium Berbers in the Netherlands Dönmeh
Minority	Abkhazians Bulgarian Croats Georgians Adjarians Laz Greek Vallahades Cretan Muslims Macedonian Megleno-Romanians Ossetians Romani Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians Serbs

Northern

v t e Peoples of the Caucasus
Caucasian	Caspian Avar–Andic Andi Akhvakh Bagvalals–Tindis Botlix–Godoberi Chamalals Karata Avars Didoic Bezhta Hinukh Hunzibs Khwarshi Tsez Lezgic Aguls Archin Budukh Jek Kryts Lezgins Rutuls Tabasarans Tsakhurs Udin Nakh Bats Chechens including Kists Ingush Other Dargins Khinalug Laks Kartvelian Georgians including Lazs Pontic Abkhaz–Abaza Circassians
Indo-European	Armenian Armenians Hellenic Caucasus Greeks including Urums Pontic Greeks Iranic Eastern Ossetians Digor Western Talysh Tats Kurds Slavic Cossacks Kuban Cossacks Terek Cossacks Russians Ukrainians
Semitic	Georgian Jews Mountain Jews
Mongolic	Kalmyks
Turkic	Kipchak–Cuman Karachay–Balkars Kumyks Kipchak–Nogai Nogai Oghuz Azerbaijanis Meskhetian Turks Turkmens
Ethnic minorities in Armenia  Ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan  Ethnic minorities in Georgia  Ethnic minorities in Russia

v t e Ethnic groups in Russia
Titular Nationalities	Adyghe Cherkess Kabardians Altay Balkars Bashkirs Belarusians Buryats Chechens Chuvash Ingush Kalmyks Karachays Karelians Khakas Komi Mari Mordvins Mokshas Ossetians Russians Tatars Tuvans Udmurts Ukrainians Yakuts
Other indigenous peoples	Far North Ainus Aleuts Alyutors Chukchis Chuvans Dolgans Enets Itelmens Kereks Koryaks Nenets Nganasans Sami Siberian Yupik Naukan Sirenik Veps Yukaghir Far East Evenks Evens Nanai Negidals Nivkh Oroch Orok Taz Udege Ulchs Siberia Central Chulyms Kets Khanty Mansi Selkups Siberian Tatars Teleuts Southern Chelkans Kumandins Shors Soyots Telengits Tofalars Tubalar Tozhu Tuvans Dagestan Aghuls Avars Azerbaijanis Dargins Kumyks Laks Lezgins Nogais Rutuls Tabasarans Tats Tsakhurs others Other Abaza–Abkhaz Besermyan Izhorians Jews Nagaybaks Setos Votes

v t e Ethnic groups in Georgia
Kartvelian peoples	Georgians Lazs Mingrelians Svans
Ethnic minorities	Abkhazians Armenians Assyrians Azerbaijanis Qarapapaqs Bats Germans Greeks Pontic Greeks Kists Kurds Yazidis Ossetians Russians
See Also: Ethnic minorities in Georgia

Authority control	BNF: cb12282327s (data) LCCN: sh85095942

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