Guide to culture, legislation and children’s welfare in Russia

Background
This document forms one of a series of countryprofiles written for Community Care Inform by Children and Families Across Borders (formerly ISS UK).

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Population
Language
Ethnic background
Religion
Customs, cultures and belief systems
The position of children within Russian society
Issues of custom or etiquette to bear in mind when working with Russian families or children
The legal framework around child welfare
Issues around adoption and international movement of children
Snapshot of migration trends
Support organisations in the UK
Further information and advice

Population
138.7 million (July 2011 est.)[1]

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Language
According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russian is the country’s only official state language, but there are also many officially recognised minority languages.[2] While Soviet education policy meant that Russian language dominated and many local languages were suppressed, the profile of these languages has improved recently.[3]

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Ethnic breakdown
Russians 79.8%, Tatars 3.8%, Ukrainians 2%, Bashkirs 1.2%, Chuvash 1.1%, Chechens 0.9%, as well as many other nationalities comprising less than 1% of the population.[4]

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Religion
The majority of Russians (79%) consider themselves Orthodox.