Which Indigenous peoples have lived in the Ural Mountains region?

The Ural Mountains region has been home to several Indigenous peoples for centuries, though they now represent only about one-fifth of the total population, with the majority being Russian.1

The primary Indigenous groups include:

• Bashkir: The most numerous Indigenous group, they have long inhabited the Southern Urals. Traditionally nomadic horse breeders, they are now largely settled and engaged in agriculture.12
• Nenets: Inhabiting the northern Pay-Khoy region and areas west of the Urals, the Nenets are a Samoyedic-speaking people who maintain traditional lifestyles such as reindeer herding, hunting, and fishing.13
• Komi, Mansi, and Khanty: These groups speak languages belonging to the Finno-Ugric family. The Komi reside in the Urals and the upper Volga region, while the Mansi and Khanty are primarily located in the Ob River basin, having moved from the south Ural steppe in the 1st millennium CE.145

In the Mughalzhar Hills of Kazakhstan, some Kazakhs also reside. These groups have historically faced significant pressures from colonization and industrialization, yet many continue to preserve aspects of their traditional cultures.1256