Russia is |
Peoples of Russia
Greeks
Greeks (Ellines, also Pontillos) are the majority of the population of Greece and Cyprus.
Language
The Greek (New Greek) language is the only living language of the Greek branch of the Indo-European language family. In Russia, the Russian language is native for most Greeks.
Clothes
The basis of the traditional Greek costume is the ancient element common for all Balkans, topwear worn open or closed. Women wore waisted dresses, richly ornamented aprons, a high-necked pinafore dress or an open sleeveless grament. Typical details include metallic decorations and embroidery, wide belts with silver and gold-plated buckles, towel-type headwear. Male costume had several versions: fustanella – a short and wide (up to a hundred wedges) white skirt and a vivid short jacket with gold braid and fake sleeves; vraki - wide black trousers, wide to the knee and narrow and tight-fitting below the knee, a short black vest and a brimmed hat or a headband.
Dwellings
The traditional dwelling of the Greeks was a stone two-storey house (the lower storey for utility purposes and for the cattle, the upper storey is the living one) with outside staircases, long balconies and a gable roof.
Traditional occupations
The Greeks cultivate highly marketable subtropical cultures, olives and grapes, as well as citrus cultures, nuts and tobacco. The grains they raise are wheat, millet, barley, corn, oats and rye. They raise sheep and goats. In the coastal regions, they actively practice shipping and fishing. Folk and artistic crafts are very popular.
Dispersion
Currently the Greeks of Russia have communities in the Stavropol (34.1 thousand people) and Krasnodar (26.5 thousand) territories, the Rostov region (3.1 thousand), Northern Ossetia (2.3 thousand); in Moscow and the Moscow region (6 thousand people).
Food
The dishes of the Greek cuisine necessarily include vegetables, spices and olive oil. As for vegetables, the most often used are eggplants, artichokes, tomatoes, onions, sweet pepper, etc. Legumes are very popular. Fish and seafood dishes are widespread. For Black Sea Greeks, dishes out of fried fish – the Azov anchovy, the surmullet – are very popular. As for meat, the most used are mutton or veal, less often pork.
