However, more than 97% of the total population falls on two peoples: Russians (94.1%) and Ukrainians (3.1%). The number of Russians is about 2,200,000. The second largest nation is the Ukrainians (over 70,000 people). For decades, Belarusians have been the third largest nation.
Recent years have made significant adjustments to the ethnic composition of the population. From 1989 to 2009, over 5,500 Azerbaijanis, 3,000 Armenians, 4,500 Georgians, more than 5,500 Moldovans, 1,800 Kazakhs, 1,500 Kyrgyz, more than 1,500 Tajiks and Uzbeks arrived in the Voronezh region. According to unofficial data, these figures are much higher. Several tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis and Armenians live in the Voronezh region. Azerbaijanis have become the third largest ethnic group in the Voronezh region.
The modern ethnic composition is largely associated with the history of settlement and modern migrations. In 1897, Voronezh province had 2,500,000 inhabitants, of which 1,000,000 were Ukrainians. Moreover, in the southern regions, Ukrainians made up the overwhelming majority: for example, 89% - in Bogucharsky district, 96% - in Ostrogozhsky district.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Ukrainians had largely mixed with Russians. This mixed type has received the common name "khokhly", most of whom call themselves Russians, which is confirmed by modern statistics. Only 3% of the population of the Voronezh region consider themselves Ukrainians, and 15 years ago more than 5% called themselves such. But the Ukrainian type is still clearly traced, especially in rural areas - in the planning of settlements, the arrangement of dwellings, round "cellars", in a special dialect, cuisine and microculture.
The migrations of the late 1980s and 1990s also contributed to the change in the ethnic composition of the Voronezh region. Despite the fact that Russians make up the bulk of migrants, forced migrants and refugees, their share is more than 10% lower than in the ethnic composition of the indigenous population. In recent years, the share of the Russian population has slightly decreased in a number of settlements and regions. A number of rural settlements in the region turned into "national enclaves", for example, the village of Kolodezhnoe (Podgorensky district) - a compact residence of Meskhetian Turks, the village of Verkhnyaya Khava - of Chechens, Repyevsky district - of Armenians.
94% of the region's population, which is, as a rule, the southern branch of the Russian people, consider themselves to be Russians.
The Voronezh region gave the country many writers and poets, a significant number of scientists and other figures, which allowed Vladimir Pavlovich Semyonov, a famous Russian geographer, to call the Voronezh region not only "material", but also "the spiritual breadbasket of Russia."
In connection with the democratization of society, the religiosity of the population is growing. The vast majority of residents are followers of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has dozens of temples in the region. Many of them have reopened in recent years. There is a revival of monasteries, among which are the famous Akatov women's monastery in the city of Voronezh, cave monasteries in the village of Kostomarovo and the village of Belogorye (Podgorensky district), the Divnogorye museum-reserve (Liskinsky district) and a number of others.
The Orthodox religion is professed by Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians. The group of Islamic peoples is made up of Meskhetian Turks, Tatars, Azerbaijanis, peoples North Caucasus... Most Armenians are supporters of the Christian Armenian Gregorian Apostolic Church. Many Jews who live mainly in cities, as well as in the village of Ilyinka, Talovsky District, practice Judaism. The synagogue building was returned to the Jewish community of Voronezh. In the Voronezh region there are several hundred followers of Christian Protestant movements and sects: Jehovah's Witnesses, Evangelical Christians-Baptists, "Pentecostals" and others.
For centuries, the Voronezh Territory, being the border territory of the Russian state, has been formed as a multinational region. Mixing of various languages, cultures, religions is a rather significant feature in the history of the region. The relevance of the issue is that the state of interethnic relations is the most important factor for any multinational state and region. This is all the more important for the Voronezh region, which until recently faced manifestations of ethnic intolerance. Despite the difficulties of relationships, it must be remembered that we are one family of the Voronezh region, Russia, Eurasia and the world. We need to understand each other in order to achieve our goals in various areas of modern society. Moreover, the economic situation is an important, but not the main indicator. An atmosphere of mutual understanding is the key to successful development not only of financial, economic and political systembut also the culture of our region. “The entire history of mankind, since we know it, has been a movement of mankind towards greater and greater unity. This unity is accomplished by the most varied means, and it is served not only by those who work for him, but even those who oppose him. " Leo Tolstoy. Active changes in the composition of the region began in the years 1st world war, when a stream of refugees poured into the province from the western provinces of the Russian Empire. Now representatives of 178 nationalities live in Voronezh and the Voronezh region. Of these, about 30 already have or are preparing to form and officially register national public organizations... According to the results of the All-Russian census of 2010, the population of the Voronezh region was 2,331,147 people. Our region is one of the densely populated regions of Russia and has a fairly homogeneous ethnic composition. At the same time, historically, a number of ethnic minorities live here, each of which has its own specifics and historical roots. A new trend in the development of the Voronezh region is an increase in the number of non-Slavic peoples. This is due to the intensification of migration processes after the collapse of the USSR. Among the reasons affecting the influx of migrants, there are economic (job search) and security-related (military conflicts in countries of traditional residence). The main regions - sources of migrants are the countries of Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine. A significant part of them gravitate towards areas in which industrial production facilities and construction are concentrated, which makes it possible to find places for the application of their labor. Belarusians, Moldovans are located everywhere, and Ukrainians are settled in the southern regions (Kantemirovsky, Bogucharsky, Rossoshansky, Olkhovatsky, Ostrogozhsky, Kalacheyevsky). Muslim ethnic groups are represented in all districts of the region, but especially in the central regions (Novovoronezh, Paninsky, Verkhnekhavsky). Russians are the largest population in the Voronezh region. According to the 2010 census, the number of Russians is 2,124,587. They are the absolute majority of the population in almost all districts of the region, with the exception of the southwestern ones. The main traditional occupation of the people is agriculture, animal husbandry and poultry farming. Russians are a Christian Orthodox people. At the present time, there is an active process of reviving the traditional culture of the Russian people. Voronezh land is the birthplace of world-famous folk choral groups. Now there are dozens of creative groupsreviving the old Russian song, dance, folklore (for example, "Voronezh girls", "Pavetye", "Chernozemochka"). Ukrainians are the 2nd largest nation in terms of numbers in the Voronezh region (43,054 people). The massive resettlement is associated with the formation of the Ostrogozhsky Cossack regiment. Because of this, many Ukrainian settlements arose in Ostrogozhsk, Rossosh, Boguchar, Kalach, Olkhovatka. Then part of them migrated to other parts of the region. The basis of the economic life of Ukrainian settlers was agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing. Local autonomy of Ukrainians is actively involved in public life area. It annually organizes a number of charitable and cultural events (for example, the “Tell us about the war” campaign, the “There are no other children” campaign, the “Charity Easter Marathon” project). Armenians. The official number of the Armenian community is about 10,400. (according to the community itself, about 30 thousand Armenians). Traditional occupations: agricultural and cattle breeding economy. Among the crafts. Embroidery, lace weaving, jewelry Art... Most of the Armenian believers are Christians. One of the main activities of the Voronezh Armenian community is the formation of local branches in the areas where Armenians live. There is an Armenian Sunday School in Voronezh and in the region, which provides training in the Armenian language and history. Vocal and dance groups work with her. The community publishes a Russian-Armenian newspaper. Gypsies. The Voronezh Territory is traditionally inhabited mainly by Roma Servians. The official number of the Roma diaspora in the Voronezh region, according to the 2010 census, is more than 5100 people. According to this very community, 20 thousand Roma of different “nationalities” and religions live in our region. The structure of the occupation is the unshakable foundation of Roma life. Throughout history, these people have been doing almost the same thing. Depending on external conditions, some professions could temporarily disappear. Main activities: crafts, trade, singing and dancing, performances with animals. They especially specialize in such crafts as blacksmithing and jewelry, wood carving. Nowadays, gypsy singing is popular. For example, a gypsy from the Voronezh region performed at the 2008 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Azerbaijanis. The official number of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the Voronezh region, according to the 2010 census, is more than 5000 people. (according to the community itself, about 14 thousand people). Regions of their compact residence in the oblast have not been identified (however, one can distinguish rather cohesive national communities in the cities of Rossosh, Bobrov and Liski). They are mainly engaged in retail trade, primarily in food products. Traditional occupations rural population - agriculture, gardening, sheep breeding. With the active participation of community representatives, cultural events, sports competitions, educational projects (study of the Azerbaijani language, the history of Azerbaijan at school No. 37 in Voronezh) are regularly held. I believe that we live in a multinational region and we need to establish strong and friendly relations. For this it is necessary to solve the following tasks: we need constant work on the adaptation of migrants; active interaction with organizations emerging in the region that express the interests of various diasporas; participation in the prevention of conflicts in the field of interethnic relations; strengthening understanding and friendship between peoples. But there are already successes in this area: representatives of associations and communities participate in organizing charitable events, thematic conferences, thereby enriching the cultural life of the region. Through the efforts of the communities, exhibitions are held on issues of history and cultural heritage Voronezh region. Naturally, this should have a positive effect on the image of the region, its attractiveness and social and economic well-being.
A.Z. Vinnikov, V.I. Dynin, S.P. Tolkacheva
LOCAL-ETHNIC GROUPS IN THE SOUTH RUSSIAN POPULATION OF THE VORONEZH REGION
The vastness of the ethnic territory of the Russians determined the presence of many ethnographic and sub-ethnic groups within the Russian people, each of which has its own specific features in the language (dialect) and traditional everyday culture. In the past, the population of the Voronezh Territory was divided into several local-ethnic (ethno-territorial), ethnic-class, ethno-confessional and other sub-ethnic groups (odnodvorets, tsukans, economic / monastic peasants, Old Believers and others).
Local-ethnic groups in the South Russian population of the Voronezh Territory, in particular, are:
Tsukans are an ethno-territorial group within the South Russian population, which also differed in class category: in the 19th and early 20th centuries, tsukans belonged to the ranks of landowners and monastic peasants. Within the Voronezh Territory (according to the researchers of the XIX - early XX centuries N.I. Vtorov, A.M. Putintsev, D.K. Zelenin) zuccans lived in a compact mass in the basin of the river. Khvorostan: the villages of Moscow, Mozhaisk, Kolomenskoe, Kashirskoe, Novoklinskoe, Vereyskoe, Mosalskoe, Dorogobuzhskoe, Odoevskoe, Levaya Rossosh (within the Voronezh district); Kopanische, Tresorukovo, Maryino, Pochepskoye, Rozhdestveno, Olen-Kolodez, Drakino, Davydovka, Solontsy, Borshchevo (within the Korotoyaksky district). These villages arose in the 1760s-1770s, when former monastery peasants were settled here, transferred to the jurisdiction of the college of economy and called economic. Separate villages in Nizhnedevitsky (Berezovo, Odintsovka, Zmeevka), Zemlyansky (Kaverino / Tavolzhanets, Ivanovka, Korovkin), Valuysky (Bely Kolodez), Novokhopersky (Kamenka / Sadovka) districts were also referred to as “Tsukansky”. Landlord peasants lived in these villages.
Ethnographic materials collected in the Central Black Earth Region in recent years indicate that the inhabitants of some villages of the Semiluksky district of the Voronezh region (Novosilskoye, Ivanovka, Dolgomokhovka), as well as the villages of Nabokovo, Baryshnikovo, Danilovka, the villages of Vasilyevka and Malye Borki, Terbunsky still call themselves tsukans. district of the Lipetsk region. In with. Troitskoe (Semiluksky district) “tsukans” were called “visitors from the Lipetsk region”, “non-indigenous people”. In with. Usmanskie Vyselki (Paninsky District of Voronezh Region) one local resident was called “tsukanka” - “by her husband”, who himself was from “Kondrashi” (from the village of Kondrashkino).
It is assumed that the local ethnonym "tsukany" was originally assigned as a nickname to the inhabitants of the above villages by neighbors-villagers and indicates the peculiarities of their dialect: the so-called "clatter" (or "clatter") - non-distinction between the affricate c and ch. Explanatory dictionary"V. I. Dahl read:" Tsukan (Tambov, Voronezh) is a clatter who says c instead of h. " A different opinion was held at one time by the Voronezh ethnographer A. M. Putintsev, who assumed that the ethnonym-nickname "tsukan" comes either from the chukavy ("quick-witted, quick-witted"), or from the chukan - "dandy." There are a number of folk etymologies. For example, according to informants from the Terbunsky district of the Lipetsk region, in the village of Kazinka "tsukans, or sukans" live - "in the old days the local master Shtakhov allegedly exchanged serfs for boughs, - probably hence the name."
It should be noted that in the past, clattering was indeed one of the characteristic features of the dialect of "tsukans"; however, most of the inhabitants of the "Tsukan" villages lost this feature of the dialect at the beginning of the 20th century. According to a report from the village of Baryshnikovo, the tsukans “speak in y - pychama, mycaron,” and in the village of Danilovka - in and.
Odnodvortsy is an ethnocultural group of the South Russian population of class by origin, the descendants of military service people of the lower category (archers, gunners, Cossacks, etc.), settled in the 16th-17th centuries. on the southern outskirts of the Moscow state to protect the steppe borders. Within the Voronezh Territory, one-yard villages were located mainly in its north-western part (for example, within the Voronezh district these are the villages of Nikolskoye, Privalovka, Verkhnyaya Khava, Spasskoye, Chertovitskoye, Usman-Sobakino, Kurino, Rogachevka, Kamyshino, Stupino and others). According to ethnographic studies in the 1990-2000s, residents of a number of settlements in the Zadonsk region of the Lipetsk region (villages of Ksizovo, Mukhino, Balakhna, etc.), Khlevensky region ( Otskoe village), Terbunsky region (villages Uritskoye, Soldatskoye, Novosilskoye, Berezovka, Malye Borki, 2nd Terbuny, Kazinka, Dubrovo), Semiluksky district of Voronezh region (villages Troitskoye, Golosnovka). The village of Ksizovo, for example, according to the testimony of informants, in the past was divided into two parts - "odnodvorshchina" and "corvée"; “The guys of the same house and the corvee didn’t go half way to each other”; their dialect was also different.
As part of the Voronezh Territory's single-household population, smaller local-ethnic groups with their own ethnonyms-nicknames stand out (or were distinguished in the past).
Talagai (Talagayshchina) is a local group of one-family villagers living in Nizhnedevitsky (Novaya Olshanka, Verkhnee and Nizhnee Turovo, Vyaznovatovka villages) and Korotoyaksky (Mastyugino, Oskino, Platava, Rossoshki, Krasnolipye) counties. The inhabitants of the village are still called Talagai and Talagushks. Kolomenskoye (in the Kashirsky district).
Concerning the origin of the ethnonym-nickname "Talagai" different points vision. According to DK Zelenin, for example, it comes from talagayat or talalakat - “it is bad, lisp to speak”. Other researchers agree that the nickname "talagai" of the one-yard owners literally means "idlers, ignorant". IN AND. Dahl indicates several different meanings of the word "talagay": lazy person, connecting rod, parasite; big fool, ignorant, ignorant; (Voronezh swearing) one-man palace; generally a strange, strange man, distinguished by his clothes; (simbirsk) Mordovian women's top shirt. A.M. Putintsev believed that the nickname “talagai” was associated with the peculiarities of clothing: the villagers of the Nizhnedevitsky district allegedly wore a long white shirt with “poles”, like women (the so-called talagai - an upper Mordovian women's shirt with embroidery).
Yaguns are a single-yard group that lived in the western part of the Nizhnedevitsky district (the villages of Pershino, Yasenki, Berezovo, Old and New Melovoye, Kuchugury, Siny Lipyagi, Bogoroditskoye, Rogovoye, Klyuchi, Gorshechnoye, Soldatskoye). The nickname "Yaguns" is, apparently, from the peculiarities of their dialect (pronunciation of Kago, Yago).
Ionki - one-family palaces of the Nizhnedevitsky district, a more educated group than others, having lost their archaisms in dialect by the beginning of the twentieth century, wearing an urban costume. The nickname "ionki" is again associated with the peculiarities of the dialect (by pronunciation ion / yon instead of it).
Shchekuns - a group of "rude disposition" one-yard villagers who lived in Nizhnedevitsky and Korotoyaksky districts and were sometimes equated with talagays. According to N.I. Lebedeva, cheeks (or ticklers) are a local ethnonym for residents of the village. Horny (in the Belgorod region). Residents with. Annovka, Bobrovsky district, had the nickname "slicker", which the folk etymology produces from the chugunka (in their dialect, the sound h is replaced by sch: chugunki \u003d daubers). In the “Explanatory Dictionary” of V. I. Dahl, cheek, chekukha (Voronezh) is the one who says shche or shho instead of what. Tickling is generally a typical feature of a number of southern Russian dialects (including the Sayan dialect in the Kursk region, which is characterized by the absence of an affricate and pronunciation in accordance with h - soft w, and in accordance with q - s).
Muscovites (ie, "subordinate to Moscow") - this is how residents of the village call themselves Tatarino (Kamensky district of the Voronezh region). In the language, culture and life of the inhabitants of this village, there is a rather strong Ukrainian influence, but in general, the traditional Russian culture is preserved.
Katsapy is the self-name of residents of a number of settlements in the Terbunsky district of the Lipetsk region (the villages of Yakovlevo, Vislaya Polyana, Ozerki), the Repyevsky district of the Voronezh region (the village of Istobnoe).
Gamai is a local ethnonym-nickname of the inhabitants of the village. Dolgomokhovka (Semiluksky district), the villages of Yakovlevo and Vislaya Polyana (Terbunsky district of the Lipetsk region). According to informants from the village. Dolgomokhovka, in the past the gamai were "loose behind the master"; they differed from tsukans in their dialect (they said, for example, you will come), wore a wide skirt. Etymologically, the word gamay is probably associated with gamit or gaman / gaman - “to talk loudly, speak loudly, noisily, to shout”. There is also an etymological connection between the local ethnonym “Gamai” and the abusive Galmans - “man, boob, rude, ignorant”; in a number of places in the Voronezh province, the word "galmans" was a nickname for one-family dwellers. It is also possible to assume a connection between the word "gamay" and the dialectism Baglai, which is found in a number of places in the Voronezh and Kursk regions and has the meaning of "lazy, parasite, lazy person, lazybones". At the beginning of the twentieth century, the abusive nickname “baglai” was also used by the Voronezh bourgeoisie in relation to rural residents in general.
Taldony is the nickname of the inhabitants of the “village of Krasnenskoe” (the village of Krasnoe, Kashirsky district?), Who said: Vaneshka, take a rolling pin. Etymologically, perhaps, it is associated with taldonit, taldykat - “to speak stupidly” (compare the Tambov-Penza dialectism daldonit / doldonit - “to talk, talk a lot, talk a lot”).
The Voronezh region is located in the very center of the Chernozem region: in the west it borders on the Belgorod and Kursk regions, in the north - on the Lipetsk and Tambov regions, in the east - on the Saratov and Volgograd regions, and in the south - on the Rostov region and Ukraine.
The Voronezh region is located in the richest region in terms of natural resources. Here is the best black earth on the planet, which is presented as a sample in Paris. Voronezh land is fraught with untold wealth of minerals. And in the past, this land was the pearl of the planet, since millions of years ago it was the bottom of the world's oceans, which predetermined the uniqueness of the bowels of the earth, high soil fertility, landscape diversity, rich flora and fauna ..
Historians note that, starting from the 1st millennium BC. e., one people after another replaced this territory: the Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans, Huns, Khazars, Pechenegs, Polovtsians. Many of them coexisted on the same territory with the Slavs.
The earliest few monuments of the Slavic population in the Don region date back to the 2nd half of the 3rd-4th centuries. AD [Medvedev]
In the IX-XIII centuries. Slavic settlements stretched in an almost continuous chain from the village. Chertovitsky to the village. Shilov along the Voronezh River, and along the Don - from the city of Semiluk to the Titchikha farm of the Liskinsky district.
The Mongol-Tatar yoke devastated the basins of the Don and Voronezh rivers. After its overthrow and in connection with the strengthening of the Moscow state, the question of strengthening its southern borders arose.
With the creation of a watch line in the south of the Moscow state, the secondary settlement of the region is associated: in the 16th century. Fortress cities of Kostensk, Olshansk, Korotoyak, Uryv and others appeared.
Voronezh villages were made up by immigrants from the Ryazan Territory, the old districts of Voronezh, Zemlyansky, Korotoyaksky were settled by peasants from Ryazhsk, Shatsk, Yelets, Epifani, etc. There were also migrants from the Tula and Oryol regions.
In the XVII century. the city of Ostrogozhsk, the villages of Devitsa, Soldatskoye, Yablochnoye, Storozhevoye, Borshevo, Staraya Khvorostan ', Selyavnoye, Anoshkino, Mastyugino, Oskino appeared, where mainly single-yard population was represented.
In the eighteenth century. the south of the Voronezh region was also inhabited by one-family villagers: Verkhny Mamon, Osetrovka, Kozlovka, Puzevo, Gorokhovka, Olkhovatka, Derezovka, Russkaya Builovka, Lozovoe (Gnilusha), Nizhny Mamon, Gvazda, Klyopovka. These villages occupy a fairly compact area.
Peter I played a special role in the settlement of the Voronezh Territory. In the most picturesque places between Ikorets, Bityug and Osered, he decided to found the Palace Volost. For this, he twice moved here palace peasants, 5000 people each. - in 1701 and 1704. But people who were not adapted to the borderline conditions of life could not stand it: some ran away, others died of diseases. The rest have undergone varying degrees of assimilation with the local population. This is how villages arose with a speech atypical for the South Russian population: Bobrov, Mechetka, Korshevo, Chigla, Toyda, Anna, N. Kurlak, Brodovoe, Khleborodnoe, Sadovoe, Borshevo, Shchuchye, Shestakovo, Tishanka, Nizhny, Upper and Middle Ikorets, etc.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. many Russian aristocrats gazed here: Buturlins, Vorontsovs, Orlovs, Davydovs, Kantemirs, who transferred peasants from different provinces here. All this predetermined the great variety of Voronezh Russian dialects. In the nineteenth century. the resettlement of peasants was insignificant. These were mainly landlord peasants.
Voronezh region is inhabited not only by Russians, but also by Ukrainians. The Ukrainians came here during the secondary settlement of the region. From the middle of the XVI century. On the western border of Russia, a strong Polish-Lithuanian state Rzeczpospolita was formed, which included Belarus and most of Ukraine. Persecution and oppression of the Orthodox began, as a result of which people appeared in the Great Russian Voronezh region in unusually bright clothes and with beautiful melodious songs.
People from Chernigov, Nizhyn, Bakhmach, Konotop and others fled to the territory of Russia. The Ukrainians, together with the Russians, built the fortress city of Ostrogozhsk and defended it from the continued raids of the Crimean Tatars.
The second wave of resettlement of Ukrainians, less intense, took place at the beginning of the 20th century. and was caused by the Stolypin reform. Ukrainians began to move in large numbers to the lands of the Voronezh province, mainly in the south and east of it.
The third wave of expansion of the Ukrainian population in the Voronezh region took place in the middle of the 20th century, when after the “donation” of Crimea to Ukraine, the border between Ukraine and Russia was moved into the interior of Ukraine. Therefore, part of the Ukrainian villages automatically became part of the Voronezh region. It was this Ukrainian population that initially had Ukrainian schools, and until recently, “Ukrainian” was in the “nationality” column in their passports.
Such a contiguous juxtaposition of two ethnic groups on the same territory created the preconditions for interlingual contact, and the Russian language, which in such conditions occupies a dominant position, affects Ukrainian to a greater extent than vice versa.
Voronezh region - region with interesting story and great economic and social potential. Successful and stable development of any locality is human resources. The question arises: which area ensures the economic stability of the region? Consider the features and demographic characteristics of the inhabitants of this area.
Geographical position of the Voronezh region
In the center of the East European Plain, its area is 52 thousand square kilometers, and this is the 51st place among all regions of Russia. The region has an extremely convenient location, many transport routes pass through it, connecting various regions of Russia and other countries. The closest neighbors of the Voronezh region are Rostov, Tambov, Saratov, Kursk, Volgograd, Lipetsk, Belgorod regions and Ukraine. The relief of the region is determined by such objects as the Central Russian and Kalach uplands and the Oka-Don plain. The lands here are hilly, with a large number of ravines; most of the territory is occupied by fertile black earth regions. The region is in an area with a large number of water resources... The main river of the region is the Don; there are also more than 700 lakes and 1300 small rivers here. Sufficiently favorable conditions for life contributed to the fact that people began to settle here quite early, mastering the land.
Climate
Voronezh region is located in a zone of moderate continental climate. The average annual temperature in the region is +5 degrees. Summer in the region is warm, sometimes dry, on average the thermometer in the summer months is kept around the +20 mark. Winters are long enough with lots of snow. The average temperature at this time of the year is -9 degrees. Seasonal fluctuations are clearly observed in the region. In general, the seasons in Voronezh coincide with the calendar seasons.
The population of the Voronezh region has long adapted to the weather in the region. All the main observations about her are recorded in the national experience in the form of sayings and signs. Although the climate in the region cannot be called the most comfortable for living and farming, it is still quite gentle. Therefore, people began to live here for a long time.
Settlement history
The first settlements of people on the territory of the modern Voronezh region, according to archaeologists, date back to the Paleolithic period. It is believed that these are the oldest settlements of people throughout the territory of modern Russia. Anthropological studies show that 37 thousand years ago people of the Caucasian race lived here.
In the Bronze Age, representatives of the Abashev culture settled on these lands, engaged in cattle breeding. In the Iron Age, these territories were in the possession of the Scythians, later they were replaced by the Sarmatians. In the 9th century, Slavic tribes came to the lands of the modern Voronezh region. From the time of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, there are many burial mounds and remains of temple structures. With the cultural and ethnic mixing of Slavic and nomadic cultures, a special sub-ethnos is formed here - the Cossacks.
The history of the area has been well documented since the 16th century. In 1585, Voronezh was founded as a fortress to guard the borders of the Moscow kingdom. The raids of the Tatar tribes continued to these lands until the 17th century, therefore, the inhabitants of the region develop serious military abilities and a special character. During the time of Peter the Great, Voronezh became a provincial city, the territory was actively developed and populated. Since the 18th century, the population of the Voronezh region has been steadily increasing. The region took an active part in all Russian wars. During the Second World War, fierce battles took place in these lands. In 1957, the Voronezh region acquired its current borders.
Administrative division
Throughout its history, the region has repeatedly been subjected to various attempts administrative division... Part of its land was given to other regions, then returned back. Since 2006, the population of the Voronezh region has been living in 534 municipalities. Of these, 3 are urban districts, 29 are cities, 471 are villages and 31 are municipal districts.
Population dynamics
Regular observations of the number of inhabitants of the region begin in 1897. The frequency of measurements was different, but they allow us to see that the population of the Voronezh region has almost always been relatively stable. Only at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was a sharp increase in the number of residents noted, this is not due to a change in demographic indicators, but to the redistribution of land between regions. After World War II, for obvious reasons, the number of inhabitants dropped by a million. During Soviet times, there were fluctuations in the number: from 2.3 million people in 1959 to 2.5 million in 1970.
During the period of perestroika, small changes in the number of residents of the region were noticed: about several thousand people in positive and negative directions. In the 21st century, the population of the region is mainly declining. Only in 2010 and 2015 there was a positive trend. Today the population of the Voronezh region is 2 million 333 thousand people.
Ethnic composition and language
The main nationality of the region's inhabitants is Russians. According to 2010 data, 90% of people who consider themselves Russian live in the region. The number of other ethnic groups is distributed as follows: Ukrainians - about 2%, Armenians - 0.4%, Uzbeks and Tajiks in the amount of about 0.15%, other nationalities - less than 1% each. Despite the fact that most of the inhabitants of the region call themselves Russians, in the language, the nature of the buildings, and customs, there is a great influence of the Ukrainian nation. The region is the place where a special southern branch of the Russian people was formed. A significant role in this is played by the culture of the Cossacks, which assimilates Russian and Ukrainian cultures. Some time ago, an increase in the flow of migrants from Central Asia was observed in the region, but today these processes do not have a significant impact on the ethnic composition of the population. However, in the region it is quite high, it is 13 thousand people annually.
Population distribution
Most of the region's inhabitants settle in cities, and the trend towards urban population growth continues. Today 67% of people in this federal subject live in cities. If we evaluate the cities of the Voronezh region in terms of population, then the capital will be the largest - it has just over 1 million people. The rest of the cities are much smaller in terms of population. In total 3 settlements, in which more than 50 thousand people live: Rossosh, Liski and Borisoglebsk. From 20 to 35 thousand inhabitants were recorded in 7 cities. These settlements are slowly growing, pulling residents away from nearby villages. Thus, the population of Pavlovsk, Voronezh Region, with a total number of 25 thousand people a year, grows by more than 500 people. The region is seeing a slow decline
Population density
The Voronezh region, with an average of 44.7 people per square kilometer, ranks 21st in Russia on this basis. This is a fairly high figure, especially when you consider that people mainly live in small towns with up to 20 thousand people. The high Voronezh region is explained by the large number of settlements and favorable conditions for living.
Gender characteristics of the population
The distribution of the population by sex in the Voronezh region is as follows: the number of women is on average 200 thousand more than men. At the same time, at birth, the ratio of male infants to newborn girls is 1.2. And already by retirement age, this indicator changes in the opposite direction to 1.5. The disparity in favor of women, characteristic of the entire country, in the region continues to grow slowly, by about 0.1% per year.
Age characteristics of the population
The age differentiation of the region's population is as follows:
- the number of residents under the age of 15 - 330 thousand people;
- able-bodied population - 1 million 375 thousand people;
- population over working age - 626 thousand people.
This age differentiation suggests that each able-bodied inhabitant of the region must provide another 0.8 people, besides himself, which is a very high indicator of the demographic load.
Demographic characteristics
Fertility is the most important criterion for assessing the socio-economic development of a region. In the Voronezh region, it is 11 people for every thousand inhabitants. In recent years, this figure has been growing slightly, by 0.2 persons per year. But the necessary and noticeable increase in the birth rate is not observed. Mortality, on the contrary, shows the dynamics of growth; in recent years, approximately 15.7 people have died. for every thousand inhabitants. However, the situation improves in mortality when considering a longer period. The number of deaths has decreased in 10 years by 3 people per thousand inhabitants. But for now, the mortality rate is overtaking the birth rate. At the same time, the population of the cities of the Voronezh region is characterized by a low birth rate and growing mortality, and the growth of cities occurs exclusively due to migration.
Life expectancy, another indicator of the socio-economic well-being of the region, is growing in the Voronezh region. It averages 70.1 years, for men - 64.7, for women - 77.1. According to this indicator, the Voronezh region ranks 25th in Russia, which is very good.
Employment
The well-being of the population is ensured by an efficiently developing and functioning economy. In the Voronezh region, there is a decrease in unemployment and an increase in employment. The average unemployment rate is 4.4%, which is slightly more than in neighboring regions.
In the region, there is a high employment of residents in agriculture, manufacturing and service industries.