I began writing this post shortly after moving back to the USA at the end of spring in 2021, and while I had wanted to finish it not long after having visited Murmansk- the last place I would visit in Russia- that didn't happen. Life happened; I returned home, got reacquainted with the country of my birth, and tried to find out what to do next. I began teaching online for a school in Yakutsk, the capital of the Sakha Republic, which is the largest republic in Russia. It is the home of the Sakha people, the indigenous inhabitants of this vast, forested region. Summer in the Sakha Republic involves mosquitos, forest fires, and celebrations of native culture, while winter involves -50 degree weather, fur coats, and short excursions outdoors. I had fallen in love with this place that I had never been to, and began to regret my trips to other regions when I could have gone to this magical land of endless trees, rivers, and mountains. Yet...
My time spent in Bashkortostan would further contribute to my understanding of the 'Real Russia' which is so seldom portrayed, and the reality of life in smaller towns and cities scattered across this geographically massive nation. It would also enhance my understanding of the many different groups of people living in Russia, a staggering 300 or so ethnic groups spread out from Kaliningrad to Chukotka, and how each and every one of them are slightly similar to their neighbors, yet still unique. Bashkortostan is the most populous republic in Russia with some 4 million inhabitants, but is only one-third Bashkir, the ethnic group after which it is named. The other two-thirds are Tatars and Russians, and while the Bashkir language is spoken, it is more likely to be heard outside of the capital, Ufa. Ethnically, it is a strange Republic. With so much intermixture, you can't quite figure out who is who, but feel like you may be able to take a guess, whereas in a place ...