The 'Besermyan' or 'Beserman' or 'Besermans' or 'besermens' people
(, ) are a small numbered
Finno-Ugric ethnic group in
Russia.
There were 100,000 Besermyans in 1926, but according to the
Russian Census (2002), there were 3,122 of them in Russia. The
Russian Empire Census of 1897 listed 10.8 thousand besermens.
[1]
They live in the north-west region of
Yukamen,
Glazov,
Balezino, and
Yar Districts of
Udmurtia. There are ten villages with pure Besermyan and forty-one villages with a mixed Besermyan population in Russia.
The Besermyans' language is a
dialect of the
Udmurt language with
Turkic influences.
Some Besermyans' traditions differ from other Udmurtian customs due to the Islamic influence at the
Khanate of Kazan period.
References
1. demoskop.ru: Alphabetical list of peoples of the Russian Empire
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kominarod.ru: Бесермяне
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