Definition

Proper noun 1. A member of the principal East Slavic ethnic group forming the core population of Russia: The term historically refers to an ethnic Russian, specifically one from the historical region of Great Russia (European Russia), as distinct from other Slavic groups like Belarusians (White Russians) or Ukrainians (Little Russians), and from non-Slavic peoples within the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union.

Usage Notes

• This term is primarily historical and ethnographic. It was used in imperial and early Soviet contexts to categorize the dominant Slavic population.
• In modern usage, the term is largely obsolete and can be considered archaic. The simple term "Russian" is now used to denote both ethnicity and citizenship.
• The term originates from the historical region of "Great Russia" (Velikorossiya), which formed the core of the Russian state.

Examples

• Historical/Anthropological Context: "In the 1897 census, the population was categorized as Great Russian, Little Russian, Polish, Jewish, and others."
• Distinguishing Ethnicity: "The policy affected both Great Russians and the indigenous peoples of Siberia differently."

Advanced Usage

• The term can appear in historical analyses, demographic studies of the Russian Empire, or discussions on the evolution of Russian national identity.
• It is sometimes used in contrast to "Little Russian" (a historical term for a Ukrainian) and "White Russian" (a historical term for a Belarusian).

Variants and Related Words

• Great Russia (noun): The historical territory associated with the ethnic Russian heartland, primarily in European Russia.
• Great Russian (adjective): Pertaining to this ethnic group or the region of Great Russia. (e.g., "Great Russian dialects").

Synonyms

• Ethnic Russian
• Russian (in a modern, primarily ethnic sense)

Notes on Meaning

• The term specifically emphasizes ethnicity and historical geographical origin (the "chief stock" from European Russia), as opposed to political citizenship in the Russian Federation, which includes many ethnicities.
• Its use reflects a period when Russian identity was conceptualized in a tripartite Slavic model comprising Great Russians, Little Russians (Ukrainians), and White Russians (Belarusians).

Noun

1. a member of the chief stock of Russian people living in European Russia; used to distinguish ethnic Russians from other peoples incorporated into Russia