Tyumen Region is a polyethnic region. Representatives of more than 140 nationalities live here. According to statistics, the most numerous are: Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Belarusians, Bashkirs, Chuvash, Germans, Azerbaijanis, Moldovans and Kazakhs.
The indigenous population of Western Siberia is represented by the Khanty, Mansi, Nenets and Selkups. Fishing, hunting and reindeer husbandry have long been their occupations.
The numerous ethnos of our region are the Siberian Tatars. Since the time of the Siberian Khanate, Tatars beyond the Urals have developed an original culture, economic activity, household and family traditions.
It should also be said about the numerous Slavic peoples. Russians first appeared beyond the Urals in the XI century, but the gates to Siberia really opened for Russians only with the arrival of Ermak. The flow of migrants has not stopped for more than three centuries. The Siberian old-timers of the XVII-XVIII centuries were mostly from the Russian north, only a small part – from the Central Russian strip. Since the second half of the XIX century, after the abolition of serfdom, Russians from the southern provinces have been moving to Siberia. Now Russian is the native language for 72 percent of the region's population.
Currently, about 260 thousand Ukrainians live in the Tyumen region. Having found a new homeland in Siberia, Ukrainians were able to preserve the national songs and dances that formed the basis of Ukrainian amateur performances.
There are more than 50 thousand Belarusians in our region. At the end of the XIX century, they appeared in Siberia. They came to look for land where they can settle down. The second wave arrived in our region, mainly to the north, during the Komsomol shock construction. For many, the Tyumen region has become a second home.