Rich ethnic diversity is not particularly a characteristic that is usually associated with the Russia. However, beneath the guise of a homogeneous society lies an enchanting twelve-century-old history of how eastern Slavic tribes have mingled socially and culturally with other ethnic groups, building a remarkable heritage for this massive nation. According to John Slatter*, The ‘Rus’ in Russia is derived from the Finnish word for Sweden, ‘Ruotsi.’ It was originally not a clear reference to a place or an ethnic group but rather to an occupation of a group; and this group was not ethnically homogeneous at all. Even at this early stage of the birth of Russia, the misconception that Russia is ethnically monotonous is clearly not true.
