Russian Brazilians

Russian Brazilians (Portuguese: Russo-brasileiros, Russian: Русские бразильцы Russkiye Brazil'tsy) are Brazilian citizens with Russian background or Russian people living in Brazil. The term can also mean someone with one Brazilian parent and one Russian parent.

Many Russian Brazilians are White Russians who came to Brazil after the Russian Civil War in the 1920s. Later, in the 1950s, some Chinese immigrants who were part of Russia's ethnic Russian community also moved to Brazil.

Brazilian states with notable Russian communities include Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, and Paraná. There are also communities in Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, and Pernambuco. In São Paulo, the Brazilian Russian Association (ARB) helps keep Russian culture alive.

Since 2022, more Russian families have moved to Brazil. Some come because pregnant women want to have their babies there. They choose Brazil for its good hospital care and because children born in Brazil to Russian parents automatically become Brazilian citizens. This citizenship makes travel easier and allows family members to join them in Brazil.

History

The history of Russian people in Brazil began in the early 1900s. Between 1921 and the late 1930s, many Russians came to Brazil. They were soldiers, farmers, and refugees. Some settled in the state of Paraná, especially in cities like Curitiba, Ponta Grossa, and Londrina. They built communities where they kept their traditions, language, and religion.

In São Paulo, Russian immigrants arrived in 1905 and started a colony in Nova Odessa. Later, more Russians came and many moved to cities to work in factories. In Rio Grande do Sul, Russian farmers settled in the northwest and founded the town of Campina das Missões. They built Orthodox churches and taught their language to their children. Over time, Russian communities grew and kept their cultural heritage alive in Brazil.