The monograph offered to the reader is the first book of a series of works of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Peoples and Cultures." In its first part, material was given on the historical development of the Russian people - from the 10th century. to the present day, on the formation of historical and cultural areas. The second part contains information about family and social life, religious beliefs, folk ethics. The book uses unique material from expeditionary surveys and archival surveys.