Why are there so few black people in Russia?

Did you know, the Russian Empire never participated in slavery and that could be the reason why there are very few black people in Russia. This is evident because Russians never participated in slave trade which was responsible for moving many people of black descent across oceans to strange lands.

In old Russia where nobles existed, there were some curious ones who carried black people back home and kept them in their court as personal treasures.

Did you know, the first black person to land in Russia was a Cameroonian - Abram Petrovich Ganibal. At the time, Russians described Ganibal ‘as black as night’.

Ganibal, also called Hannibal, was a Russian military engineer, major general and nobleman who was gifted to Czar Peter 1, also known as Peter the Great.

Peter ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire until his death in 1725. Ganibal’s descendant is the famous Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin.

Many people of colour, especially blacks from Asia, Latin America and Africa arrived in the USSR for educational exchange programmes.

They were dispersed to different educational institutions in the USSR where they received technical training with an intention of going back to help their young countries.

Did you know, between 1950 and 1990 around 400,000 black students have gone through Russian colleges?

Some of the blacks who went to study in the USSR opted to stay on rather than go back to their countries of origin. They got married and had families. Although USSR was not as rich as some third world countries, these students were okay with their new status in the Soviet Union.

The economic conditions in Russia even today are not some of the best in the world, but blacks who remain there have chosen to live like ordinary folks.

Did you know, Kenya first sent students to the Soviet Union way back in the late fifties during the Cold War between the West and the East? Many went on fully paid up scholarships that took care of their training, accommodation and allowances. Although not much is known about the early beneficiaries of Soviet Union scholarships, notable Kenyans who studied in the Soviet Union cities of Minsk, Moscow, and St Petersburg read like who’s who?

The list has Joseph Kamotho, Kamwithi Munyi, Kipng’eno Arap Ng’eny, Oburu Oginga and Ongong’a Achieng’ Oneko, among others..

Did you know, although the Soviet Union crumbled after the end of the Cold War, there are still very few blacks in the region.

Due to its immigration policies, Russia, the biggest USSR remnant, still has a few black citizens amongst its population.