Ossetians

Ossetians are an Iranian ethnic group of Iranian and Caucasian origin. Many people in the group live in the North Ossetian Republic, a region that is part of the Russian Federation, while others live in a southern region called Southern Ossetia, which is nearby Georgia. The exact number of people considered to be in the Ossetian ethnic group is unknown, but it is estimated that there are up to 700,000 people who are considered Ossetian.

Ossetians are descendants of a nomadic group called Alans, who were Iranian-speaking tribes with Scythian-Sarmatian origin. The present-day group of Ossetians are descendants of both the Alans and Causasian populations when the groups interpopulated in approximately 400 AD. The Ossetians began to experience influence from outside countries in 1774, when it became incorporated into Russia.

The Ossetian language belongs to the Iranian language family but is written in Russian script. After the Ossetia region was annexed by Russia, many people learned to speak, read, and write in Russian in addition to their native language of Ossetian.

There are two prominent religions for the Ossetian people: Orthodox Christianity and Sunni Islam. There are also remnants of the religion of the region prior to the arrival of Christianity and Islam, and this can be seen with the animist rituals that are still conducted today, such as animal sacrifice and certain festivals.

Ossetians are described as generally having dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin. Many people in the group have long, prominent noses and thin lips. Ossetians are usually considered to be medium to tall in height.

Present-day Ossetian