East Slavs
Усходнія славяне (Belarusian) Восточные славяне (Russian) Выходнї славяне (Rusyn) Східні слов'яни (Ukrainian) | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 210 million+ | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| East Slavic languages: Belarusian, Russian, Rusyn, Ukrainian | |
| Religion | |
| Eastern Orthodoxy (majority among Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians) Latin Catholicism (minority among Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians) Eastern Catholicism (minority among both Ukrainians and Belarusians) |
The East Slavs are a subgroup of the Slavs who speak East Slavic languages and inhabit Eastern Europe. They formed the majority of the population of the medieval state Kievan Rus', which they consider their cultural ancestor. Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians are the existing East Slavic groups. Rusyns and Don Cossacks are sometimes considered a separate nation, though they are often considered a subgroup of Ukrainians and Russians.