Ethnic groups of Russia: Komi-Permyaks

About 95,000 members of this Finno-Ugric people live in Russia, with the majority residing in Perm Krai, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. They are most closely related to the Komi-Zyryans and the Udmurts. The ethnonym ‘Komi’ may mean ‘one living on the Kama River’ or ‘man; human’, while ‘Perm’ signifies ‘land lying beyond the border’.

The Komi-Permyaks are one of the few ethnic groups who have preserved the tradition of playing multi-pipe flutes. The ‘pelyana’ is an instrument played exclusively by women. The playing style also differs strikingly between young girls and married women.

The Komi-Permyaks celebrate a unique holiday called ‘Ai, Da Ryzhik!’ (‘Oh, What a Saffron Milk Cap!’), dedicated to a mushroom of the same name that is popular in Perm Krai. The festivities include a competition for the best mushroom picker; visitors are taught how to properly salt mushrooms and are treated to ‘tshaka shid’, a traditional mushroom soup.

‘Posikunchiki’ are considered one of the staples of Komi-Permyak cuisine. These are small, crescent-shaped fried pastries filled with meat, fish, pumpkin, mushrooms, cheese, berries or ‘pistik’ – the young shoots of the field horsetail plant. The dish is typically served with sour cream or mustard sauce.