
People & Life Ways
Riches, Ranching & Railroads

Russians in Small Numbers

There were not many Russian emigrants to Nevada, but they came.  Some were only visitors, but others stayed and made the state their home.  Like so many other emigrants, Russians were often stereotyped.  That is, many people thought that they were all alike, with similar personality traits and habits.  Russia, however, is a large country, and the people there are often very different.

The Russian portion of the following audio segments has been recorded by two different women, Olga and Lyudmila.  Russia is a large country, and Olga and Lyudmila live almost at opposite ends of Russia.  Both speak Russian, but their dialect and accent are different.  Listen carefully and see if you notice the differences.  Such differences in dialect and accent were common among the foreign born in Nevada in the 19th and early 20th centuries.  In fact, differences are found among many who speak a language other than English in Nevada today.

Photo Credit:
Northeastern Nevada Museum