"No language, no people" such is the main idea of each report presented at a meeting of Association of the Finno-Ugrian people of Russia in Salekhard, MariUver approves.

Finno-Ugrian language group in Russia today on the verge of disappearance, are forgotten Vepsian, Khanty, Komi, Karelian, Ingrian languages. Loss of language inevitably conducts to assimilation of small ethnos with big and inevitable loss of identity and culture of the small people.

In the second part of the 20th century there was a sharp decrease in number not only small, but also numerous Finno-Ugrians. Population censuses testify to reduction of number Karelians, Mordva, Veps. During the period from 2002 to 2010 number the Karelian decreased by 34,8%, Udmurts – 14%, Mordva – 12%, Mari – 9,4%, less the indigenous Finno-Ugrian people know the native language, for example, among Mansi – 7,6%, Sami – 19,9%, Khanty – 30,9%.

Almost all Finno-Ugrian people of Russia are in difficult demographic situations now: low birth rate, high mortality, international marriages, and migratory.

Forecasts of scientists are unfavorable: languages of the small native people will die as the sphere of their use is reduced promptly. In the closest some ten years the majority of "small" languages will disappear in Russia.