A/HRC/23/34/Add.1 I. Introduction 1. At the invitation of the Government, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Farida Shaheed, visited the Russian Federation from 16 to 26 April 2012. 2. An examination of the country‟s legal framework, institutional policies and mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights were of particular importance. During her visit, the Special Rapporteur visited Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Barnaul (Altai Krai) and Kazan (Tatarstan), where she met with senior Government officials and members of legislative bodies working in the areas of culture, education and regional development. 3. The Special Rapporteur also met with artists, directors of cultural and educational institutions, representatives of research institutes, religious communities, indigenous peoples and civil society, including from regions other than those she visited, as well as of United Nations agencies. She also visited a number of cultural, educational and religious institutions. 4. Throughout her visit, the Special Rapporteur considered the enjoyment of cultural rights with a view to assist the Government and other relevant actors in their efforts to address the challenges and obstacles to their realization. Depending on their specific situation, identity and status, interlocutors hold diverging perspectives, which must be taken into account. The wider the discrepancy in the perceptions or assessments, the more urgent it is to strengthen modalities for meaningful discussion between all stakeholders. 5. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government for the invitation to undertake the visit and for the support provided by all before, during and after the visit. She also thanks all those who took time to meet with her and to share their valuable experiences. II. General context A. Cultural diversity 6. The Russian Federation is a State governed by the Federal Constitution adopted in 1993. Since 2008, the country has been administratively divided into 83 federal constituent entities with differing degrees of autonomy. 7. According to the 2010 census, the Russian Federation has a population of almost 143 million. Some 194 ethnic groups speak 277 languages and dialects. Ethnic Russians account for approximately 80 per cent of the population. The main minority groups include Tatars (3.8 per cent), Ukrainians (2 per cent), Bashkirs (1.1 per cent), Chuvash (1.1 cent), Chechens (0.9 per cent), Armenians (0.8 per cent), Mordovans (0.6 per cent) and Avars (0.6 per cent).1 Although official statistics estimate that the Roma population amounts to some 200,000 persons, unofficial estimates reach 1 million. The immense Far-East region has a very low population density. 1 “Implementation of the Policy of Sustainable Development of the Indigenous Small Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation”. Presentation by the Russian Federation to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues, May 2012. 3