Udege

The Udege, also spelled Udihe, are a Tungusic-speaking Indigenous people of the Russian Far East. They primarily inhabit Primorsky Krai, with smaller communities in adjacent regions along the Amur River and the Sea of Japan coast. The Udege population is small, concentrated in rural settlements and some urban centers, and most are bilingual in Russian. Their traditional territory spans coastal and riverine environments where communities relied on hunting, fishing, gathering, and seasonal movement.

The Udege language, part of the Tungusic branch of the Northeast Asian language family, is endangered, with a limited number of fluent speakers. Revitalization efforts include bilingual education and cultural programs in some communities, alongside broader use of Russian.

Historically, Udege society featured kin-based social networks and shamanic practices. Shamans performed healing, divination, and rites tied to hunting, fertility, and funerary ceremonies. Material culture includes wood and bone carvings, skin garments, and other crafts, often decorated with geometric motifs reflecting connections to land and sea.

Under Russian and Soviet rule, Udege communities faced assimilation pressures, land dispossession, and population decline, followed by later policy shifts toward cultural preservation. Today they maintain some traditional practices while participating in broader regional life, with ongoing efforts to preserve language, oral literature, music, and crafts.