Pakistanis in Russia are a fairly small community. According to an estimate given by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis in 2017 there were 3,560 Pakistanis living in Russia, with almost all belonging to the Pashtun ethnic group.[1] A significant number of individuals are international students undergoing medicine in various universities and colleges.[2] Most Pakistanis are concentrated around large cities, including the capital Moscow. The community has established a Pakistani mosque in St. Petersburg Polytechnic. The first Pakistanis from Sindh and Multan arrived in Russian Astrakhan in 1615. In 1624, a special trading post for the merchants was erected in Astrakhan along with separate posts for Armenian and Persian merchants. Many of them were dealers in Astrakhan textiles, jewelry and medicines. There are records of Multani and Sindhi men marrying Tartars women.
There is also a Pakistan Study Centre which operates in the Russian State Library, founded by the embassy and local community.[3]
Moreover, University of Punjab has signed an agreement with Moscow State University in 2010.[4]
Immigration to Russia
