Russian Canadians

Russian Canadians comprise Canadian citizens of Russian heritage or Russians who immigrated to and reside in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, there were 548,140 Canadians who claimed full or partial Russian ancestry. The areas of Canada with the highest percentage population of Russian Canadians are the Prairie Provinces.

Number of Russian Canadians

Data from this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Percent 0.2% 0.4% 0.5% 0.3% 0.7% 1.7% 4.7% 3.7% 2.7% 2.9% 2.3% 1.2% 0.3%

Data from this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 622,445. Single response: 120,165. Multiple response: 502,280.

Provinces and CMAs (census metropolitan areas) with Russian Canadian populations over 10,000 Source:

Quebec Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 55,230 Single response: 15,800 Multiple response: 39,435

Montréal (CMA) Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 49,275 Single response: 14,315 Multiple response: 34,960

Ontario Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 220,850 Single response: 53,175 Multiple response: 167,675

Toronto (CMA) Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 139,915 Single response: 40,570 Multiple response: 99,340

Ottawa-Gatineau (CMA - Ontario part) Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 15,620 (represents ~90% of total Ottawa-Gatineau CMA) Single response: 3,205 Multiple response: 12,415

Manitoba Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 58,225 Single response: 9,510 Multiple response: 48,720

Winnipeg (CMA) Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 29,575 Single response: 3,580 Multiple response: 26,000

Saskatchewan Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 39,390 Single response: 3,645 Multiple response: 35,745

Saskatoon (CMA) Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 13,280 Single response: 1,360 Multiple response: 11,925

Alberta Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 107,800 Single response: 14,320 Multiple response: 93,480

Calgary (CMA) Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 37,955 Single response: 6,125 Multiple response: 31,830

Edmonton (CMA) Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 28,275 Single response: 3,325 Multiple response: 24,945

British Columbia Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 131,060 Single response: 22,145 Multiple response: 108,910

Vancouver (CMA) Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Total: 58,535 Single response: 11,145 Multiple response: 47,395

Many British Columbians of Russian descent are Doukhobors, historically concentrated in the West Kootenay and Boundary Country regions.

Religion + Russian Canadian demography by religionReligious group20212001 Christianity 253,035 213,435 Islam 3,980 1,295 Judaism 57,125 36,270 Irreligion 227,810 84,730 Buddhism 1,090 815 Hinduism 270 70 Sikhism 85 70 Indigenous spirituality 265 435 Other 4,485 900 Total Russian Canadian population 548,145 337,965

+ Russian Canadian demography by Christian sectsReligious group20212001 Catholic 50,505 49,530 Orthodox 59,285 33,405 Protestant 81,130 111,250 Other Christian 62,115 19,250 Total Russian Canadian Christian population 253,035 213,435

List of notable Russian Canadians References for the descent and/or birthplace of each individual can be found in their respective articles.

Arts, entertainment and literature Harvey Atkin – voice-over actor Alex Battler – writer Arnold Belkin – painter Sasha Clements – actress, Majority Rules! Ludmilla Chiriaeff – ballet dancer, choreographer and company director Victor Garber – actor, Titanic, Argo, Star Trek Natalie Glebova – Miss Universe 2005, Miss Universe Canada 2005 Anais Granofsky – actress, Degrassi Junior High Michelle Gurevich – singer, formerly known as "Chinawoman" Boris Hambourg – cellist Melissa Hayden – ballet dancer Inna Korobkina – actress Julia Ivanova - documentary filmmaker Jessica Parker Kennedy – actress, The Secret Circle, Smallville, Black Sails Nadia Litz – actress Elena Lobsanova – ballet dancer George London – singer Eli Mandel – poet Catherine Manoukian – violinist Niall Matter – actor, Eureka, Stargate Atlantis, Melrose Place, 90210 Sophie Milman – jazz musician Zara Nelsova – cellist"Zara Nelsova" Greta Onieogou - actress Alex Ozerov - actor Kim Yaroshevskaya - actress, voice-over, story-teller and writer Sarah Polley – actress and film director, Order of Canada Duncan Regehr – writer and actor, Star Trek Sasha Roiz – actor Aleksei Serebryakov – actor Elena Semikina – Miss Universe Canada 2010 Socalled – musician Ksenia Solo – actress, Black Swan Madeline Sonik – writer Jessica Trisko – Miss Earth 2007 Boris Volkoff - ballet master, choreographer, "the father of Canadian ballet" Watts – produced for Method Man, Redman, and Snoop Dogg Adele Wiseman – author Chloe Stroll - singer-songwriter

Business and other Bluma Appel – philanthropist, recipient of the Order of Canada and Order of Ontario Charles Bronfman – billionaire, member of the Bronfman family Edgar Bronfman, Sr. – billionaire, member of the Bronfman family Saidye Rosner Bronfman – billionaire, member of the Bronfman family, founder of the Seagram Company Samuel Bronfman – billionaire, member of the Bronfman family Arcadi Gaydamak – businessman Ben Hatskin – founder of the Winnipeg Jets Gregory Lekhtman – inventor of exercise boots Sonia Scurfield – owner of the Calgary Flames in the 1980s and 1990s Alex Shnaider – co-founder of the Midland Group, partner in the Trump International Hotel and Tower (Toronto) Lawrence Stroll – businessman, part-owner and executive chairman of Aston Martin, and the owner of the Aston Martin F1 Team

Politics Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia – Russian Princess and youngest sister of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia Alex Atamanenko – Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada Vasile Balabanov – Imperial Russian émigré Martin Dobkin – mayor of Mississauga Catherine Doherty – Imperial Russian émigré, social activist, recipient of the Order of Canada Siegfried Enns – member of the House of Commons of Canada Lois Hole – Lieutenant Governor of Alberta George Ignatieff – Canadian diplomat Michael Ignatieff – author, journalist, academic, politician Ted Lipman – diplomat, ambassador to North Korea, and South Korea Tim Moen – former leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada Tom Nevakshonoff – Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Reynold Rapp – Member of the House of Commons of Canada John Tory – mayor of Toronto Peter Vasilevich Verigin – Doukhobor leader Pyotr Verzilov – activist Roman Baber – Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Science Gregory Chamitoff – NASA astronaut and engineer Michel Chossudovsky – writer and professor of economics at the University of Ottawa Andrew Donskov – professor of modern languages at the University of Ottawa; world-renowned Leo Tolstoy expert Israel Halperin – mathematician Martin Kamen – physicist, member of the Manhattan Project (first nuclear bomb); discovered the synthesis of the isotope carbon-14 Harry Medovy – pediatrician and academic, Order of Canada Pierre Milman – mathematician, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada Sergei Plekhanov – Professor of Political Science at York University; former deputy director of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies in Russia Louis Slotin – physicist, member of the Manhattan Project (first nuclear bomb) George Volkoff, OC, MBE, FRSC – physicist who helped discover the existence of neutron stars Leonid Ivanovich Strakhovsky - professor, pioneered Slavic studies at the University of Toronto

Sports Ivan Babikov – Olympic cross-country skier Artur Beterbiev – professional boxer Patricia Bezzoubenko – rhythmic gymnast Boris Blumin – chess grandmaster Mark Bluvshtein – chess grandmaster Debbie Brill – high-jumper Édouard Carpentier – professional wrestler Joshua Ho-Sang – hockey player with the OHL Mike Chernoff – ice hockey Rob Chernoff – swimmer Tim Cheveldae – ice hockey Kevin Cheveldayoff – ice hockey Yelena Davydova – gymnastics Shawn Horcoff – ice hockey Igor Ivanov – chess grandmaster Pete Knight – rodeo bronc rider Chuck Kobasew – ice hockey Lioudmila Kortchaguina – marathon runner Crazy Leo – rally driver Andrei Markov – NHL hockey player Olya Ovtchinnikova – Olympic fencer Andrei Rogozine – world champion figure skater Mikhail "Misha" Goikhberg – racing driver Bobbie Rosenfeld – Olympic gold medalist Denis Shapovalov – tennis player Igor Tikhomirov – Olympic champion in fencing Marina Zoueva – ice dancing coach and choreographer Lance Stroll – racing driver competing in Formula One racing for Aston Martin. Stephen Gogolev – figure skater.

Russian Canadians

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