Short answer: "Rissian" is not a separate nationality, language or culture. It is a very common misspelling (or phonetic spelling) of Russian. "Rissian people" are Russian people, the "Rissian language" is Russian, and a "Rissian manicure", "White Rissian" or "Rissian Blue" is the Russian manicure, the White Russian cocktail and the Russian Blue cat.
If you typed "rissian" into a search engine, you are in good company: it is one of the most frequent ways the word "Russian" gets spelled online. This page explains why that happens, what each common "Rissian" phrase usually refers to, who Russian people actually are, and how "Russian" differs from similar-sounding words like Prussian and Rusyn. For a longer look at traditions, holidays and the arts, see our guide to Russian culture.
Why Do People Write "Rissian" Instead of "Russian"?
There are a few simple, very human reasons:
- Keyboard slips. On a standard QWERTY keyboard the U and I keys are right next to each other. Hitting i instead of u turns "Russian" into "Rissian" in a single keystroke, especially on a phone.
- How the word sounds. In everyday English the first vowel of "Russian" is short and unstressed-sounding in fast speech, so people who write by ear sometimes spell it with an i.
- Autocorrect doesn't always help. Some keyboards learn a user's repeated spelling, so "Rissian" can stick once it has been typed a few times.
- Non-native spellers. Learners of English, and speakers of languages that write the word differently, may not be sure of the English spelling.
None of this is a problem: search engines usually understand the intent, and so do we. Throughout this site we use "Rissian" in page titles because that is how many readers search, and "Russian" in the explanations because that is the correct word.
What "Rissian X" Usually Means
Here is what the most common searches refer to, and whether the thing is actually from Russia:
| If you searched… | You probably mean… | Actually from Russia? |
|---|---|---|
| Rissian manicure | The Russian manicure: a "dry" manicure using an electric file to clean the cuticle area, with gel applied very close to the cuticle | Named for its association with nail salons in Russia and Eastern Europe; spread internationally via social media |
| White Rissian | The White Russian cocktail: vodka, coffee liqueur and cream | No. Named after its vodka; the parent Black Russian was created in Brussels in 1949 |
| Rissian Blue (cat) | The Russian Blue, a silver-blue cat breed with green eyes | Reputedly from the Arkhangelsk region; developed as a breed largely in Britain and Scandinavia |
| Rissian Blue (colour/art) | A grey-blue colour name, or cobalt-on-white porcelain such as Gzhel | Gzhel ceramics: yes, from the Gzhel area near Moscow |
| Rissian dressing | Russian dressing, a tangy mayonnaise-and-chili-sauce dressing | No. It is an American condiment |
| Rissian sage | Russian sage (Salvia yangii), a silver-leaved garden perennial | No. Native to Central Asia; named after a Russian general |
| Rissian twist | Usually the Russian twist, a seated core exercise | Only by name |
| Rissian hat | Most often the ushanka (fur hat with ear flaps); also the papakha and kokoshnik | Yes |
| Rissian flag | The white-blue-red tricolour of Russia | Yes |
| Rissian food / drinks | Russian cuisine (borscht, pelmeni, blini) and drinks (tea, kvass, kompot) | Yes |
| Rissian language | The Russian language, written in Cyrillic | Yes |
Who Are Russian ("Rissian") People?
Russians (русские, RUS-ski-ye) are an East Slavic ethnic group and the largest group in the Russian Federation. The word "Russian" can mean two slightly different things: ethnic Russians, and anyone who is a citizen of Russia (Russian has a separate word for this, россияне, ra-see-YA-nye). Russia itself is a multi-ethnic country that is also home to Tatars, Chechens, Bashkirs, Chuvash, Yakuts and many other peoples, each with their own languages and traditions. Large Russian-speaking communities also live in other former Soviet states and in countries such as Germany, Israel and the United States.
A few essentials that help make sense of Russian culture:
- History: the medieval state of Kievan Rus' (from the 9th century) is the common ancestor of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Muscovy grew into the Tsardom of Russia, then the Russian Empire (from 1721), the Soviet Union (1922–1991), and today's Russian Federation.
- Language: Russian is an East Slavic language written in the 33-letter Cyrillic alphabet and is commonly cited as having around 255 million speakers worldwide. Start with hello in Russian or thank you in Russian.
- Religion: Eastern Orthodox Christianity has shaped Russian art, holidays and architecture for over a thousand years, since the Christianization of Kievan Rus' in 988. Islam, Buddhism and Judaism are also traditional religions in parts of Russia.
- Culture: Russia is known worldwide for writers such as Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov, composers such as Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, and ballet. Our 19th-century Russia guide covers the era that produced many of them.
Rissian vs Russian vs Prussian vs Rusyn
Several words look or sound alike but mean quite different things:
- Russian – relating to Russia, the Russian people or the Russian language.
- Rissian – a misspelling of Russian. It has no separate meaning.
- Prussian – relating to Prussia, a historic German state (the Kingdom of Prussia, later part of the German Empire). Prussia was not Russian; "Prussian blue" is a synthetic pigment discovered in Berlin in the early 18th century, unrelated to the Russian Blue cat.
- Rusyn (Ruthenian) – an East Slavic people of the Carpathian region, living mainly in parts of Ukraine, Slovakia and Poland, with their own language variety. Rusyns are not Russians.
- Rus' – the medieval East Slavic lands and people from which the names Russia, Ruthenia and Belarus all derive.
- Belarusian – of Belarus, a separate country with its own language, closely related to Russian and Ukrainian.
How to Tell Which "Rissian" a Page Means
Because so many unrelated things share the name, the easiest way to identify what someone means by "Rissian" is the word that follows it. A noun from the salon (manicure, nails) points to the Russian manicure; a bar word (White, Black, cocktail) to the vodka drinks; an animal word (Blue, cat, kitten) to the Russian Blue; and a language word (hello, hi, thanks, how are you) to the Russian language. Our FAQ answers more of these quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rissian a real language or nationality?
No. Rissian is a common misspelling of Russian. There is no Rissian language, country or ethnic group; people who write "Rissian" almost always mean Russian.
What are Rissian people called?
They are Russians. In Russian, ethnic Russians are called русские (RUS-ski-ye), and citizens of Russia of any ethnicity are called россияне (ra-see-YA-nye).
What is the Rissian language called in Russian?
The Russian language is русский язык (RUS-skiy ya-ZYK). It is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, which has 33 letters.
Why do people spell Russian as Rissian?
Mostly because the i and u keys are next to each other on a keyboard, and because the first vowel of Russian can sound like a short i in quick speech. It is a simple typo or spelling-by-ear, not a different word.
Is a White Rissian the same as a White Russian?
Yes. A White Rissian is the White Russian cocktail: vodka, coffee liqueur and cream over ice. Despite its name, it was not invented in Russia.
Is Rissian the same as Prussian?
No. Prussian refers to Prussia, a historic German state. Russian (sometimes misspelled Rissian) refers to Russia and the Russian people.