[1] In the late eighteenth century, Russian traveller Pallas noted the presence of hundreds of Multani Vaiṣṇava Hindu merchant families in Astrakhan at the mouth of the Volga river.
Its idea was conceived after the great success of the Festival of India, held in 1988 in the USSR.
[3] In May 2022, two consignments of medicine were sent to Russian soldiers during the invasion of Ukraine, under the initiative of Disha: Russian-Indian friendship society.
[4] During the invasion of Ukraine, dozens of Indians were recruited to serve in the Russian Armed Forces.
Hinduism is practised in Russia, though most ignore it, primarily by followers of the Vaishnava Hindu organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Brahma Kumaris and by itinerant swamis from India.