[16] The Novgorodians penetrated deep into these lands, and the methods used were typical of those used by later Russians in subsequent campaigns.

Russians explored the Komi territory most extensively in the 19th and early 20th centuries, starting with the expedition led by Alexander von Keyserling in 1843.

Many of the "settlers" who arrived in the early 20th century were prisoners of the Gulag – sent by the hundreds of thousands to perform forced labor in the Arctic regions of the USSR.

Towns sprang up around labor-camp sites, which gangs of prisoners initially carved out of the untouched tundra and taiga.

"[18] On 21 March 1996, the Komi Republic signed a power-sharing agreement with the government of Russia, granting it autonomy.

[20] The republic is situated to the west of the Ural Mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain.

The Komi Republic is the second-largest federal region by area in European Russia after Arkhangelsk Oblast.

[22][23] Native reindeer are in abundance and have been intentionally bred for human usage by the indigenous population.

It is the first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Russia and the largest expanse of virgin forests in Europe.

Deemed one of the Seven Wonders of Russia, the Komi Republic is home to Manpupuner (Man-Pupu-Nyer), a mysterious site in the northern Ural Mountains, in the Troitsko-Pechorsky District, made out of seven rock towers bursting out of the flat plateau known as the "7 Strong Men".

However, it is known that their height and abnormal shapes make the top of these rock giants inaccessible even to experienced rock-climbers.

In addition, 41% of the population declared to be "spiritual but not religious", 14% is atheist, and 6.4% follows other religions or failed to answer the question.

[35] There was an application in place to host the 2021 Bandy World Championship,[36] but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then cancelled after many participants pulled out after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.