You also have a lot of Russian Muslims, some Turkic, but others also pure Caucasian, like
the Circassians, who are actually from the Caucasus area:
In the middle ages, the Arabs were very active in trading with the nordic
Rus along northern river routes. The Vikings and Rus might have converted en masse to Islam, if it weren't for the alcohol prohibition, which was a deal breaker. Tribes in southwestern Russia like the Circassians did convert though.
My most recent read is a travelogue by an Arab historian, which is one of the best accounts of Viking and Rus culture ever written, interesting read for anyone into medieval history, the Vikings and other nations like the Khazars, Magyars or Boughars:
Quote:In 922 AD, an Arab envoy from Baghdad named Ibn Fadlan encountered a party of Viking traders on the upper reaches of the Volga River. In his subsequent report on his mission he gave a meticulous and astonishingly objective description of Viking customs, dress, table manners, religion and sexual practices, as well as the only eyewitness account ever written of a Viking ship cremation.
Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Arab travellers such as Ibn Fadlan journeyed widely and frequently into the far north, crossing territories that now include Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Their fascinating accounts describe how the numerous tribes and peoples they encountered traded furs, paid tribute and waged wars.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0140...UTF8&psc=1
https://archive.org/details/IbnFadlanAnd...ssicsCopie