There were 100,000 Besermyans in 1926, but according to the Russian Census (2002), there were 3,122 of them in Russia. The Russian Empire Census of 1897 listed 10.8 thousand besermens.

They live in the north-west region of Yukamen, Glazov, Balezino, and Yar Districts of Udmurtia. There are ten villages with pure Besermyan and forty-one villages with a mixed Besermyan population in Russia.

The Besermyans' language is a dialect of the Udmurt language with Tatar influences.

Some Besermyans' traditions differ from other Udmurtian customs due to the Islamic influence at the Volga Bulgaria and Khanate of Kazan period.

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