▁up ▁ 8 2 . 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁republic ' s ▁population . ▁Other ▁groups ▁include ▁Rus si ans ▁( 1 6 . 3 % ), ▁and ▁a ▁host ▁of ▁smaller ▁groups , ▁each ▁account ing ▁for ▁less ▁than ▁ 0 . 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁population . ▁ ▁As ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁above , ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁ 1 9 5 9 – 2 0 1 0 ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁dou bling ▁of ▁eth nic ▁T uv ans . ▁The ▁Russian ▁population ▁growth ▁slow ed ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁decre ased ▁by ▁ 5 0 % ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁The ▁official ▁languages ▁are ▁Tu van ▁( T urk ic ) ▁and ▁Russian ▁( S lav ic ). ▁ ▁Out side ▁Ky zy l , ▁settlement s ▁have ▁few ▁if ▁any ▁Russian ▁inhabitants ▁and , ▁in ▁general , ▁T uv ans ▁use ▁their ▁original ▁language ▁as ▁their ▁first ▁language . ▁However , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁small ▁population ▁of ▁Old ▁Bel ie vers ▁in ▁the ▁Republic ▁scattered ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁isolated ▁areas . ▁Before ▁Soviet ▁rule , ▁there ▁were ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁large ▁eth nic ▁Russian ▁Old ▁Bel ie ver ▁villages , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁at he ist ▁ide ology ▁cre pt ▁in , ▁the ▁bel ie vers ▁moved ▁deeper ▁and ▁deeper ▁into ▁the ▁ta iga ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁avoid ▁contact ▁with ▁out s iders . ▁Major ▁Old ▁Bel ie ver ▁villages ▁are ▁Erz he i , ▁U