In the 8th century, the Permians split into the Komi and the Udmurts. During the early Middle Ages the Udmurts lived in the area around the Kama river, west of the Middle Ural. After the year 1000, the southern Udmurts came under Volga-Bulgar rule. During this period, which lasted until the Mongol invasions in the early 13th century, the Udmurt culture and language were heavily influenced by their Volga-Bulgar overlords. 

In 1223 the Volga Bulgarians managed to ambush and defeat the Mongols, who had just returned from their overwhelming victory over the Russians and Cumans at the Battle of Kalka river. However, in 1236 the Mongols returned in strength, and within a short time all of Volga Bulgaria was destroyed and conquered. When Volga-Bulgaria was conquered, the Udmurts were included in the Mongol empire. With the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire in 1259 the Udmurt territory became part of the Golden Horde, which later merged into the Khanate of Kazan. At the end of the 15th century, the Vyatka region (which also includes the territory of the Udmurts is located) became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In theory, the northern Udmurts were now under Russian rule.

The southern Udmurts, however, remained under the rule of the Khanate of Kazan for another 60 years, but when it was finally conquered in 1552, all Udmurts now became part of the Tsardom of Russia. From that moment on, Russians soon began to settle in the homeland of the Udmurts. From 1552 to 1556, the Udmurts, together with the Tatars and Chuvash and some other Finno-Ugric peoples, revolted against the Russian rule,  aiming to restore the Khanate of Kazan, but Ivan IV brutally crushed the revolt. 

The Udmurt are a relatively homogeneous people. The only important subgroup are the Beserman people. Beserman traditions and customs are partly different due to the Turkic and Islamic influence when they were subjects of Volga-Bulgaria and the Khanate of Kazan. Genetically, the Beserman are also more closely related to the Turkic peoples.

According to the 2021 Russian Census, there lived 2.036 Besermyans in Russia. Of these 2.036, nearly all lived in the Republic of Udmurtia. In the Yukamenskiy District, which is located in the northwestern part of Udmurtia, the Besermyans make up some 10% of the total population.

Most Beserman people are Christian Orthodox, but there is also a large proportion of Beserman who follow their own ethnic religion. This religion is close to the folk religion of the Udmurts, but also contains some Islamic elements.

Throughout history, the Udmurt cuisine has been influenced by the Mari, Tatar, Bashkir and Russian cuisine. Meat, vegetables and black bread are the staple foods in the Udmurt cuisine. As for the meat, beef and lamb the most commonly used. Horse meat and pork are less common. Besides that, poultry (black grouse, hazel grouse, mallard, ...) is also an important part of Udmurt cuisine. However, the vast forests that are abundant in the Udmurt Republic provide not only meat, but also many other useful products, such as numerous species of mushrooms, wild herbs and berries. Frequently used vegetables include onions, carrots, garlic, radishes, cabbage, ... Honey also plays an important role, as beekeeping is widely practiced.

Below is a short list of some typical dishes for Udmurt cuisine:

- пельнянь (peľńań, lit. ear bread), commonly called pelmeni, is one of the most famous dishes of Udmurt cuisine. Although the use of pelmeni is widespread and it is prepared in different ways throughout Russia and several other Eastern European countries, the dish probably originates from the Permic peoples. As a filling for the dumplings, different types of meat with onion are often used. However, the dumplings can also be filled with cabbage, cottage cheese, fish and mushrooms, among other things. Traditionally, it is customary to prepare the pelmeni in large quantities in the autumn, and then keep them frozen for the winter.

- перепеч (perepeć), is a kind of open dough dish, somewhat reminiscent of a small pizza. It can be filled with meat, egg, mushrooms or various vegetables.

- табани (tabani), are small but thick pancakes. Traditionally, they are made in the evening and eaten at breakfast in the morning. The tabani is often eaten with зырет (zyret), which is a sauce made from milk and eggs.

Traditional drinks include дйолпыд (djolpyd, fermented milk), варенча (varenća, beet kvas) and варсь (varś, a rye drink) among other things. In addition, there are all kinds of traditional berry drinks.