The nomads were permanently settled and gradually transformed into agricultural wage laborers. Shortly afterwards, their children began to go to school. As frontiers were closed, all ties that had previously linked them with their brothers in Kurdistan were broken. Because they were a small minority, they posed little threat. This is especially noticeable in the quality of their dwellings, which are modern houses made of stone or brick, usually equipped with central heating, and sometimes having telephones.
Villages tend to have broad well-lit streets, linked to the cities by fairly good roads.
They have their own schools, school books, a printing press, and various social comforts. Glasnost and the subsequent independence of the republics have contributed to an overall revival of Kurdish identity and expression. There is a recognition of the repression that occurred during Stalin's rule, and a re-awakened national awareness. As a result, many former USSR citizens are declaring themselves to be Kurds, as they rediscover their ethnic origin. Nearly all Kurds are Muslim , having embraced Islam in the seventh century A.D. following the Arab conquests.