Tatarstan

Tatarstan,officially theRepublic of Tatarstan,sometimes also calledTataria,is arepublicofRussialocated inEastern Europe. It is a part of theVolga Federal District; and itscapitaland largest city isKazan, an important cultural centre in Russia. The region's main source of wealth isoilwith a strong petrochemical industry.
The republic borders theoblastsofKirov,Ulyanovsk,SamaraandOrenburg, as well as the republics ofMari El,Udmurtia,ChuvashiaandBashkortostan. The area of the republic is 68,000 square kilometres (26,000 sq mi), occupying 0.4% of the total surface of the country.As of the2021 Census, the population of Tatarstan was 4,004,809.
Tatarstan has strong cultural, linguistic and ethnic ties with its eastern neighbour,Bashkortostan, which is also a republic of Russia.
The official languages of the republic areTatarandRussian.
"Tatarstan" derives from the name of the ethnic group—theTatars—and thePersiansuffix-stan(meaning "state" or "country" of, an ending common to manyEurasiancountries). Another version of the Russian name is "Татария" (Tatariya), which was official along with "Tatar ASSR" duringSovietrule.
Turkishsources use the form "Tataristan", and occasionally in Tatar, it appears as "Tatarıstan" (Татарыстан).
The republic is located in the center of theEast European Plain, approximately 800 kilometres (500 mi) east ofMoscow. It lies between theVolga Riverand theKama River(atributaryof the Volga), and extends east to theUral Mountains.
Oakis the dominant tree species on 87% of the total area, followed byaspen,linden,birch, andScots pine. The total forest cover has decreased from 51.2% to 17.1% over the last 300 years.
TheVolga-Kama Nature Reserveis situated in Tatarstan.
Major rivers include:
Major reservoirs of the republic include:
The biggest lake isKaban. The biggest swamp isKulyagash.
The major natural resources of Tatarstan includeoil,natural gasandgypsum. It is estimated that the republic has over one billiontonsof oil deposits.
Tatarstan's administrative and territorial divisions form 43 municipal districts and 2 urban districts (Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny), as well as 39 urban settlements and 872 rural settlements.
The republic also recognises cities of republican significance, the list of which is established by theConstitution of the Republic of Tatarstan. The districts consist of cities of district significance, urban-type settlements and rural settlements with subordinate territories that make up the primary level in the system of administrative-territorial structure of the Republic. Cities of national significance can be geographically divided into districts in the city.
The earliest known organised state within the boundaries of Tatarstan wasVolga Bulgaria(c. 700–1238). TheVolga Bulgarshad an advanced mercantile state with trade contacts throughout InnerEurasia, theMiddle East, and theBaltic, which maintained its independence despite pressure by such nations as theKhazars, theKievan Rus, and theCuman-Kipchaks.Islamwas introduced by missionaries fromBaghdadaround the time ofIbn Fadlan's journey in 922.
Volga Bulgaria finally fell to the armies of theMongolprinceBatu Khanin the late 1230s (seeMongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria). The inhabitants, a large amount of them killed and the rest mixing with theGolden Horde'sKipchaks, became known as theVolga Tatars. In the 1430s, the region again became independent as the base of theKhanate of Kazan, a capital having been established inKazan, 170 km (110 mi) up the Volga from the ruined capital of the Bulgars.
The Khanate of Kazanwas conqueredby the troops of TsarIvan the Terriblein the 1550s, with Kazan being taken in 1552. A large number of Tatars wereforcibly convertedto Christianity and were culturallyRussified.Cathedrals were built in Kazan; by 1593 all mosques in the area were destroyed. The Russian government forbade the construction of mosques, a prohibition that was not lifted until the 18th century byCatherine the Great. The first mosque to be rebuilt under Catherine's auspices was constructed in 1766–1770.
In the 19th century, Tatarstan became a centre ofJadidism, an Islamic movement that preached tolerance of other religions. Under the influence of local Jadidist theologians, the Bulgars were renowned for their friendly relations with other peoples of the Russian Empire. However, after theOctober Revolution, religion was largely outlawed and all theologians were repressed.
During theCivil Warof 1918–1920 Tatar nationalists attempted to establish an independent republic (theIdel-Ural State,Idelbeing the name of theVolgain Tatar) along with the neighbouringBashkirs. Initially supported by theBolsheviks, the state existed up until March 1918, when high-ranking members of its parliament were arrested by the Bolsheviks (who had turned on the state and denounced it as bourgeois) before the official declaration of its constitution. The Soviets later set up theTatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which was established on 27 May 1920.The boundaries of the republic did not include a majority of the Volga Tatars. TheTatar Union of the Godlesswere persecuted inJoseph Stalin's 1928purges.
Afamineoccurred in theTatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republicin 1921–1922 as a result of the policy ofwar communism. The famine deaths of between 500,000 and 2 millionTatarsin the Tatar ASSR and in theVolga-Ural regionin 1921–1922 was catastrophic as half of theVolga Tatarpopulation in theUSSRdied.
Starting in the 1960s, schools opened in Tatarstan that taught Russian as an officialsecond language, as it was necessary in order to individually advance in the broader Soviet society. By the 1980s, few schools still taught theTatar language.
On 30 August 1990, Tatarstan declared its sovereignty with theDeclaration on the State Sovereignty of the Tatar Soviet Socialist Republicand in 1992 Tatarstan helda referendumon the new constitution,promoted by Tatarstan's PresidentShaymiyevand supervised byHelsinki Commissionstaff. Parliament opposition revolved around the Russian factionNarodovlastie(People's Power).Some 62% of those who took part voted in favour of the constitution, with ethnic Tatars supporting it much more than Russians.In the new constitution, Tatarstan is defined as a Sovereign State. However, the referendum and constitution were declared unconstitutional by theRussian Constitutional Court.Articles 1 and 3 of the Constitution as introduced in 2002define Tatarstan as a part of the Russian Federation, removing the "sovereignty" term.
On 15 February 1994, the TreatyOn Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Authority between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstanand Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan (On Delimitation of Authority in the Sphere of Foreign Economic Relations) were signed. The power-sharing agreement was renewed on 11 July 2007, though with much of the power delegated to Tatarstan reduced.
On 20 December 2008, in response to Russia recognisingAbkhaziaandSouth Ossetia, theMejlis of the Crimean Tatar Peopleorganisation declared Tatarstan independent and asked forUnited Nationsrecognition.However, this declaration was ignored both by theUnited Nationsand theRussian government. On 24 July 2017, the autonomy agreement signed in 1994 between Moscow and Kazan expired, making Tatarstan the last republic of Russia to lose its special status.
Population:4,004,809 (2021 Census);3,786,488 (2010 Census);3,779,265 (2002 Census);3,637,809 (1989 Soviet census).
Note: TFR source.
There are about 2 million ethnicTatarsand 1.5 million ethnicRussiansin Tatarstan, along with significant numbers ofChuvash,Mari, andUdmurts, some of whom areTatar-speaking. TheUkrainian,Mordvin, andBashkirminorities are also significant. Most Tatars areSunni Muslims, but a small minority known asKeräşen TatarsareOrthodox Christians, some of whom regard themselves as being distinct from other Tatars even though most Keräşen dialects differ only slightly from the Central Dialect of the Tatar language.
There is a fair degree of speculation as to the early origins of the different groups of Tatars, but most Tatars no longer view religious identity as being as important as it once was, and the religious and linguistic subgroups have intermingled considerably. Nevertheless, despite many decades of assimilation and intermingling, some Keräşen demanded and were awarded the option of being specifically enumerated in 2002. This has provoked great controversy, however, as many intellectuals have sought to portray the Tatars as homogeneous and indivisible.Although listed separately below, the Keräşen are still included in the grand total for the Tatars. Another unique ethnic group, concentrated in Tatarstan, is theQaratayMordvins.
Tatar andUdmurtJews are special territorial groups of theAshkenazi Jews, which started to be formed in the residential areas of mixed Turkic-speaking (Tatars,Kryashens,Bashkirs,Chuvash people), Finno-Ugric-speaking (Udmurts,Mari people) and Slavic-speaking (Russians) populations. The Ashkenazi Jews first appeared in Tatarstan in the 1830s.The Jews ofUdmurtiaand Tatarstan are subdivided by cultural and linguistic characteristics into two territorial groups: 1) Udmurt Jews (Udmurt Jewry), who lived on the territory ofUdmurtiaand the north of Tatarstan; 2) Tatar Jews, or Kazan Jews (Tatar Jewry or Kazan Jewry), who lived mainly in the city of Kazan and its agglomeration.
In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan, the two state languages of the republic areTatarandRussian. According to the 2002 Russian Federal Law (On Languages of Peoples of the Russian Federation), theofficial scriptisCyrillic. Linguistic anthropologist Dr. Suzanne Wertheim notes that "some men signal ideological devotion to the Tatar cause by refusing to accommodate to Russian-dominant public space or Russian speakers", whilst women, in promoting "the Tatar state and Tatar national culture, index their pro-Tatar ideological stances more diplomatically, and with linguistic practices situated only within the Tatar-speaking community... in keeping with normative gender roles within the Tatar republic."
As of 2012,Islamwas the most common faith in Tatarstan, adhered to by 53.8% of the estimated 3.8 million population. Most of the remaining population is eitherRussian Orthodox Christianor non-religious.
Established in 922, the first Muslim state within the boundaries of modern Russia wasVolga Bulgariafrom which theTatarsinheritedIslam. Islam was introduced by missionariesfromBaghdadaround the time ofIbn Fadlan's journey in 922. Islam's long presence in Russia also extends at least as far back asthe conquest of the Khanate of Kazanin 1552, which brought theTatarsandBashkirson the MiddleVolgainto Russia.
In the 1430s, the region became independent as the base of theKhanate of Kazan, a capital having been established inKazan, 170 km up the Volga from the ruined capital of the Bulgars. The Khanate of Kazanwas conqueredby the troops of TsarIvan IV the Terriblein the 1550s, with Kazan being taken in 1552. Some Tatars were forcibly converted to Christianity and cathedrals were built in Kazan; by 1593, mosques in the area were destroyed. The Russian government forbade the construction of mosques, a prohibition that was not lifted until the 18th century byCatherine II.
In 1990, there were only 100 mosques, but by 2004 this number had risen to well over 1,000. As of 1 January 2008,as many as 1,398 religious organizations were registered in Tatarstan, of which 1,055 wereMuslim. In September 2010,Eid al-Fitras well 21 May, the day theVolga Bulgarsembraced Islam, were made public holidays.
TheRussian Orthodox Churchis the second largest active religion in Tatarstan, and has been so for more than 150 years,with an estimated 1.6 million followers made up ofethnic Russians,Mordvins,Armenians,Belarusians,Mari people,Georgians,Chuvashand a number of OrthodoxTatarswhich together constitute 38% of the 3.8 million population of Tatarstan. On 23 August 2010, the "Orthodox monuments of Tatarstan" exhibition was held in Kazan by the Tatarstan Ministry of Culture and the Kazan Eparchy.At all public events, anOrthodoxPriest is called upon along with an IslamicMufti.
The Muslim Religious Board of Tatarstan frequently organizes activities, like the 'Islamic graffitiContest' which was held on 20 November 2011.
Tatarstan'sunicameralState Councilconsists of 100 seats: fifty for representatives of the parties and fifty for deputies from the republic's localities. The Chairman of the State Council isFarit Mukhametshin, who has served since 27 May 1998. The government is the Сabinet of Ministers. The prime minister of the Republic of Tatarstan is Alexei Pesoshin.
According to the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Rais can be elected only by the people of Tatarstan, but due to Russian federal law, this law was suspended for an indefinite term. The Russian law on the election of governors says they should be elected byregional parliamentsand that the candidate for Rais can be presented only by thepresident of Russia.
In December 2022, regional lawmakers voted to change the title of the head of the republic frompresidenttorais(an Arabic title for "leader"); lawmakers were expected to adopt new amendments to Tatarstan's constitution so that it would be in line with the2020 amendments to the Constitution of Russiaand a federal law in 2021 which abolished regional presidencies. The title of president was seen as the last remaining symbol of federalism following the centralisation reforms underVladimir Putin.Incumbent president Rustam Minnikhanov originally was to retain the title of president until his term expires in 2025 under transitional agreements, however he became Rais in February 2024.
The Republic of Tatarstan is a constituent republic of theRussian Federation. Most of the Russian federal subjects are tied with the Russian federal government by the uniform Federal Treaty (The contract expired in 2017), but relations between the government of Tatarstan and the Russian federal government are more complex and are precisely defined in theConstitutionof the Republic of Tatarstan. The following passage from the Constitution defines the republic's status without contradicting the Constitution of the Russian Federation:
Tatarstan is one of the most economically developed regions of Russia. The republic is highly industrialised and ranks second toSamara Oblastin terms of industrial production per km.
In 2021, Tatarstan'sgross regional productwas €40 billion, while GRP per capita was €10,000.
The region's main source of wealth isoil. Tatarstan produces 32 million tonnes of crude oil per year and has estimated oil reserves of more than 1 billion tons.Industrial production constitutes 45% of the Republic'sgross regional domestic product. The most developed manufacturing industries arepetrochemical industryand machine building. The truck-makerKamAZis the region's largest enterprise and employs about one-fifth of Tatarstan's workforce.Kazanorgsintez, based in Kazan, is one of Russia's largest chemical companies.Tatarstan's aviation industry producesTu-214passenger airplanes and helicopters.TheKazan Helicopter Plantis one of the largest helicopter manufacturers in the world.Engineering, textiles, clothing,wood processing, and food industries are also of key significance in Tatarstan.
Tatarstan consists of three distinct industrial regions. The northwestern part is an old industrial region where engineering, chemical, and light industry dominate. In the newly industrial northeast region with its core in theNaberezhnye Chelny–Nizhnekamskagglomeration, major industries are automobile construction, the chemical industry, and power engineering. The southeast region has oil production with engineering under development. The north, central, south, and southwest parts of the republic are rural regions.The republic has huge water resources—the annual flow of rivers of the Republic exceeds 240 billion m(8.5 trillion cu ft). Soils are very diverse, the best fertile soils covering one-third of the territory. Due to the high development of agriculture in Tatarstan (it contributes 5.1% of the total revenue of the republic), forests occupy only 16% of its territory. The agricultural sector of the economy is represented mostly by large companies asAk Bars Holdingand "Krasnyi Vostok Agro".
The republic has a highly developed transport network. It mainly comprises highways,railwaylines, fournavigable rivers— Volga (İdel), Kama (Çulman), Vyatka (Noqrat) and Belaya (Ağidel), and oil pipelines and airlines. The territory of Tatarstan is crossed by the main gas pipelines carrying natural gas fromUrengoyandYamburgto the west and the major oil pipelines supplying oil to various cities in the European part of Russia.
There are three UNESCO world heritage sites in Tatarstan—Kazan Kremlin, Bulgarian State Museum-Reserve, and Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk.
The annual growth rate of tourist flow to the republic is on average 13.5%; the growth rate of the volume of services in the tourism sector is 17.0%.
At the end of 2016, on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan there were 104 tour operators, of which 32 dealt in domestic tourism, 65 in domestic and inbound tourism, 1 in domestic and outbound tourism, and 6 in all three.
As of 1 January 2017,404 collective accommodation facilities (CSR) operate in the Republic of Tatarstan;379 CSRare subject to classification (183 in Kazan, 196 in other municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan).334 collective accommodation facilities received the certificate of assignment of the category, which is 88.1% of the total number of operating.
In 2016, special attention was paid to the development of tourist centres of the Republic of Tatarstan—Kazan,Bolghar,the town-island of Sviyazhsk,Yelabuga,Chistopol, andTetyushi. The growth of tourist flow in the main tourist centres of the Republic compared to 2015 amounted to an average of 45.9%.
Currently, sanatorium and resort recreation is developing rapidly in Tatarstan. There are 46 sanatorium-resort institutions in the Republic of Tatarstan. The capacity of the objects of the sanatorium-resort complex of Tatarstan is 8847 beds; more than 4300 specialists are engaged in the service of residents. In 2016, more than 160 thousand people rested in the health resorts of the Republic of Tatarstan.22 health resort institutions of the Republic of Tatarstan are members of the Association of health resort institutions "Health resorts of Tatarstan," including 11 sanatoriums of PJSC "Tatneft."
Since 2016, the Republic of Tatarstan has been operating the Visit Tatarstan program, the official tourism brand of the Republic, the purpose of which is to inform tourists, monitor the reputation of the Republic, develop the tourism potential of the regions of Tatarstan, conduct market research, create partner projects with local companies, and expand internationally. "Tatarstan: 1001 pleasure" is the main message that tourists receive. The Visit Tatar website, where there is information about the main sights and recreation in Tatarstan, is available in 8 languages: Tatar, Russian, English, Chinese, German, Spanish, Finnish, and Persian.
Due to Islamic rules on artistic depictions,Tatars developed a uniquely geometric artistry, of which the craft of leather mosaic is a staple.They also observe certain pre-Islamic holidays, such asSabantuy, which celebrates "the completion of spring sowing works."
Major libraries includeKazan State UniversityNikolai LobachevskyScientific Library and the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan. There are two museums of republican significance, as well as 90 museums of local importance. In the past several years, new museums appeared throughout the Republic.
There are twelve theatrical institutions in Tatarstan.The state orchestra is the National Tatarstan Orchestra.
In 1996, the Tatar singer, Guzel Ahmetova, cooperated with the GermanEurodancegroup namedSnap!, when she sang the lyrics of the song "Rame".
Aida Garifullinawas born in 1987 to a Tatar family in Kazan. Following studies in Nuremberg, Germany and Vienna, Austria, she has achieved fame as a lyric soprano, in high demand both on the international operatic stage and concert platform. She is also a celebrated recording artist and a promoter of the Tatar culture.
With 9,175 sports venues in Tatarstan, the republic is one of the leading sports regions in Russia.Since 1973, Kazan has been making efforts to expand its sportsinfrastructure, with sports being a "great source of pride" for the people of Kazan.
Tatarstan hasRubin Kazan, a major European football team which has played in theUEFA Champions Leagueand theUEFA Europa League. Twice Russian champions, Rubin Kazan play in theRussian Premier League. Also, Tatarstan hasUnics Kazanwhich has gained a significant role in European basketball, playing inEuroleagueandEuroCupfor decades.
It also has twoKHLteams, the successfulAk Bars Kazan, which is based in the capital city ofKazan, and theNeftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, who play in the city ofNizhnekamsk. The state also has aRussian Major Leagueteam (the second highest hockey league in Russia),Neftyanik Almetyevsk, who play in the city ofAlmetyevsk. There are also twoMinor Hockey Leagueteams which serve as affiliates for the two KHL teams. A team also exists in theRussian Hockey League, theHC Chelny, which is based in the city ofNaberezhnye Chelny. Another team plays in theMHL-B(the second level of junior ice hockey in Russia).
Nail Yakupovis an ethnic Tatar who was drafted first overall in the2012 NHL Entry Draft.
FormerATPNo. 1Marat Safinand formerWTAnumber 1Dinara Safinaare of Tatar descent.
Victor WildandDanil Sadreevare both Tatarstan Olympians, having won a bronze in parallel giant slalom and a silver in ski jumping, respectively.
Kazan hosted theXXVII Summer Universiadein 2013, the FINA World championship in aquatic sports in August 2015, and the World Junior Championship for swimming in 2022.
The most important facilities of higher education includeKazan Federal University,Kazan State Medical University,Kazan National Research Technological University, World Information Distributed University,Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N.TupolevandRussian Islamic University. All of these are located in the capital city, Kazan.
Tatarstan takes a unique participatory approach to the development of public spaces that has earned it recognition. The Tatarstan Public Spaces Development Programme aims to create spaces for meeting or recreation.The programme covers a wide spectrum of projects, including streets, squares, parks, river banks, pavilions, and sports facilities.
Since 2016(and continuing until 2022), the Architecturny Desant Architectural Bureau in Kazanhas improved public spaces in each of Tatarstan's 45 municipal districts, from large cities to small villages.As of April 2019, the project had revamped 328 public spaces.By creating and rehabilitating public spaces, the programme aims to be a catalyst for positive social, economic, and environmental change.
One notable example is the "Beach" at Almetyevsk, which includes public swimming pools and a terrace.Other examples include an amphitheatre in Black Lake Park, Kazan; the Central Square in Bavly; a children's playground in Bogatye Saby village, which has a unique wooden play structure; the Cube container centre in the green beach at Gorkinsko-Ometievsky forest, Kazan; and the square on Festival Boulevard, Kazan.
The programme used an innovative participatory design approach,which later became mandatory for similar projects across Russia.This approach partners specialists with local residents at every stage of the project, from development, to implementation, to the ongoing use of the space.
The Tatarstan Public Spaces Development Programme was announced as one of the six winners of the 2019Aga Khan Award for Architecture.The jury was impressed by the programme's systematic approach and involvement of residents to decide the future of each space.
Each public space expresses the unique identity of that particular place,tying in its history while incorporating traditional materials.Major goals of the projects include improving the quality of life for residents and improving the environment.The Arhitekturnyi Desant team aims to provide a high quality public space, no matter the size of the settlement, including quality design, infrastructure, and materials.
Spending on the public spaces projects is helping the local economy.The number of street furniture manufacturers in the area, for example, has increased from 12 to 75 since the programme started.
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