Finnish Tatars
The Finnish Tatars (Tatar: "Finlandiyä Tatarları", Finnish: "Suomen tataarit, Swedish: Finländska tatarer") are an ethnic minority in Finland, who number approximately 600–700. The community was formed between late 1800s and early 1900s, when Mishar Tatar merchants settled in from Russia. In Helsinki, Tatars have the main building of their congregation. They have also founded cultural associations in different cities. The Finnish Tatars at first identified as "Muslims". After the Republic of Turkey was established (1923), Tatars in the country started to call themselves "Turks" (Finnish: "turkkilaiset") and throughout the century were heavily influenced by Turkish culture. Later on , the community has found a new strengthened connection to their Tatar roots. Although the Tatars have maintained their own identity while having been integrated into the Finnish society, there has been a growing sense of worry about the future of the community due to increased mixed marriages. History. The first Muslims in Finland. Before the migration wave of Tatars, many Islamic Turkic peoples were already on Finnish territory during the Russian reign as regular soldiers. Information about these soldiers can be traced back to at least 1836. It is believed that they were mostly Kazan Tatars and Bashkirs, some of  whom were also in Cossack units, The Great Northern War, Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743) and Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). Migration of Tatar merchants. The migration of Tatars to Finland happened in late 1800s and early 1900s. They were mostly Mishar Tatars, who originated from neighboring villages in Nizhny Novgorod Governorate, Sergachsky District, Russia. Many of them were from Aktuk. A few other Turkic peoples came as well, such as Bashkirs and Kazakhs, but they blended in quickly. At their home villages, Mishars worked as farmers, but eventually they became merchants, due to lack of income. They usually sold fabrics, furs , clothes and soap. Their trips reached Saint Petersburg at first, and eventually, Finland. Finland (until 1917, Grand Duchy of Finland) therefore in the beginning was just a new territory to do business in. Already in early 1880s, Tatar merchants were seen in the country, many dozens at once. Their trips had become regular especially after the Riihimäki-Saint Petersburg railway completing years before. In 1891, the railroads already reached for example to Oulu and Kemi. At first, they returned to their homes after earning enough, but after it became evident that the business conditions were better on Finnish soil, they  started to settle in the country permanently. The relatively good reception of the Finns also helped. Many Tatars settled in Viipuri (Vyborg) at first, but after it was lost to Soviet Union, they moved mainly to Helsinki, Turku and Tampere, where some fellow Tatars had already settled. Soon, many of them transitioned into selling in halls. For example, in Viipuri halls, they sold cotton products, silk fabrics, carpets and furs. Terijoki municipality (Zelenogorsk) as well was an important place for business before it also was lost to Soviet Union. In Tampere, fabric was often the main product being sold. Many  of them also set up their own shops. Migration of Tatar families. Many Tatars who had settled into Finland started to arrange their family members to the country after the 1917 Russian revolution. This however, was mostly possible only after 1921, because the border of Russia and Finland was closed until the Treaty of Tartu. The relatives of these Tatar merchants had to plead for a visa from the delegations of Moscow or Saint Petersburg. They also got help for example from professor Yrjö Jahnsson, who had connections that assisted them in the migration. The migration was mainly possible until  1929. After that, some who came, came illegally or for big ransom. Tatars from Estonia. By the 1920s, approximately 200-300 Tatars were living in Tallinn, Narva, Jõhvi and Rakverne. Many of them traveled to Finland with motorboat pickups in 1943. They reported themselves as political refugees in the country, and some tried to get into the Finnish military. Due to uncertain conditions and fear of deportation, many of them, and even some Finnish Tatars moved to Sweden. Before these migrants, there is information about only one Tatar in the country, a tanner named Ibrahim Umarkajeff. In 1949, they established  an association in Sweden, which was at first called "Turk-Islam Föreningen i Sverige för Religion och Kultur," and later "Islam Församlingen i Sverige." The community maintained a cemetery in the southside of Sweden. The members of the community started to decrease during 1960 and 1970s. Finnish citizenship. While Tatars in Finland started to apply for a Finnish citizenship soon after the country's independence in 1917, still in 1939, as many as half of the community stayed in the country with Nansen passports. One reason for this was that the Finnish government demanded them to prove that they had  been in the country for at least five years without leaving, and that they can provide for themselves and their families. These things got easier to prove after the second world war. The first citizenship was granted to a Tatar named Sadik Ainetdin in 1919. Religious formation. The first registered Tatar and at the same time the first Islamic formation in Finland was founded in 1915. It was called ""Helsingin musulmaanien hyväntekeväisyysseura"" ("The Charity Club of Helsinki Moslem's"). During that time, terms like "Moslem" and "Mohammedan" were used, rather than "Muslim" or "Islamic". An actual congregation they founded in  1925, after the Finnish laws had approved of given practices in 1922. Finland therefore became the first western country that gave Muslims official recognition. The congregation was at first named ""Suomen muhamettilainen seurakunta"" ("The Finnish Mohammedan Congregation") and later, from 1963 forwards, The Finnish-Islamic Congregation. They didn't get the right to wed their community members until 1932 however, because the authorities believed that it would lead to polygamy, even though it was not practiced among the Tatars. Elsewhere in Finland there were also religious formations, such as The Tampere Islamic Congregation, founded in 1942. During the same  year, a wooden mosque was built in Järvenpää by the community members. The first pilgrimage to Mecca done by the community happened in 1920s. Cultural formation. In order to conserve and develop their culture in Finland, Tatars have established their own cultural associations. For example, in 1935, they established a Helsinki-based ""Suomen turkkilaisten seura"" (The Association of Finnish Turks) and ""Tampereen Turkkilainen Yhdistys"" (The Tampere Turkish Society), and two years later, ""Turun Turkkilais-Tataarilainen Yhdistys"" ("The Turku Turko-Tatar Association"). These formations have mainly focused on organizing their own cultural events and publishing. They, and their religious congregation both  have also arranged language teaching to their children. In Helsinki, they had their own school, ""Turkkilainen kansakoulu"" ("Turkish Volksschule"), which was shut down in 1969 after lack of students. Identity in Finland. Background The Tatar community in Finland has always been very close with each other, their roots leading mostly to the same areas. Yet, there has been conflict among the community when it comes to their identity. This conflict has focused mainly between them identifying either as "Tatars", or "Turks". (Note: there is no distinction between terms "Turk/Turkish" and "Turkic" in the Finnish language. "Turkkilainen" can technically mean  both). Already in Russian Empire the Tatars had had debates about whether different Turkic peoples should develop their own Turkic language or create one uniting language. This ideology is commonly known as Pan-Turkism. One of its most prominent thinkers, Crimean Tatar Ismail Gasprinsky felt that all Turkic peoples were a part of the "same family". He wanted to create a general Turkic language on the basis of Ottoman Turkish, and remove Arabic and Persian loan words. The name ”Tatar” itself has also created disagreements. Even though the term has appeared for example in ancient Turkish texts, it has been  perceived also as a Russian epithet with a bad connotation. For example, Finnish Tatar Zinnetullah Ahsen Böre preferred to call himself a ”Volga Turk”. ("volgan turkkilainen") and refused to use the term Tatar. Another Finnish Tatar, Weli-Ahmed Hakim also preferred to use terms like ”Turks” and ”Turkish language” when speaking of his community. The reasons for the conflict among the community have also been political. In early 1900s, some Tatars in Finland (like elsewhere) became interested in the pursuits of independence for the Muslims in Russia. This was for a moment represented by Idel-Ural State (1918). The interest  was mostly sparked by Idel-Ural politicians who had visited the country and also some Tatar activists, most famously Sarif Daher and Hasan Kanykoff, and also some Finnish university people. Not everyone was as excited of given pursuits. Many found the idea hopeless, and in return, were inspired by the then-new Republic of Turkey (1923) and president Atatürk's national spirit. They rather saw themselves as ”Turks of North” ("pohjoisen turkkilaiset"), and some of them even acquired the country's citizenship. Turkey was basically the first independent Turkic nation these Tatars had ever seen, so it gave them a  kind of reference point to their identity. Some more clear examples of this are Finnish Tatar children drawing flags of Turkey at school and the 10-year celebration of Turkey's independence held in 1933 in Tampere. At the celebration, flags of Turkey and Finland, and pictures of both countries' presidents (Atatürk and Svinhufvud) were present. The participants also wore pins that had the emblem of the flag. The identification with Turkey was at its strongest with the second generation of Finnish Tatars. The first generation, at least in the beginning identified themselves mostly through their religion. (First generation means  the merchants who moved to Finland, second, their children). Impact on culture This ”Turkish-mindedness” had an impact on the names of their establishments, their personal names and language. Associations used names such as "The Tampere "Turkish" Society". When speaking of their language, they usually referred to it as ”Turkish”. In their personal names, the letter Ä (which is common for Tatars) was replaced by Turkish E (example; Ahsän -> Ahsen). Previously used Arabic script was, in the footsteps of Turkey, replaced with a Latin one. Though, this wasn't the only thing that impacted their names; most of them  also removed the Russian suffixes, such as -"off", from their surnames around the time of independence of Finland (1917). This way they avoided being seen as Russians during those times of conflict (Finnish epithet; "Ryssä"). In general, the spelling of Tatar names in Finland varies a lot. Current day This Turkic minority in Finland has since found a renewed connection to their Tatar roots. This has been mostly due to connections made between the community in Kazan, Russia, and also having the chance to visit the home villages of their ancestors. Desire to not be confused with actual Turks of  Turkey has also played a part. The term Tatar has been brought to public in Finland by the community since late 1900s. They have at times showcased their own culture to the Finns. Some documentaries have also been made. Helsinki-based "Suomen turkkilaisten seura" has thought about changing the term "turkkilaisten" to "tataarien", though still, not everyone has agreed, and therefore the name remains. Tatars during Finnish wars. In total, 156 members of the Finnish Tatar community took part in the Winter War and the Continuation War on the side of Finland. Ten of them died while serving. In addition , 13 were wounded, 7 of them permanently. 21 Tatar women operated at the Lotta Svärd organization. In 1987, the names of the fallen Tatar soldiers were carved on a memory plate, which was placed on their congregation's main building wall. They have also been honored at the Islamic cemetery in Helsinki. The reception of Tatars in Finland. The Tatar merchants who came to Finland were at times accused of trading without license and avoiding paying taxes. In general, however, Tatars were better thought of in Finland than in Russia, which is believed to have been their main reason for  settling in the country. Just one more serious attack upon the community has been made in Finland: in the early 1990s, a firebomb was thrown into a Tatar home in Tampere. Otherwise, according to individual interviews, the community has not experienced any discrimination beyond sometimes being called names at school. Political refugees among the community. After the failed pursuits of independence in 1918, many leading figures of Idel-Ural state began to arrive to Finland. Their names were as follows; Yusuf Akçura, Ayaz Ishaki, Musa Carullah Bigi, Zeki Velidi (Togan), Sadri Maksudi (Arsal), Alimcan Idris, Abdullah Battal (Taymas), and the  former imam of Saint Petersburg, Lutfi Ishaki. Idris and Battal stayed in the country for longer, due to operating as teachers and cultural influencers among the community, but the others shortly continued elsewhere, such as Germany, France or Turkey. Some of them however returned to Finland later, for example Ayaz Ishaki, for whom the Tatar community of Tampere organized a three-day celebration in February 1937. Ishaki in return organized a 20-year memory celebration of Idel-Ural state in Warsaw in 1938, where seven Finnish Tatars were present. Academic interest towards Tatars in Finland. Tatars have been a subject  of interest for many Finnish linguists. Such people have been for example Mathias Alexander Castren, August Ahlqvist and Gustaf John Ramstedt, of which the last one even gave "Idel-Uralic names" to his children. These linguists made exploration trips to Kazan many times, and also made some observations towards the tribe the Finnish Tatars originate from, the Mishars. Martti Räsänen for example studied their wedding habits. Culture. Religion. Tatars also in Finland are according to old tradition Sunni Muslims. They practice their religion at their own congregation, The Finnish-Islamic Congregation, which has its so called main building in Fredrikinkatu , Helsinki. The congregation also owns a wooden mosque in Järvenpää. The Tatars in Tampere have their separate congregation, which has its space in Hämeenkatu. The congregations accept only Tatars as their members. In Finland, Tatars are known as an Islamic minority who keeps a low profile. They usually don't speak publicly about timely topics regarding Islam in the country. Language. The native language of Finnish Tatars is the Tatar language, more specifically, its western, Mishar dialect. It differs from the dialect of the Kazan Tatars. The language of the community in Finland also differs from the language of Tatars  in Russia by them speaking with a Finnish accent. The Tatars in Finland at first wrote with the Arabic alphabet. From 1930s forwards, they started to transition to the Latin alphabet. Reasons for this were mainly the Turkish mindedness that saturated the community at that time (Turkey had begun using the Latin alphabet in 1928), and at the same time the similar movement called the "Yanalif movement," which was happening in Soviet Union among the Tatars. By 1950s, the publications of Finnish Tatars had mostly switched to the Latin alphabet. Before this, during the transition period, both were still used . In the teaching of the community's children, they changed to the Latin alphabet during 1960s. The Tatars in Russia use the Cyrillic alphabet nowadays. Example of Finnish Tatar language in the Latin alphabet: Names. Tatar names are mostly rooted in Arabic, Persian and Turkic. Music. The community has maintained its musical tradition at their own cultural events, where a local Tatar ensemble, Başkarma has been popular. The music choices are often old Tatar folk songs, that originated from the first generation of Tatars who came to the country. Tatar musicians from Russia have also visited the community. Cuisine. The  cuisine tradition of Finnish Tatars consists mainly of different types of soups, meat based foods, sweet and savory dough based foods, pies, pilaf and porridges. The most known Tatar food in Finland is the spicy pastry called pärämäç ("pärämäts" among the Finns). It was commercialized by a Finnish Tatar chef/hockey player Mönäyvär Saadetdin in Tampere during the 1960s. Theater. The community in Finland has organized their own theater plays. Active period has been at least the first half of 1900s. During that time, the plays were often presented at Tampereen Teatteri (The Tampere Theater), to where at best, over  300 Finnish Tatars were invited. Publishing. In relation to the size of the community, the publishing among the Tatars has been abundant. Given activity can be divided as such: history, memoirs, biographies, poetry, proverbs, music, religious literature, Tatar language textbooks, children's books and magazines. Finnish Tatar Zinnetullah Ahsen Böre published the first Finnish language Quran. The community today. As of 2020, the community consists approximately 600-700 members. Most Tatars live in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Turku and Järvenpää. The Tatars themselves generally think that they have conserved their cultural identity very well, but at the same time , worries of its future have been raised. Some anonymous quotes from the members of the community; Many in the Tatar youth have had difficulties finding a spouse among the small community. Due to this, some have stayed single, and some have gone and found a spouse among the Russian Tatars, but marriages between the Finns are quite common now, and this has created conflict among the community. Sports. Tatars have been represented in different professional sports in Finland, especially in ice hockey. Already the first generation encouraged their children to take part in sports at their new environment. Sports had  been an important part of their every summer "Sabantuy" -celebrations at their home villages. Most notable Finnish Tatar athletes are for example footballer Atik Ismail and hockey player Lotfi Nasib. Finnish Tatar establishments. Some of the following most likely don't exist anymore, but due to lack of information, only the formation year is mentioned. They are written mostly in Finnish and Tatar.