Volga Tatars

Not to be confused with Crimean Tatars.

Volga Tatars

татарлар • tatarlar
Kamil Samigullin, the Mufti of Tatarstan.
Total population
c. 6.5 million
Regions with significant populations
Russia: Tatarstan: 2,012,571 (Official) Bashkortostan: 1,009,295 Moscow: 149,043	5,310,649
Uzbekistan	467,829
Kazakhstan	203,371
Ukraine	73,304-400,000
Turkmenistan	36,355
Kyrgyzstan	28,334
Azerbaijan	25,900
Turkey	25,500
China	5,000
Lithuania	4,000
Estonia	1,981
Finland	600-700
Languages
Tatar, Russian
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Islam with Orthodox Christian and irreligious minority
Related ethnic groups
Bashkirs, Chuvash, Nogais, Crimean Tatars

The Volga Tatars or simply Tatars (Tatar: татарлар, romanized: tatarlar; Russian: татары, romanized: tatary), and occasionally by the historical Turko-Tatars (Төрки-татарлар, Törki-tatarlar), are a Kipchak-Bulgar Turkic ethnic group native to the Volga-Ural region of western Russia. They are subdivided into various subgroups. Volga Tatars are the second-largest ethnic group in Russia after ethnic Russians. Most of them live in the republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. Their native language is Tatar, a language of the Turkic language family. The predominant religion is Sunni Islam, followed by Orthodox Christianity.

"Tatar" as an enthonym owns a very long and complicated history and in the past was often used as an umbrella term for different Turkic and Mongolic tribes. Nowadays it mostly refers exclusively to Volga Tatars (known simply as "Tatars"; Tatarlar), who became its "ultimate bearers" after the founding of Tatar ASSR (1920–1990; now Tatarstan). The ethnogenesis of Volga-Ural Tatars is still debated, but their history is usually connected to the Kipchak Tatar-Turks of Golden Horde (1242–1502), and also to its predecessor, Volga Bulgaria (900s–1200s), whose adoption of Islam is celebrated yearly in Tatarstan. After the collapse of the Golden Horde, ancestors of modern Tatars formed the Khanate of Kazan (1438–1552), which lost its independence to Russia after the Siege of Kazan in 1552.

History

Further information: Tartary and History of Tatarstan

"Workers of the world, unite!", written in the Tatar Arabic script on illustrated flag of TASSR. (Kazan Kreml Museum, 2023).

The cultural center for Tatars is Tatarstan, Russian Federation. Before this they were a part of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, established in 1920. It was the first successful Tatar formation since the Kazan Khanate.

In 1926 population census, different subgroups of now Volga Tatars identified themselves by their own names. After this, they were grouped together as "Tatars". During the period of the Russian Empire, they were also generally known as Tatars, and eventually, the name was extended to most of the other Turkic peoples of Russia as well (Azerbaijanis – Transcaucasian Tatars).

The history of the ethnonym traces back to the times of Golden Horde, when its feudal nobility used it to denote its citizens. Russian feudals and the Tsar government started using it also. These different tribes usually identified themselves by their group name, or, generally as Muslims. Bolgar-name also was referenced. It is suggested, that they avoided using the term also, because it connected them negatively to the Mongol-Tatars of the past.

Nowadays, many of the ethnic differences between Tatar groups of Volga have disappeared. Some, especially unique dialectical features remain, and they are still separated into their own Tatar-groups within Volga Tatars.

The majority of Volga Tatars (Kazan Tatars and Mishars) are usually thought to be descendants of either the Kipchaks of Golden Horde, or Bulgars, that survived the Mongol conquest of 1236–1237. Some say that these two theories should not be in opposition to each other. Their history is connected to other tribes as well.

G. R. Yenikeev thinks that modern Tatars are the direct descendants of the Tatars of Genghis Khan. He criticizes the phenomenon of identifying with Bulgars and states, that this happened due to the "pro-western rulers of the Romanov government", with the help of Bulgarist-Mullahs and European historians, that created a negative and distorted image of the Tatars, which ended up causing them to reject the term and lose national consciousness. Finnish historian Antero Leitzinger states: "They [Bulgarists] emphasize the contribution of the Bulgars mainly due to the feeling of inferiority created by the Russians, which is often attached to the Orda population".

During the 14th century, Sunni Islam was adopted by many of the Tatars. They became subjects of Russia after the Siege of Kazan in 1552.

The 1921–1922 famine in Tatarstan was a period of mass starvation and drought that took place in the Tatar ASSR as a result of war communism policy, in which 500 thousand to 2 million peasants died. The event was part of the greater Russian famine of 1921–22 that affected other parts of the USSR, in which up 5 million people died in total.

Tatar authorities have attempted since the 1990s, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, to reverse the Russification of Tatarstan that took place during the Soviet period.

Status in Russia

Language

Main article: Tatar language

Tatar is a Turkic language which belongs to the sub-branch of Kipchak languages called Kipchak–Bulgar. According to 2002 census, there were 5,3 million Tatar speakers in Russia, and in 2010, 4,3 million. (Tatar should not be confused with Crimean Tatar, which is a separate language within the same Kipchak family.).

Tatar can be divided into two main dialects (some think Siberian Tatar is a third)

• Central (Kazan - most common and also the literary language)
• Western (Mishar)

In 2017 the amount of hours Tatar language taught in Tatarstan schools was reduced to two hours per week and it can only happen with a written approval from the pupil's parent. President Vladimir Putin reasoned that a person should not be forced "to learn a language, that is not his mother language", which refers to complaints made by parents of Russian students who were dissatisfied that their children had to learn Tatar that in return took time away from studying Russian. Before this, for 25 years everyone in Tatarstan (including Russians) had to learn Tatar from kindergarten to secondary school. In 2021 there were approximately 53% Tatars in Tatarstan and 40% Russians. In 2015 enquiry, most young people in the state preferred to learn Russian or English and thought that Tatar was not useful in work life.

Tatars and Russians

A version of the Tatarstan flag sometimes used by Tatar separatists.

Unity Day 2015. President Vladimir Putin and different religious figures. Among them, Tatars Talgat Tadzhuddin (third from left), and Ravil Gainutdin (on the right).

After Russians, Volga Tatars are the second biggest ethnic group in Russia.

The long and multifaceted history between these two ethnic groups can be traced back to the times of Volga Bulgaria and the Golden Horde. Tatars have been a part of Russia since the 1500s. Later, among Tatars, there is both people, who are against Russia, and those that believe they are an integral part of it. Among Tatar separatists is the ethnic nationalist, founder of independence party İttifaq, Fauziya Bayramova. In 2018 Rafis Kashapov, a Tatar activist founded in Kyiv a separatist movement called "Free Idel-Ural". Famous pro-Russian examples include the Grand Mufti of Russia, supporter of Eurasianism, Talgat Tadzhuddin. He and another Tatar Mufti Kamil Samigullin have supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov stated in June 2023 that "Tatarstan fully supports the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of the country Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; the most correct thing now is to stand together against those who pose a threat to Russia and its multinational people".

Importance of the independence for Tatarstan comes up usually when discussing the Russification of Tatars, but it has also been noted, that it wouldn't necessarily solve the problem at least entirely. "Increasingly, minority peoples themselves decide to teach their children Russian to ensure economic integration". (K. Zubacheva, 2019). Researcher in Bremen University, Daria Dergacheva thinks independence could happen in time, but also, that it would be very difficult and might not achieve the decolonization desired. She also states, that the ethnic nationalism required for it could fuel inter-ethnic conflicts, since Tatars are only 53% of the population in Tatarstan. Challenges include also the fact that Tatarstan is deeply embedded in Russia’s economy, trade, and infrastructure.

The national poet Ğabdulla Tuqay wrote in response to the Tatar emigration to Turkey that was happening in late 1800s and early 1900s: "Here we were born, here we grew up, and here the moment of our death will come. Fate itself has bound us to this Russian land". Tuqay called Russians their "brother people".

G. R. Yenikeev states, that "Medieval Tatars played a significant role also in the formation of Russians". He cites the Eurasianist historian Lev Gumilev: "Tatars are in our blood, our history, our language, our worldview. Whatever the real differences with the Russians, the Tatars are not a people outside us, but within us". In Kazan (Tatarstan) there is a statue of Gumilev. Tatar author Galimdzhan Ibragimov: "We Tatars are a nation that joined Russia before others. Despite the dark politics of the autocracy and the differences between the two communities, this created many common features of life among them".

Tatar mufti Ravil Gainutdin has stated, that in his opinion "Russia was created by Turks as much as it was by Slavs". The foundation for such ideas were laid out by Crimean Tatar Jadidist thinker Ismail Gasprinsky, who believed in unity of the two peoples and thought Russia was "a continuation of the Golden Horde".

In his 2016 book, "Moscow and the Tatar World" (Москва и татарский мир), the Tatar historian from Kazan, Bulat Rakhimzyanov makes a claim that "there was no large-scale confrontation between Moscow and the Tatars in the Middle Ages".

Märcani Mosque in Kazan

Tatar and Russian peasants joined their forces multiple times in the past. For example, the 1606–1609 "mountaineer rebellion", in which the Chuvash and Mordvins also took part. The most famous of these, however, is the Pugachev rebellion, in which a large number of Tatars participated. According to Alfred Khalikov, "the tsarist government and both the Russian and Tatar feudal lords were afraid of friendship between peoples and constantly incited chauvinistic and nationalist fervor".

The first mufti of Russia, Tatar-born Mukhamedzhan Khusainov (1756–1824) had a big impact on bringing Russian rule to the Kazakh steppes and also to Caucasus, especially among Kabardians.

Philologist-journalist Azat Akhunov: "Despite conflicts and national differences, Tatars are very close to Russians in mentality, even more so than Ukrainians and Belarusians. We have a common historical experience that cannot be denied. As long as our culture is respected and not disturbed, we are the best neighbors, friends and colleagues of the Russian people.

Subgroups

Kazan Tatars

Head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov (left) and former head Mintimer Shaimiev during the Izge Bolgar zhyeny festivities, dedicated to the 1,121st anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria.

The majority of Volga Tatars are Kazan Tatars. (Qazan tatarları / qazanlılar).They form the bulk of the Tatar population of Tatarstan. Traditionally, they inhabit the left bank of Volga River. They were finally formed during Khanate of Kazan (1438–1552).

A. Rorlich sees the history as follows: Khazar invasions forced the Bulgars, Turkic people, to migrate from the Azov steppes to the Middle Volga and lower Kama region during the first half of the eighth century. In the period of 10th–13th centuries, other Turkic peoples, including Kipchaks, migrated from Southern Siberia to Europe. They played a significant role in the Mongol invasion of Rus' in the 13th century. Tatar ethnogenesis took place after migrated Turkic peoples, mixed with the local Bulgar population and other inhabitants of the Volga River area, kept Kipchak dialect and became Muslims. Several new Tatar states had emerged by the 1500s after the Golden Horde fell. These states were Khanate of Kazan, Astrakhan Khanate, Khanate of Sibir, and Crimean Khanate.

Controversy surrounds the origin of the Tatar people, whether they are descended from Bulgars or the Golden Horde. According to one theory, Kazan Tatar heritage can be traced back to Kipchaks of the Golden Horde, yet according to another theory, the Tatars emerged from the Bulgar culture that survived the Mongol conquest of 1236–1237. Ever since the mid 1970s, however, a viewpoint has risen, that these two theories should not be in contrary to each other, but rather, in symbiosis, stating that they cannot simply claim only Bulgars as their ancestors. (See: Bulgarism).

The President of the Bulgar National Congress, Gusman Khalilov appealed to the European Court of Human Rights on the issue of renaming the Tatars into Bulgars, but in 2010 he lost in court.

Şihabetdin Märcani during late 1800s encouraged the Kazan Tatars to identify as Tatar, despite its possible negative connotations.

Mishar Tatars

Xäydär Bigiçev (1949-1998), Mishar Tatar from Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, soloist of the Tatar Opera and Ballet Theater named after Musa Jalil, award-winning folk artist.

Mishar Tatars, or Mishars (mişär tatarları, mişärlär) are an ethnographic group of Volga Tatars speaking Mishar dialect of the Tatar language. They comprise approximately one third of the Volga Tatar population. After migration waves from late 1500s to 1700s, they settled especially on the right bank of Volga and Urals. Increased contacts with Kazan Tatars made these two groups even closer, and thus, "Tatar nation" was born; eventually replacing previously used regional names. Due to this, the sub-group consciousness was also weakened. G. Tagirdzhanov thought that the ancestors of both Kazan Tatars and Mishars were originally from Volga Bulgaria. He proposed, that Mishars descended from the Esegel tribe.

The ethnogenesis of the Mishars is contested, but they are often thought of being the descendants of Kipchaks of the Golden Horde, one way or another. Their ethnic formation finally happened in Qasim Khanate during 1400–1500s. In addition to Kipchaks, Mishars' ancestors are often linked to Meshchera, Burtas, Bolgars and Eastern Hungarian tribes.

Even though the Mishars have been influenced by Russians, probably more so than the Kazan Tatars, the dialect in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast has been said to resemble the ancient Kipchak dialect. According to A. Leitzinger, Mishar dialect has more Kipchak, and Kazan dialect more Bolgar influence. A. Orlov states: "Nizhny Novogord Tatars (Mishars) are one of the original Tatar groups, who maintain the continuity of Kipchak-Turkic language, culture and tradition". Orlov also thinks that Mishars are mostly the ancestors of Don Cossacks.

Traditionally, Mishars have populated the western side of the Volga River. Nowadays the majority presumably lives in Moscow. Finnish Tatars are originally Mishars also.

In 1897 census, the number of Mishars was 622 600. Their estimated number varies greatly.

Kasimov Tatars

Mosque and minaret in Kasimov.

Kasimov Tatars (Qasıym tatarları) have their capital in the town of Kasimov, Ryazan Oblast. They were formed during the Qasim Khanate. The number of Kasimov Tatars in 2002 was suspected to be less than 1000. In late 1800s and early 1900s, some Kasimov Tatars are known to have relocated to the regions of Kazan, Simbirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Orenburg, and also Central-Asia.

According to S. Ishkhakov, the Kasimov Tatars were an "ethnically transitional group between Kazan Tatars and Mishar Tatars." Kasimov Tatars took part in the Conquest of Kazan and in wars against Sweden in troops of Ivan the Terrible. In some sources, Mishars are called Kasimov Tatars. (They were also largely formed in Qasim Khanate.)

Kasimov Tatars (Self name: Kaçim / Käçim tatarları / xalkı) speak the central (Kazan) dialect of Tatar language. In their dialect there is Mishar and Nogai influence.

The first female Tatar mathematician, graduate of Sorbonne University and recipient of Hero of the Soviet Union, S. K. Shakulova (1887–1964) is said to have been a Kasimov Tatar.

Nukrat Tatars

Nukrat Tatars (Noqrat tatarları) live mainly in Udmurtia (Yukamensky, Glazovsky, Balezinsky, Yarsky districts) and Kirov Oblast. They are divided into subgroups Nukrat and Chepetsky. They speak Tatar with characteristic of the southern Udmurt. Their name comes from the village of Noqrat, which was first mentioned in 1542 along with the cities of the Vyatka land. Their formation was influenced by Udmurts and the Besermyan. They practice Islam.

In 1920s the number of Nukrat Tatars was around 15,000 people.

Perm Tatars

Perm Tatars (Perm' tatarları), also known as the Ostyaks in Russian sources during 15th and early 17th century, live mainly in the Perm Krai and Sverdlovsk Oblast. The Ostyaks were in the sphere of influence of the Kazan Khanate as a separate ethno-political entity (Ostyak, or Kostyak land). One significant ethnic component of the Perm Tatars was the Nogai-Kipchak population of the Perm region. Also, Kazan Tatars and partly Mishars who moved from the Middle Volga region to the Perm Territory in 16th - early 17th centuries had an influence. Perm Tatars are divided into 4 subgroups: Mullinskaya, Kungurskaya, Tanypovskaya and Krasnoufimskaya. In early 1900s their number was 52 700 thousand people. Like the Tatar majority, they practice Islam.

Kryashens

Main article: Kryashens

A policy of Christianization of the Muslim Tatars was enacted by the Russian authorities, beginning in 1552, resulting in the emergence of Kryashens (keräşen/keräşennär), also known as "Christianized Tatars". Many Volga Tatars were forcibly Christianized by Ivan the Terrible during the 16th century, and continued to face forced baptisms and conversions under subsequent Russian rulers and Orthodox clergy up to the mid-eighteenth century.

Kryahsen Tatars live in much of the Volga-Ural area. Today, they tend to be assimilated among the Russians and other Tatar groups.

Some of the Kryashens speak the Kazan dialect, others Mishar dialect. In 2010 census, 34,882 identified as Kryashens.

Other groups

Teptyars (tiptär), Nagaibaks (nağaybäklär) and Astrakhan Tatars (Ästerxan tatarları) can also be included as Volga Tatars according to some.

Teptyars live in Perm Krai, the southeast part of Tatarstan, and northwestern Bashkortostan. Most of them speak the Kazan dialect of Tatar language, and some speak Bashkir. According to one theory, originally Teptyars formed a special peasant group, which, in addition to the Tatars, included Bashkirs, Chuvash, Maris, Udmurts and Mordvins. In 1790, the Teptyars were transferred to the ranks of the military service class, and the Teptyar Regiment was formed. During the Patriotic War of 1812, the 1st Teptyar Regiment under the command of Major Temirov took part in the fighting as part of a separate Cossack troops of Matvei Platov. To this day, there is controversy on whether they should be classified as either Tatars or Bashkirs. In early 1900s, their number was estimated to be 382 000.

The Nagaibaks live in Chelyabinsk Oblast of Russia. They are Orthodox Christian and multiple researchers think they originated from Christianized Nogais of Nogai Khanate. Other theories exist however. They speak Nagaibak, a sub-dialect of the middle dialect of Tatar. A 2002 census recorded 9 600 Nagaibaks.

Astarkhan Tatars are a regional ethnic group. In 1989, 71 700 Tatars lived in Astrakhan Oblast. They are separated into three subgroups: Jurtov and Kundrov Tatars, and the Karagash. One theory connects the Jurtov and Karagash to Nogai. Another proposes that Jurtov descend from Astarkhan Khanate. A considerable part of the Astrakhan Tatars are descendants of the Volga Tatars who moved to the area in the 18th and 19th centuries. As early as 1702, local Tatar vomen married Kazan Tatars. At the end of the 18th century, Volga and Ural Tatars began to move to the countryside, where they founded new villages or settled in the same villages with local Tatars. By the beginning of the 20th century, the settlers who mainly mixed with the Jurtov Tatars already made up more than a third of the local Tatar population.

Tatar literature

Main article: Tatar literature

National poet Ğabdulla Tuqay.

Tatar literature has an ancient history. Before the introduction of printing, ancient Tatar books written in Arabic script were copied by hand. Manuscripts of the Koran, other spiritual literature, educational books were widely distributed. One of the earliest works of national Tatar literature known is considered to be written at the beginning of the 13th century by the famous poet Qol Ğäli, the poetic work Qíssa-i Yosıf (قصه یوسف, Tale of Yusuf). The first printed edition in the Tatar language was the Manifesto of Peter I on the occasion of the Persian campaign, published in 1722.

As their literary language, Tatars used a local variant of Türki until early 1900s. Its norms began to move towards the spoken vernacular from the mid 1800s. The basis for a new literary language was created by migration and urbanization. The vocabulary and phonetics of it is based mostly on the Kazan Dialect and the morphology on Mishar Dialect.

Notable Tatar writers in 19th and 20th centuries are for example Ğabdulla Tuqay, Ğälimcan İbrahimov, Fatix Ämirxan, Ğädel Qutuy and Musa Cälil. More recent writers include Robert Miñnullin.

Theater

The first published Tatar play was by Ğabdraxman İlyas in 1887, called "Biçara qız" (Бичара кыз, "The Unhappy Girl"). It was partially met with negative reception by the conservative Tatar audiences of the time due to including "advanced ideas based on social equality". A professional Tatar theater group Säyär (Сәйяр) emerged in early 1907 in Uralsk. This group is thought of being the basis for the Galiaskar Kamal Tatar Academic theatre, located in Kazan, Tatarstan. Today, the theater's repertoire mainly includes plays in the Tatar language, but also some plays written by Russians and others. For people who do not speak the language, an opportunity has been arranged to watch Tatar plays with translation. Among notable Tatar playwrights are Mirxäydär Fäyzi, Kärim Tinçurin, Ğäliäsğar Kamal, Ğayaz İsxaqi, and more recently, Zölfät Xäkim.

Religion

See also: Islam in Tatarstan and Islam in Russia

The Qolşärif mosque in Kazan.

Tatars in Bolghar, during "Holy Bolghar gathering" (Изге Болгар җыены, İzge Bolğar cıyını), year 2024. In the middle mufti Kamil Samigullin (Səmiğullin).

The Islamic roots of the Volga region trace back to Volga Bulgaria (922). Since then, Islam also has a centuries old history in Russia. Volga Tatars played a significant role in the national and cultural movements of Muslims during Russian Empire and also in Soviet Union. Islam is currently the majority religion in Tatarstan.

In September 2010, Eid al-Fitr and May 21, the day the Volga Bulgars embraced Islam, were made public holidays. During that time the president of Tatarstan negotiated for use of Islamic banking and the first halal food production facility opened with foreign companies expressing their interest to expand the project in Tatarstan.

Radicalism

The term "Caucasization of Tatarstan" or Volga-Urals has been coined to describe some of the radical Islamic elements found in the region, that mainly come from the Caucasus. Muslim migration from Central-Asia has also played a part. In 2006, Dokka Umarov stated: "We will never separate the lands of the Caucasus from the Volga region. . . . We will also liberate other lands occupied by Rusnya [a derogatory Chechen term for Russia]. These include Astrakhan and the lands along the Volga that are under the hoof of the Russian kafirs.”

Most notable example of radical Islam among Tatars is the formation İttifaq, whose leader Fauziya Bayramova sided with the Salafists in the 2000s. Imam of the Al-Ikhlas mosque in Kazan, Rustem Safin, was under a suspended two-year sentence for his association with HuT. There were a few dozen Tatars fighting with the separatists during the two Chechen Wars. In 2010, the Interior Ministry of Tatarstan closed down a short lived assembly in Nurlatsky District, which had tried to emulate the Dagestani jamaat of the 1990s.

The radical form of Islam has appeared among Tatars and Bashkir only occasionally. Many of the young are not active Muslims and are Russified in culture. The former head of the Spiritual Board of the Muslims of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Umar Idrisov believes that “Unlike their fellow Muslims abroad, Russian Muslims are Europeans, who grew up with traditional all-Russian values, including Christian ones.”

Population figures

Tatar-inhabited areas in Russia according to the 2010 Russian census

Tatars inhabiting the Republic of Tatarstan, a federal subject of Russia, constitute one third of all Tatars, while the other two thirds reside outside Tatarstan. Some of the communities residing outside Tatarstan developed before the Russian Revolution of 1917, as Tatars were specialized in trading.

In the 1910s, they numbered about half a million in the area of Kazan. Nearly 2 million Volga Tatars died in the 1921–22 famine in Tatarstan. Some 15,000 belonging to the same stem had either migrated to Ryazan in the center of Russia (what is now European Russia) or had been settled as prisoners during the 16th and 17th centuries in Lithuania (Vilnius, Grodno, and Podolia). Some 2,000 resided in Saint Petersburg. Volga-Ural Tatars number nearly 7 million, mostly in Russia and the republics of the former Soviet Union. While the bulk of the population is found in Tatarstan (around 2 million) and neighbouring regions, significant number of Volga-Ural Tatars live in Siberia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. Outside of Tatarstan, urban Tatars usually speak Russian as their first language (in cities such as Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, Ufa, and cities of the Ural and Siberia).

In 2021, there were 5,310,649 Tatars in Russia.

Genetics

According to over 100 samples from the Tatarstan DNA project, the most common Y-DNA haplogroup of the ethnic Volga Tatars is Haplogroup R1a (over 20%), predominantly from the Asiatic R1a-Z93 subclade. Haplogroup N is the other significant haplogroup. According to different data, J2a or J2b may be the more common subclade of Haplogroup J2 in Volga Tatars. The haplogroups Q, O and C are less frequently represented.

Haplogroups in Volga Tatars (122 samples):

• C2: 2%
• E: 4% (V13: 3%)
• G2a: 2%
• I1: 6%
• I2a1: 5%
• I2a2: 2%
• J2a: 7%
• J2b: 2%
• L1: 2%
• N1c2: 9%
• N1c1: 16%
• O3: 2%
• Q1: 2%
• R1a: 33% (Z282: 19%, Z93: 14%)

According to Mylyarchuk et al.:

It was found that mtDNA of the Volga Tatars consists of two parts, but western Eurasian component prevails considerably (84% on average) over eastern Asian one (16%).

among 197 Kazan Tatars and Mishars. The study of Suslova et al. found indications of two non-Kipchak sources of admixture, Finno-Ugric and Bulgar:

Together with Tatars, Russians have high frequencies of allele families and haplotypes characteristic of Finno-Ugric populations. This presupposes a Finno-Ugric impact on Russian and Tatar ethnogenesis... Some aspects of HLA in Tatars appeared close to Chuvashes and Bulgarians, thus supporting the view that Tatars may be descendants of ancient Bulgars.

Volga Tatars, along with Maris, Finns, and Karelians, all cluster genetically with northern and eastern Russians, and are distinct from southern and western Russians. The scientists also found differences in relationships among some of the northern and eastern Russians.

According to a genetic study on mitochondrial haplogroups, Volga Tatars reveal roughly 90% West-Eurasian and 10% East-Eurasian maternal haplogroups.

Population structure of Turkic-speaking populations in the context of their geographic neighbors across Eurasia. Tatars derive between 20-30% of their ancestry from Siberian and Northeast Asian groups.

According to a full genome study by Triska et al. 2017, the Volga Tatars are primarily descended from Volga Bulgar tribes "who carried a large Finno-Ugric component", Pechenegs, Kumans, Khazars, and Iranian peoples such as Alans. The Tatars IBD is shared with various Turkic and Uralic populations, primarily from the Volga-Ural region. The authors suggest that "when the original Finno-Ugric speaking people were conquered by Turkic tribes, both Tatar and Chuvash are likely to have experience language replacement, while retaining their genetic core". The Finno-Ugric groups themselves have previously be found to have formed from local Indo-Europeans and early Uralic-speaking groups.

A 2019 study found that the autosomal admixture of the Volga Tatars can be modeled to be about 80% Srubnaya-like and around 20% Ulchi-like. The level of Ulchi-like ancestry was slightly higher in Kazan Tatars compared to Mishar Tatars.

Connections to historical Hungarians have been made also, being described to have formed from Western and Eastern Siberian sources.

The three regional groups of Tatars (Volga, Crimean, Siberian) do not have common ancestors and thus, their formation occurred independently of each other.

Notable Volga Tatars

See also: List of Tatars

Aida Garifullina, lyric soprano of Volga Tatar descent

• Amirkhan Yeniki – author, poet
• Vadim Abdrashitov – film director
• Dajan Ahmet – actor, director (Estonian Tatar)
• Rinat Akhmetov – billionaire, Ukraine's richest citizen
• Gabdulkhay Akhatov – linguist
• Yusuf Akçura – politician, writer
• Alsou – singer
• Abdulla Aliş – writer, resistance fighter.
• Reşit Rahmeti Arat – philologist, professor, writer
• Sadri Maksudi Arsal – politician
• Marat Basharov – actor
• Ğälimcan Barudi – theologian
• Simeon Bekbulatovich – statesman
• Musa Bigiev – philosopher, theologian
• Xäydär Bigiçev – singer
• Zinetula Bilyaletdinov – hockey player, coach
• Gölsem Bolğarskaya – actress
• Fauziya Bayramova – politician, writer
• Saadet Çağatay – turkologist
• Näcip Cihanov – composer
• Musa Cälil – poet, resistance fighter
• Emil Cäläletdinov – singer
• Ymär Daher – cultural worker, researcher (Finnish Tatar)
• Rinat Fakhretdinov – mixed martial artist
• Lotfulla Fattakhov – painter
• Rizaeddin bin Fakhreddin – scholar, publicist
• Mirxäydär Fäyzi – playwright
• Emil Galimov – hockey player
• Aida Garifullina – singer
• Rawil Ğaynetdin – mufti
• Ismagil Gainutdinov – architect
• Ildar Gilmutdinov – politician
• Säxipcamal Ğizzätullina-Volzhskaya – actress, director
• Chulpan Khamatova – actress
• Aisa Hakimcan – artist (Finnish Tatar)
• Ğälimcan İbrahimov – writer
• Alimcan Idris – theologian, reporter
• Airat Ichmouratov - composer, orchestra conductor
• Saniye İffet – poet, playwright
• Rafail Ilyasov – singer
• Ğayaz İsxaqıy – writer, journalist, politician
• Äxmät İsxaq – poet, translator, journalist
• Ramilya Iskander – actress, model
• Näqi İsänbät – writer
• Marat Izmailov – footballer
• Nail Yakupov – hockey player
• Guzel Yakhina – author, screenwriter
• Xämit Qolmämät – actor
• Ghabdennasir Qursawi – theologian, jadidist
• Ğädel Qutuy – poet, writer, playwright
• Robert Miñnullin – poet, journalist, politician
• Aliya Mustafina – artistic gymnast
• Saida Mukhametzyanova – singer
• İlbaris Nadirov – folklorist
• Elvira Nabiullina – economist
• Qayum Nasıyri – ethnographer, educator
• Rashid Nezhmetdinov – chess player
• Rudolf Nureyev – ballet dancer
• Rashid Nurgaliyev – general, politician
• Ğäliäsğar Kamal – playwright
• Dmitry Karbyshev – officer, general (Kryashen)
• Sara Sadíqova – actress, singer, composer
• Marat Safin – tennis player, politician
• Timur Safin – foil fencer
• Fandas Safiullin – politician
• Emil Sayfutdinov – speedway rider
• Habiburrahman Shakir – imam, theologian (Finnish Tatar)
• Amina Hanum Syrtlanoff – theosophist, mason
• Sahib-Garey Said-Galiev – revolutionary, politician
• Irina Shayk – model
• Salix Säydäş – composer, conductor
• İlham Şakirov – singer
• Luara Şakircanova – theater director, actress
• Kamil Sämiğullin – mufti
• Mirsaid Sultan-Galiyev – revolutionary
• Talgat Tadzhuddin – Shaykh al-Islām, Grand Mufti
• Abdullah Battal-Taymas – writer, journalist
• Kärim Tinçurin – playwright
• Ğabdulla Tuqay – poet
• Baqi Urmançe – painter, sculptor
• Gaisa Enikeev – teacher, ethnographer, politician
• Ildar Yagafarov – film director
• Färit Yarullin – composer
• Röstäm Yaxin – composer
• Kamila Valiyeva – figure skater
• Räşit Wahapov – singer
• Xäkimcan Xalikov – children's poet, teacher, journalist
• Zölfät Xäkim – musician, playwright
• Fatix Ämirxan – writer, editor, publicist
• Marat Äxmätov – violinist, professor

Diaspora

USA

The Volga Tatar Diaspora in the United States has been shaped by migration patterns primarily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with significant communities emerging in states like California, New York, and Washington. Like many immigrant groups in the United States, the Tatars have their own associations. This effort reflects a broader trend among Tatar communities in the U.S. to maintain their cultural heritage, engage with local populations, and build networks of support. This section lists these organizations, which are known to be active.

• Tatars of Washington State was established in January 2024 to promote and preserve Tatar culture and language in the region. Its mission emphasizes fostering a strong Tatar identity through educational programs, cultural events, language classes, and community initiatives, aimed at creating an inclusive environment for Tatars to connect and share their traditions.
• The American Tatar Association
• The American Turko-Tatar Association was established in 1960 by immigrants who came to the United States from Tatar communities in China, Japan, Korea and Turkey.

See also

• Tatar cuisine
• Turkic Christians
• Sabantuy
• Bulgarism
• Tatar nobility
• Chinese Tatars
• Crimean Tatars
• Lipka Tatars
• Finnish Tatars
• Tatars of Kazakhstan
• Tartary
• Little Tartary
• Idel-Ural State

Further reading

• Bukharaev, Ravil (2013). Islam in Russia: The Four Seasons. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-80793-0.
• Danier R. Brower; Edward J. Lazzerini (2001). Russia's Orient: Imperial Borderlands and Peoples, 1700-1917. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-21113-1.
• Millar, James R. (2004). Encyclopedia of Russian History Volume 2: A-D. New York, USA: Macmillan Reference. ISBN 0-02-865907-4.
• Mizelle, Peter Christopher (May 2002). "Battle with Famine:" Soviet Relief and the Tatar Republic 1921-1922. District of Columbia, USA: University of Virginia.
• Smith, Graham, ed. The Nationalities Question in the Soviet Union (2nd ed. 1995), pp 277–89.

External links

• Tatars in Congress Library (1989)
• The Origins of the Volga Tatars
• Tatar.Net
• (in Russian) G. R. Yenikeev: "In the footsteps of the black legend: truth and lies about the Tatars of Russia: origins, causes, authors". Series "Tatar trace in the history of Russia and Eurasia". Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod, 2009
• (in Russian) The tatars
• (in Russian) Tatar Name
• (in Russian) Tatar history
• (in Russian) Tatar world-wide server
• (in Russian) Tatar Names
• (in Russian) Anthropology of Tatars. By R.K. Urazmanova and S.V. Cheshko
• (in Russian and Tatar) Tatar Electronic Library
• (in Russian and Tatar) Tatar music & video catalog