Tatarstan

Federal district	Volga
surface	67,847 km²
population	3,786,488 inhabitants ; (as of October 14, 2010)
Population density	56 inhabitants / km²
Capital	Kazan
Official languages	Tatar , Russian
Ethnic ; composition	Tatars (53.2%) ; Russians (39.7%) ; Chuvashes (3.1%) ; Udmurts (0.6%) ; (as of 2010)
president	Rustam Minnichanov
Founded	May 27, 1920
Time zone	UTC + 3
Telephone prefixes	(+7) 843xx, 855xx
Postcodes	420000-423999
License Plate	16, 116
OKATO	92
ISO 3166-2	RU-TA
Website	www.tatar.ru

55.35 50.75Coordinates: 55 ° 21 ' N , 50 ° 45' E

Tatarstan (officially the Republic of Tatarstan , Tatar Татарстан Республикасы, Russian Республика Татарстан / Respublika Tatarstan , German and Tatarstan ) is an autonomous republic in the eastern part of European Russia . Tatarstan is one of the most populous autonomous republics of Russia and is considered to be particularly independent.

The name Tatarstan came only in the 19th and 20th centuries. Century on. The older term Tatarei referred to a much larger area.

geography

Landscape near Menselinsk
Volga near Bolgar

Tatarstan is located west of the Ural Mountains in the Eastern European Plain at the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers , which is broadened here like a lake by the Kuibyshev reservoir . The maximum north-south extension is 290 km, the maximum east-west distance 460 km. Tatarstan borders on eight regions of the Russian Federation: the north by the Kirov Oblast , in the northeast of Udmurtia , on the east by Bashkortostan , the south by the Orenburg , Samara Oblast , Ulyanovsk Oblast , on the west by Chuvashia and northwest of Mari El .

18 percent of the area is covered by forests, which mainly consist of deciduous varieties such as oak, linden or birch. Coniferous forests include pines and firs. The Republic of Tatarstan also has large water resources. The flow network form in addition to the Volga and Kama, among others, the Belaja that Wjatka that Sviyaga that myosha river , the Schischma , the Ik , the Toima , the Ish , the Stepnoj Saj . There are 3,000 rivers in total. The inland water area is 4400 km² or 6.4 percent of the republic's territory. A large part of the largest reservoir in Europe, the Kuibyshev reservoir with an area of 6450 km², is located on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan .

The local fauna is represented by 430 vertebrate species . The climate is temperate continental , with warm persistent, sometimes hot and arid summers and moderately cold winters. The average temperatures are −14 ° C in January and +19 ° C in July. The frost period lasts from mid-November to early April. The annual average rainfall is 430 to 500 mm.

The Republic of Tatarstan is rich in mineral resources, with crude oil being the most important raw material deposit (1999 output: 26.34 million tons). On the territory of the republic there is also gypsum (total reserves are 72 million tons), bitumen oil (proven reserves 12.5 billion tons), peat , brick clay (73.5 million cubic meters), limestone and dolomite . In the southwest of Tatarstan there are still deposits of hot shale .

population

The Greater Kazan
( across to Mari El )
Map of Rajons
(with Tatar names)
Distribution of ethnic groups
(as of 2010)
Population densities

Today the population of Tatarstan is 3,786,000. In the 2010 census, the Tatars made up just over half of the population. Not quite 40% of the population are Russians . Another important ethnic group are the Chuvashes . Larger nationalities within the republic are also the Udmurts , Mordvins , Mari , Ukrainians and Bashkirs .

The Tatars are a Turkic people , which arose from the ethnogenesis of the indigenous Volga Bulgarian population with Kipchak-Turkish- speaking peoples who invaded the region as a result of the Mongol invasion . Around 1990 the proportion of Tatars in the population of Tatarstan ( Tatar ASSR ) was only about 48.5%, but it is increasing slightly due to the slightly higher birth rate of the ethnic Tatar population. The official languages in Tatarstan are Russian and Tatar . The latter is written with both the Cyrillic and the Latin alphabet. However, only the Cyrillic spelling of the Tatar language is official.

The numerically most significant ethnic groups of Tatarstan

Ethnic group	VZ 1926		VZ 1939		VZ 1959		VZ 1970		VZ 1979		VZ 1989		VZ 2002		VZ 2010 ²
Ethnic group	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%
Tatars ¹	1,262,383	48.7%	1,421,514	48.8%	1,345,195	47.2%	1,536,430	49.1%	1,641,603	47.6%	1,765,404	48.5%	2,000,116	52.9%	2,012,571	53.2%
Russians	1,118,834	43.1%	1,250,667	42.9%	1,252,413	43.9%	1,328,738	42.4%	1,516,023	44.0%	1,575,361	43.3%	1,492,602	39.5%	1,501,369	39.7%
Tschuwaschen	127,330	4.9%	138.935	4.8%	143,552	5.0%	153.496	4.9%	147.088	4.3%	134.221	3.7%	126,532	3.3%	116.252	3.1%
Udmurten	23,873	0.9%	25,932	0.9%	22,657	0.8%	24,533	0.8%	25,330	0.7%	24,796	0.7%	24.207	0.6%	23,454	0.6%
Mordwinen	35,084	1.4%	35,759	1.2%	32,932	1.2%	30,963	1.0%	29,905	0.9%	28,859	0.8%	23,702	0.6%	19,156	0.5%
Mari	13,130	0.5%	13,979	0.5%	13,513	0.5%	15,643	0.5%	16,842	0.5%	19,446	0.5%	18,787	0.5%	18,848	0.5%
Ukrainians	3.143	0.1%	13,087	0.4%	16,099	0.6%	16,868	0.5%	28,577	0.8%	32,822	0.9%	24,016	0.6%	18,241	0.5%
Bashkirs	1,752	0.07%	931	0.03%	2,063	0.07%	2,888	0.09%	9,256	0.3%	19,106	0.5%	14,911	0.4%	13,726	0.4%
German	615	0.02%	1,083	0.04%	1,427	0.05%	1,351	0.04%	2,352	0.07%	2,775	0.08%	2,882	0.08%	2,200	0.06%
Other	7,888	0.3%	13,390	0.5%	20,566	0.7%	20,328	0.6%	28,436	0.8%	38,952	1.1%	51,510	1.4%	60,671	1.6%
Residents	2,594,032	100%	2,915,277	100%	2,850,417	100%	3,131,238	100%	3,445,412	100%	3,641,742	100%	3,779,265	100%	3,786,488	100%
¹ including Keräschen (Christian Tatars) (1926 99,041, 2002 18,760 and 2010 29,962 people) ² 6,052 people could not be assigned to any ethnic group. These people are probably distributed in the same proportion as the ethnically classified inhabitants.

Religions

The Kazan Kremlin with Kul Sharif Mosque and Cathedral of the Annunciation

Minaret next to church in Bolgar

Islam

The most widespread religion in the Republic of Tatarstan is Islam, to which 54 percent of the population belong. Islam became the official religion of the Volga Bulgarians as early as 922. The most important Muslim organization in Tatarstan is the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan ( Duchownoje uprawlenije musulman Respubliki Tatarstan ; DUMRT), founded in 1992 . It represents around 900 parishes in Tatarstan, maintains the central Kul Sharif mosque and is affiliated with the Russian Muftate . The organization, headed by Kamil Samigullin since 2013 , publishes several magazines and comprises a total of eight departments: 1. Science, 2. Education, 3. Islamic Mission, 4. International Affairs, 5. Architecture and Construction, 6. Relations to State Institutions, 7th Department for Hajj Matters, and 8th Department for Halāl Certification. In 1998 DUMRT founded the Russian Islamic University ( Rossiskij Islamskij Universitet ) as an Islamic university in Kazan together with the Russian Muftirate . It still exists today as the Russian Islamic Institute ( Rossiskij Islamskij Institute ).

In addition to the DUMRT, there is a "Central Spiritual Administration of the Hanafi Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan, Siberia and the Volga Region " ( Zentralnoje Duchownoje uprawlenije musulman-chanifitow Respubliki Tatarstan, Sibiri i Powolschja ), which is subordinate to the ZDUM . However, it controls only three municipalities in the Republic of Tatarstan.

Other religions

The second most important religion is Russian Orthodox Christianity. The Orthodox Church appeared in the middle of the 16th century after the conquest of the Kazan Khanate by the Russian Tsar. 1.6 percent of the Tatars, the so-called Kriaschen ("baptized"), the Russians, Tschuwasch , Mari , Mordvinen and Udmurten profess this religion . There are small parishes that profess other directions of Christianity: Old Orthodox , Catholics , Lutherans and Baptists .

Catholic parishes exist in Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny . They belong to the diocese of St. Clement in Saratov .

In addition, followers of the Jewish religion and Buddhism are represented in small numbers. 1 percent of the Tatars (those in Siberia ) are adherents of traditional Tengrism .

Role of Islam

The beginning of the 1990s was characterized by the institutional development of Islam in Tatarstan, which was primarily reflected in the surge in Muslim communities. While in 1988 only 18 Islamic associations were registered, their number grew to 700 in 1992. In 2014 there were almost 1500 registered communities. For years, the Russian Interior Ministry and the domestic secret service FSB have been monitoring possible Islamist tendencies in Tatarstan and trying to combat them in good time. Nevertheless, clashes broke out in 2010 between security forces and local Muslims in the city of Nurlat . In July 2012 the Mufti of Tatarstan, Ildus Fajsow , the leader of the moderate forces (traditionalists), was assassinated . Shortly before, his deputy Valiulla Jakupov had been murdered. For years the conflict between the “traditionalists”, who advocate liberal, “Euro-Islamic” values, and the u. a. Extremists from the North Caucasus who radicalize young people in Tatarstan and advertise potential terrorist attacks.

history

Tower of the Devil's Castle from the time of the Volga Bulgarians with a view of Yelabuga

City Hall in Kazan

Painting of the conquest of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible

Street in Kazan early 20th century

Settlement of the Tatarstan area began in the Paleolithic , about 100,000 years ago. The first state, the Empire of the Volga Bulgarians , came into being around the year 900 AD. In 922, Islam became the state religion, whereby the Volga Bulgarian Empire came under the influence of the Arab Caliphate . After stubborn resistance to the Mongol invasions , the highly developed Volga Bulgarian Empire fell to the Golden Horde in 1236 .

Due to internal disruption, the Horde split into semi-independent Emirates. In 1438 the successor khanate of Kazan was formed on the territory of today's Tatarstan . Relations between the Kazan Khanate and nearby Moscow were of a warlike nature (see Moscow-Kazan Wars ). The stronger Russian state eventually conquered the khanate under Ivan the Terrible . After the Russian conquest, the previous ruling class was disempowered and the Kazan Khanate was fully incorporated into the Russian state association. However, Islam as a religion was tolerated, although the influence of Christianity increased as more and more Russians settled in what is now Tatarstan. Individual attempts to evangelize the Tatars by the Russian Orthodox Church , especially in the 19th century, were largely unsuccessful. Even under Russian rule, the Tatar merchants retained their economic importance, especially in trade between Eastern Europe and the Muslim states of Central Asia . This made Kazan one of the most important industrial and cultural centers of Russia and in 1708 the center of the Kazan Governorate .

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Tatars were the most economically developed of the Muslim Turkic peoples of the Russian Empire . As the center of Muslim education and the place where printed publications in the Turkic languages were published, Kazan was of great importance beyond the area of Tatarstan. In 1920 the Bolsheviks declared Tatarstan an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic ( Tatar ASSR ) within the RSFSR . Although the Tatars were more numerous than z. For example, if the Baltic peoples were listed as the sixth most important nation in the Soviet Union's national coat of arms , Tatarstan did not receive the status of a Union Republic (SSR).

In 1988 the Tatar Center was established in Tatarstan , which advocated the complete independence of the country and a cultural unity of the Tatars living in the country with those in Bashkortostan , Chuvashia and Siberia .

During the dissolution of the Soviet Union , Tatarstan declared itself a sovereign republic on August 30, 1990, which was confirmed by a referendum in 1992. In November of the same year the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan was adopted. In contrast to most of the other Russian republics, Tatarstan did not sign the Federation Treaty of 1994 in its unchanged form, but instead agreed special rights with the Russian central power, including extended economic autonomy. It was only in 2000 that the Republic of Tatarstan also adopted the norms applicable in the Russian Federation for the delivery of revenue to the federal budget.

politics

The building of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan

Today Tatarstan is a federal republic of the Russian Federation that enjoys certain special rights. Article 1.3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan states that the status of the Republic of Tatarstan cannot be changed without the consent of both the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Federation. The head of state of the Republic of Tatarstan is the president. This represents the republic under international law, appoints and dismisses the representatives in foreign states and in international organizations and concludes contracts with foreign states. President is Rustam Minnichanow (Tatar Рөстәм Нургали улы Миңнеханов / Röstäm Nurğäli ulı Miñnexanov ).

The State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan , the Parliament of the Republic of Tatarstan, is the highest representative, legislative and controlling body of state power in the Republic of Tatarstan and consists of 130 people's deputies. These are elected by the citizens of the Republic of Tatarstan in a general, direct, free, equal and secret ballot.

Moscow invested relatively generously in Tatarstan. The construction of the Kazan Metro , for example, was supported with over 50 percent - other cities had to take over 80 percent themselves.

After Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000, the political and economic privileges of the Autonomous Republic of Tatarstan were gradually dismantled as part of the process of dismantling the vertical separation of powers in Russia. The agreement between Moscow and Kazan, which expired in 2007, was extended for a further ten years, but the autonomous province had to accept significant cuts in terms of its special rights. Putin put this contract on hold, which in turn expired in July 2017. Tatarstan was the last Russian republic to lose its special status. Commenting on the decision, President Minnichanov said: "Relations with the center (Moscow) are more important than a piece of paper - under the current circumstances."

culture and education

Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan

The republic has a very rich historical and cultural heritage. The meeting of at least three cultures (the Turkic , Russian and Finno-Ugric ) and two religions (Islam and Christianity) defines the uniqueness of this region, the originality of its culture and its values. The whole Tatar culture developed on this basis. The coat of arms of the republic is called Aq Bars and goes back to the time of the khanate.

Tatarstan has twelve professional theaters, seven of which are in Kazan, a philharmonic, several state orchestras ( State Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan ), a number of publishing houses, 88 state museums, five national parks, 1,700 libraries, 170 newspapers and 35 magazines. Tatarstan has a very long educational tradition. There are 2,434 general education schools and 30 universities (including 16 state) in the republic, most of them are located in Kazan. Four of the Kazan universities ( Kazan Federal University , Kazan University of Economics and Finance, Kazan State Technological University and Tupolev State University) are among the top 50 universities in Russia. By decree of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan was established on September 30, 1991 .

economy

Tatarstan is one of the richest republics of the Russian Federation and can pursue its own economic policy. Oil and gas reserves, some of which have not yet been developed, add to the wealth of the republic. In 2009, the gross regional product (GDP) was 878 billion rubles - around 22 billion euros (2006: 620 billion rubles - around 15 billion euros). The largest share of industrial production: mining with 33.1%; the production of vehicles and equipment (planes - Kazan Aircraft Production Association and trucks - KAMAZ ) with 12.3%; chemical production with 11.9%; petrochemical production with 9.4% and the production of energy, gas and water with around 9%. In Tatarstan, there is a special economic zone in Alabuga, several technology and industrial parks.

Around half of the republic's land is used for agriculture. The focus is on the cultivation of grain and forage crops. In addition, cattle and fur are raised .

The transport network is well developed, including shipping on several rivers (including the Volga and Kama). There are inland ports in Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny . There are two international airports in Tatarstan: Kazan Airport (of federal importance) and Begishevo Airport , 19 kilometers away from Nizhnekamsk , which is only important for the republic. The Bugulma airport ensures the inter-regional and local air traffic.

Small and medium-sized enterprises have a share of 20% of the gross domestic product, which is the highest share by Russian standards. According to the Russian federal authorities, Tatarstan ranks second in economic development after Moscow.

Administrative divisions and cities

Naberezhnye Chelny , the second largest city in Tatarstan

The Republic of Tatarstan is divided into 43 Rajons and two city districts. City districts form the capital of the republic and metropolis of Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny . Twelve other cities are considered to be cities of republican importance , but are subordinate to the associated Rajons, including Almetyevsk , Bugulma , Jelabuga , Leninogorsk , Nizhnekamsk , Zelenodolsk and Chistopol , each with more than 50,000 inhabitants. There are a total of 22 cities and 18 urban-type settlements in the republic .

Biggest cities
Surname	Russian	Tatar	Residents (October 14, 2010)
Kazan	Казань	Qazan	1,143,535
Naberezhnye Chelny	Набережные Челны	Çallı	513.193
Nizhnekamsk	Нижнекамск	Tueban Kama	234.044
Almetyevsk	Альметьевск	Älmät	146.393
Zelenodolsk	Зеленодольск	Yäşel Üzän	97,674
Bugulma	Бугульма	Bögelmä	89.204
Yelabuga	Елабуга	Alabuğa	70,728
Leninogorsk	Лениногорск	Leninogorsk	64.127
Chistopol	Чистополь	Çistay	60,755

literature

Marlies Bilz: Tatarstan in transformation. National Discourse and Political Practice 1988–1994. Ibidem-Verlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-89821-722-4 .
Roman A. Silantjew : Islam w sovremennoj Rossii, enziklopedija . Algoritm, Moscow, 2008, pp. 205-220.
Dilyara Usmanova et al: Islamic Education in Soviet and Post-Soviet Tatarstan. In: Michael Kemper, Raoul Motika, Stefan Reichmuth (Eds.): Islamic Education in the Soviet Union and Its Successor States. Routledge, London 2010, pp. 21-66.

Web links

Commons : Republic of Tatarstan - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ Administrativno-territorialʹnoe delenie po subʺektam Rossijskoj Federacii na 1 janvarja 2010 goda (administrative-territorial division according to subjects of the Russian Federation as of January 1, 2010). ( Download from the website of the Federal Service for State Statistics of the Russian Federation)
↑ ^a ^b Itogi Vserossijskoj perepisi naselenija 2010 goda. Tom 1. Čislennostʹ i razmeščenie naselenija (Results of the All-Russian Census 2010. Volume 1. Number and distribution of the population). Tables 5 , pp. 12-209; 11 , pp. 312–979 (download from the website of the Federal Service for State Statistics of the Russian Federation)
↑ Nacional'nyj sostav naselenija po sub "ektam Rossijskoj Federacii. (XLS) In: Itogi Vserossijskoj perepisi naselenija 2010 goda. Rosstat, accessed on June 30, 2016 (Russian, ethnic composition of the population according to federal subjects , results of the 2010 census).
↑ Kappeler, Andreas .: Russia as a multi-ethnic empire: emergence - history - decay . New edition, updated edition. Beck, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-406-47573-6 .
↑ Gabdrakhmanova, GF (Gulʹnara Faatovna), Trepavlov, VV (Vadim Vint︠s︡erovich), Urazmanova, RK, Габдрахманова, Г. Ф. (Гульнара Фаатовна), Трепавлов, В. В. (Вадим Винцерович) ,: Tatary . 2-e izdanie, dopolnennoe i pererabotannoe edition. Moskva 2017, ISBN 978-5-02-039988-4 .
↑ Population of the Russian territorial units by nationality 2010 (Russian) http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_etn_10.php?reg=47
↑ Cf. Silantjew: Islam w sowremennoj Rossii . 2008, p. 15.
↑ See Shireen Hunter: Islam in Russia: The Politics of Identity and Security . Center for Strategic and International Studies, Armonk, New York, 2004, p. 61 f.
↑ See Usmanova et alii .: Islamic Education in Soviet and Post-Soviet Tatarstan. 2010, pp. 51-53.
↑ Cf. Silantjew: Islam w sowremennoj Rossii . 2008, p. 209 f.
↑ Cf. Silantjew: Islam w sowremennoj Rossii . 2008, p. 40.
↑ Federal Agency for Civic Education: Analysis: Islam in the Republic of Tatarstan - an overview. In: bpb.de. Retrieved December 26, 2017 .
↑ Michael Ludwig, Moscow: Tatarstan in Russia: Attacks on high Islamic clergy . In: FAZ.NET . July 19, 2012, ISSN 0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed December 26, 2017]).
↑ RIA Novosti: Tatarstan's President resigns: Ruling the landlord's way , accessed on February 1, 2010.
^ Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan , official website of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan (Parliament), accessed on December 23, 2015.
↑ Republic of Tatarstan: Rich, Muslim and a little too powerful. In: mdr.de. Retrieved November 7, 2017 .

[flaeche_metadaten-1] Administrativno-territorialʹnoe delenie po subʺektam Rossijskoj Federacii na 1 janvarja 2010 goda (administrative-territorial division according to subjects of the Russian Federation as of January 1, 2010). ( Download from the website of the Federal Service for State Statistics of the Russian Federation)

[einwohner_aktuell-2] Itogi Vserossijskoj perepisi naselenija 2010 goda. Tom 1. Čislennostʹ i razmeščenie naselenija (Results of the All-Russian Census 2010. Volume 1. Number and distribution of the population). Tables 5 , pp. 12-209; 11 , pp. 312–979 (download from the website of the Federal Service for State Statistics of the Russian Federation)

[ethnien_2010-3] Nacional'nyj sostav naselenija po sub "ektam Rossijskoj Federacii. (XLS) In: Itogi Vserossijskoj perepisi naselenija 2010 goda. Rosstat, accessed on June 30, 2016 (Russian, ethnic composition of the population according to federal subjects , results of the 2010 census).

[4] Kappeler, Andreas .: Russia as a multi-ethnic empire: emergence - history - decay . New edition, updated edition. Beck, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-406-47573-6 .

[5] Gabdrakhmanova, GF (Gulʹnara Faatovna), Trepavlov, VV (Vadim Vint︠s︡erovich), Urazmanova, RK, Габдрахманова, Г. Ф. (Гульнара Фаатовна), Трепавлов, В. В. (Вадим Винцерович) ,: Tatary . 2-e izdanie, dopolnennoe i pererabotannoe edition. Moskva 2017, ISBN 978-5-02-039988-4 .

[6] Population of the Russian territorial units by nationality 2010 (Russian) http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_etn_10.php?reg=47

[7] Cf. Silantjew: Islam w sowremennoj Rossii . 2008, p. 15.

[8] See Shireen Hunter: Islam in Russia: The Politics of Identity and Security . Center for Strategic and International Studies, Armonk, New York, 2004, p. 61 f.

[9] See Usmanova et alii .: Islamic Education in Soviet and Post-Soviet Tatarstan. 2010, pp. 51-53.

[10] Cf. Silantjew: Islam w sowremennoj Rossii . 2008, p. 209 f.

[11] Cf. Silantjew: Islam w sowremennoj Rossii . 2008, p. 40.

[12] Federal Agency for Civic Education: Analysis: Islam in the Republic of Tatarstan - an overview. In: bpb.de. Retrieved December 26, 2017 .

[13] Michael Ludwig, Moscow: Tatarstan in Russia: Attacks on high Islamic clergy . In: FAZ.NET . July 19, 2012, ISSN 0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed December 26, 2017]).

[14] RIA Novosti: Tatarstan's President resigns: Ruling the landlord's way , accessed on February 1, 2010.

[15] Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan , official website of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan (Parliament), accessed on December 23, 2015.

[16] Republic of Tatarstan: Rich, Muslim and a little too powerful. In: mdr.de. Retrieved November 7, 2017 .