We all must have heard that the Tatars - Siberian, Kazan or Crimean - are a nationality that has been inhabiting the territories of our vast homeland for a long time. To date, some of them have assimilated, and now it is quite difficult to distinguish them from the Slavs, but there are those who, in spite of everything, continue to honor the traditions and culture of their ancestors.
This article is aimed at giving the most accurate description of such a representative of the multinational Russian people as the Russian Tatar. The reader learns a lot of new and sometimes even unique information about these people. The article will be very interesting and informative. No wonder that today the customs of the Tatars are considered one of the most ancient and unusual on the planet.
General information about the people
Tatars in Russia are a nationality that densely inhabits the central European part of our state, as well as the Urals,Volga region, Siberia and the Far East. Outside the country, they are found in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
According to ethnographers, their approximate number at the moment is 5523 thousand people. Speaking in general about this people, the Tatars, it is worth noting, can be divided according to their ethno-territorial characteristics into three main categories: Volga-Ural, Astrakhan and Siberian.
The latter, in turn, usually call themselves Sibirttarlars, or Sibirtars. Approximately 190 thousand people live in Russia alone, and about 20 thousand more can be found in some countries of Central Asia and in Kazakhstan.
Siberian Tatars. Ethnic groups
Among this nationality, the following ethnic groups are distinguished:
- Tobol-Irtysh, including Kurdak-Sargat, Tyumen, Tara and Yaskolba Tatars;
- Baraba, which includes the Baraba-Turazh, Tereninsky-Choi and Lyubey-Tunus Tatars;
- Tomskaya, consisting of Kalmaks, Eushtas and Chats.
Anthropology and language
Contrary to popular belief, anthropologically, the Tatars are considered extremely heterogeneous.
The thing is that, say, the Siberian Tatars in their physical appearance are very close to the so-called South Siberian type, belonging to the huge Mongoloid race. Tatars permanently residing in Siberia, as well as those who inhabit the Urals and the Volga region,speak their own Tatar language, which belongs to the Kypchak subgroup of a very common Turkic group (Altaic language family).
Their literary language was once formed on the basis of the so-called middle dialect. According to experts, writing, called the Turkic runic, can be attributed to one of the most ancient on the planet.
Culture of Siberian Tatars and items of national wardrobe
Not everyone knows that at the very beginning of the last century, local residents of Tatar settlements did not wear underwear. In their views on this matter, Russians and Tatars differed significantly from each other. Quite spacious trousers and shirts served as underwear for the latter. Both men and women wore national beshmets over the top, which are very large caftans with long sleeves.
Camisoles were also considered very popular, which were made both with sleeves and without them. For a long time, special preference was given to special local chapan robes. Their Tatar women sewed from durable homespun fabric. Of course, such outfits did not save from the winter cold, so in the cold season, warm coats and fur coats were taken out of the chests, called in the local language tones or tuns, respectively.
Somewhere at the turn of the century, Russian dokhas, short fur coats, sheepskin coats and Armenians came into fashion. This is how the men dressed. But women preferred to dress up in dresses lavishly decorated with folk patterns. By the way, it is believed that the Kazan Tatars assimilatedrather than Siberian. At least now, in terms of clothing, the former are practically no different from the indigenous Slavs, while the latter keep themselves very apart, and those who adhere to national traditions are still considered fashionable among them.
How the traditional dwelling of this people works
Surprisingly, Russians and Tatars, who have lived side by side for a long time, have completely different ideas about building a so-called home. For many centuries, the latter called their settlements yurts and auls. Such villages in most cases were located along the banks of lakes and rivers.
It should be noted that the local mayors ordered and carefully monitored that all streets, whether cities or modest villages, were located in a straight line, intersecting strictly at right angles. Kazan Tatars, by the way, never adhered to this principle. For them, the center of the settlement was an almost even circle with radiant streets radiating in all directions.
Houses of Tatars living in Siberia are still located on both sides of the road, and only in some cases, for example, near a reservoir, one-sided building is observed. The huts were wooden, but the mosques, as a rule, were built of brick.
Post stations, schools, numerous shops and shops, as well as forges have always stood out against the general background.
Tatar dwellings are rarely decorated with any patterns. Only sometimes you can find geometric shapes applied to the windowarchitraves, cornices of houses or gates of the whole estate. And this is far from accidental. Depicting animals, birds, or even more so a person was forbidden by Islam.
As for interior decoration, even now modern Tatars of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities of our country very often decorate their houses and apartments with tables on low legs and intricate shelves for dishes.
Business activities
At all times, the traditional occupation of this group of Tatars was agriculture. It existed in the tradition of the people even before the arrival of the Russians. Its features are still determined by the geography of the place of residence. For example, in the southernmost part of Siberia, millet, wheat, oats and rye were predominantly grown. In the northern territories, lake and river fishing has been and continues to be highly valued.
Cattle breeding can be done in the forest-steppe areas or in the steppe solonetzes, which at all times were famous for their herbs. If the territory allowed, and the vegetation of the region was relatively lush, the Siberian Tatars, unlike the same Tatars, always bred horses and cattle.
Talking about crafts, one cannot fail to mention tanning, making extra strong ropes made from special lime bast, weaving boxes, knitting nets and practically mass production both for their own needs and for the exchange of birch bark dishes, boats, carts, skis and sleds.
Beliefs of representatives of this nationality
Since the 18th century in Russian Siberia, the majority of Tatars are Sunni Muslims, and today their religious center is located in the city of Ufa. The most important and widely celebrated holidays are Eid al-Adha and Ramadan.
Almost immediately after the arrival of the Russians, a significant part of the Tatars converted to Christianity and began to profess Orthodoxy. However, it should be noted that such representatives of this nationality, as a rule, broke away from their historical ethnic group and continued to assimilate with the Russian population.
Ever until about the second half of the 19th century, servants of various ancient pagan cults existed en masse in the villages, shamanism flourished, and local healers treated the sick. There were also sacrifices, during which a tambourine and a special mallet in the form of a spatula were used.
By the way, it should be noted that both men and women could be shamans.
Beliefs, myths and legends
The Siberian Tatars considered Kudai and Tangri to be their supreme deities. They also believed in the existence of the evil underground spirit Ainu, which brought trouble, illness and even death.
Myths also testify to special idol spirits. They, according to legend, had to be made from birch bark and branches, and then left in a special place in the forest, most often in tree hollows. It was believed that they could protect the whole village from adversity.
It often happened that such wooden gods had to be nailed to the roofs of houses. They were supposed to protect everyone.household.
It was believed that the spirits of the dead could attack the village, so local residents from time to time made special kurchak dolls from fabric. They had to be kept in wicker baskets under spreading trees near the cemetery.
Features of national cuisine
It should be noted that even today the Tatars of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Ufa boast with great pride the delicacies and delights of their cuisine. What is so special about her? Nothing really special, except perhaps the fact that literally everything here is actually very tasty.
In their food, Siberian Tatars prefer to use mainly meat (pork, elk, rabbit and poultry) and dairy (airan, cream, butter, cheeses and cottage cheese) products.
Soups are very popular. Nowadays, visitors to trendy Tatar restaurants are happy to order shurpa or a very peculiar flour soup, as well as national first courses made from millet, rice or fish.
Traditional porridges based on milk or water are made with barley or oats.
Tatars are famous lovers of flour. At the first opportunity, you should try their cakes, pies and dishes that are somewhat reminiscent of our pancakes.
Social organization of Siberian Tatars
During the reign of the Siberian Khanate, this people had so-called tribal relations with the elements of the territorial community present in them. Initially, there were two such communities: a village and a parish. The management of society was carried out with the help of democratic gatherings. By the way, mutual assistance among this people is far from rare, but the usual order of things.
It is impossible not to mention the existence of the tugum, which was a whole group of families with family ties established between them. This administrative body, as a rule, was used to regulate both family and household relations, and also supervised the performance of various kinds of folk and religious rites.
The system of modern Tatar education
In general, today this issue is considered one of the most pressing. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the Siberian Tatars make a lot of efforts to introduce their kids to national traditions and centuries-old culture.
Despite this, assimilation is still in full swing. Only a small part of the Tatars has the opportunity to send their children to the villages for the summer with their grandparents, and thus gives them a chance to take part in folk celebrations or practice their language. A huge proportion of teenagers remain in the cities, speak only Russian for a long time and have very vague ideas about the culture of their ancestors.
In places of mass settlements of Tatars, as a rule, newspapers are published in their native language, several times a week; both radio and television broadcast a cycle of programs in Tatar. In some schools, however, mostly rural, specialized lessons are held.
Unfortunately get highereducation in the Tatar language in Russia is impossible. True, since last year, a new speci alty “Tatar language and literature” has been introduced at universities. It is believed that future teachers, after graduating from this faculty, will be able to teach the language in a Tatar school.
