Tatars are a group of Turkic peoples living in almost all republics of the former Soviet Union. Although most of them live in the Volga region, others inhabit Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine and the Central Asian republics. The name "Tatar" means "shooter".
The Tatars have had a powerful civilisation since the 10th century. It survived the Mongol invasion of the 13th century and the Russian conquest of the 16th century. In the 19th century, Tatar cities were among the largest cultural centres of the Islamic world. They speak a unique language called Kazan-Tatar, although many now consider Russian to be their native tongue.
Tatars often seek work outside their home region, following a trend towards mobility that dates back to before 1917. Some work in the manufacturing industry and at oil refineries. Many people from the Volga region work on collective farms (communal farms) where they grow grain, hemp, legumes and other fodder crops.
In Tatar society, the father is the legal head of the family and manages the family income. Women usually prepare food, carry water, do laundry and look after livestock, while men do the heavier work in the fields. Most Tatars are well educated. There are 1,800 libraries in Tatarstan with more than 20 million books in the Tatar language. Tatars love the arts, especially theatre, orchestra, opera and ballet.
Although Tatar people are mostly Muslim, many still celebrate the folk festival "Sabantui". This is an ancient agricultural holiday that is celebrated at the same time as the anniversary of the founding of the Russian Tatar Republic on 25 June. These holidays have their origins in shamanism (belief in the invisible world of gods, demons and ancestral spirits).
The younger generation of Tatars wear modern urban clothes. However, the older generation wears traditional clothes. Many Tatars consider themselves Muslims first and then Tatars. However, unlike faithful Muslims, some Tatars eat pork and very few observe the prescribed Islamic fasts.
