Hosting the BRICS summit: why Kazan in Tatarstan matters in Putin’s Russia

Russia and Russian

The state Russia is the homeland of the Russian people, the largest Slavic taste group, who talk Russian arsenic their parent tongue. Since astir taste Russians are Orthodox Christians, religion excessively has been cardinal to the imaginativeness of who is Russian.

But this explanation does not seizure the socio-cultural diverseness of the world’s largest country. Sprawled from Finland to its westbound to Alaska to its east, Russia is simply a transcontinental, multi-ethnic elephantine straddling Europe and Asia, and each but touching America.

More than 80 per cent of its colonisation is taste Russian, but it besides comprises arsenic galore arsenic 193 taste groups and 21 nationalist republics, which are location to circumstantial taste minorities. The number groups person been historically sidelined and repressed by the taste Russian majority.

But this could beryllium astir to change. The proportionality of taste Russians and Slavs successful the colonisation has been declining, and this inclination volition apt accelerate. The commencement complaint among taste Russians (1.3 children per woman) is importantly little than that among Muslim ethnicities (2.3), and the stock of Muslim taste minorities successful Russia’s colonisation could, successful coming decades, triple from the existent 10%.

Besides becoming ethnically little Russian and religiously much diverse, Russia’s colonisation volition apt besides beryllium smaller. Official information published past period showed the state recorded its lowest commencement complaint since 1999 successful the archetypal six months of 2024, Reuters reported. To offset the colonisation decline, Russia is expected to let much migration, with the bulk of caller migrants being Muslims belonging to Turkic and Asiatic taste groups.

East & West city

Kazan is particularly applicable to this treatment connected Russia’s demography. Located astir 900 km to the eastbound of Moscow astatine the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kazanka, this metropolis of 1.2 cardinal is the superior of the Republic of Tatarstan, the homeland of the Tatar people, the 2nd largest taste radical successful the state aft Russians. The Tatars are a predominantly Muslim Turkic taste radical with their ain connection and chiseled culture.

The colonisation of Kazan is divided astir arsenic among taste Russians (48.6%) and taste Tatars (47.6%). This makes Kazan a awesome of the benignant of federation Russia is gradually evolving into: a blend of Europe and Asia, a melting cookware of divers ethnicities and religions.

Commentators person noted grounds of Kazan’s diverseness successful the neighbourhood of the metropolis kremlin, the fortified analyzable that lies astatine the bosom of galore Russian cities. Next to the authoritative buildings stands the Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral and the Kul Sharif Mosque — among the largest successful Europe — with its distinctive achromatic tiles and turquoise dome and minarets.

Originally built successful the aboriginal 16th century, Kul Sharif was burnt down by Ivan the Terrible during the Siege of Kazan, which led to the autumn of the Khanate of Kazan and brought Tatarstan nether Muscovite power successful 1552. The mosque was rebuilt with Saudi and UAE assistance successful 2005.

Tatars nether Putin

President Putin has sought to play a balancing crippled successful his dealings with Russia’s taste minorities. He has tried hard to incorporated taste minorities into the mainstream, reconcile differences, and championed a nationalism that promotes the greatness of Russia, not taste Russians. But helium has dealt with secessionist sentiments with an robust hand, arsenic his attack towards the Chechens showed.

Putin’s persecution of Crimean Tatars pursuing the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and the devolution of powers and presumption from the person of Tatarstan successful 2021 person been sore points. Bringing the BRICS acme to Kazan has been seen arsenic a conciliatory step.

Moscow and Tatarstan spent much than 8 cardinal rubles ($80 million) connected metropolis renovation projects successful the lead-up to “the largest overseas argumentation lawsuit ever held” successful Russia, Russian media person reported.