The origins of the Tatars -it should be beared in mind that the name "Tartar" may be considered derogative- go back to the Volga Bulgaria times, the republic established in IX AD by a Turkic people, the Volga Bolgars. It is believed that was the first time Tatars experienced something close to statehood. In the course of time it was influenced by many other cultures and went through periods of invasion, which have been shaping Tatar people and culture to this day. Islamisation, the Mongolian invasion and subsequent race-mixing, the Khanate of Kazan's golden age and the invasion and repression by Russians from the XVI century on are some of the key facts regarding the formation and development of the Tatar people. More information on the history of Tatarstan available at MónDivers.

Efforts by successive tsars and soviet leaders to wipe out the Tatar people, their language and their Muslim identity, and to modify demographic trends through forced migration have not refrained Tatars from achieving a self-governed entity called Republic of Tatarstan, as well as becoming an active and enterprising community in territories where they are a minority. Altogether there are over 5 million Tatars living in the Russian Federation, more than 70% of which are settled in the Tatar republic. They make up the largest minority after majority ethnic Russians. As of today, there are Tatar communities in Bashkortostan (official name of Bashkirya), the Urals, Siberia, former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and several areas of the Caucasus region.

The Republic of Tatarstan has its origins in the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which, in spite of having been established and named after the dominant ethnic group, never provided legal nor political instruments to protect Tatar people and language. After the fall of the USSR, Tatar former soviet officials declared the republic's sovereignty and people of Tatarstan voted in favour of self-determination in a referendum. However, Moscow was not willing to endorse such a move, and introduced the Treaty on Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Powers, which turned Tatarstan into a federated republic that was granted a singular treatment by virtue of the bilateral treaty. The Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan was passed in 2002, establishing the republic as an integral part of the Russian Federation but securing co-official status for the Tatar language along with Russian. According to the Constitution, "the sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan shall consist in full possession of the State authority (legislative, executive and judicial)", but such proclamation is in reality no less than symbolic.

Only a few weeks ago, Tatar youth organization Azatliq (in English, freedom), launched a campaign condemning Moscow's "pressure" on the Tatar government and accusing Russia of "hindering the sovereignty of the Republic". Other campaigns call for Tatar to be declared official within the Russian Federation on the grounds it is the second most spoken language. Further information at Nationalia.

From the time being, Tatarstan's capital, Kazan, will have to make do with the slogan "Russia's third capital", awarded only a few weeks ago. Such "honour" can be considered a reward for Kazan's dynamism and cultural and historical heritage, namely an official acknowledgment of Russia's diversity. Yet, if read between the lines, the title reminds us that Tatarstan is and will be Russia.