Yesterday, Tatarstan celebrated the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the republic, which has evolved from the Tatar ASSR into the current Republic of Tatarstan. The reasons for its creation, the price paid for it, and what remains of the republican statehood to this day were the topics of discussion.
However, the festive mood of many people was irreparably spoiled by the sensational news that the Mardzhani Historical Institute of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences was to be liquidated. This was announced by its director and actual founder, the famous Tatar historian and modern thinker Rafael Khakimov. Referring to his sources, he said that a document had been prepared (although he admitted that he had not seen it himself), according to which the Institute of History would be merged with the Institute of Archaeology and cease to exist as an independent institution.
The news had the effect of a bomb. After all, all these years in post-Soviet Tatarstan, the Mardzhani Institute has been not only a scientific research institute, but actually the brain center, the headquarters and the generator of the formation of a modern, adequate, epochal and academic Tatar historical identity.
One of the main results of this activity was the writing and publication of the seven-volume «History of the Tatars», which covers the main epochs and events of Tatar life, describes the development of the Tatar people and its relations with its neighbors. Numerous other publications, as well as scientific conferences held under the auspices of the Institute, contributed to the further popularization of the Tatar national-historical doctrine.
In view of all this, the news of the closure of this main center of Tatar historical thought on the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the republic took on the most ominous symbolism. After all, it was preceded not only by years of gradual abandonment of the republic’s positions by the leadership of Tatarstan, but also by a recent campaign to liquidate all republics, including Tatarstan, which the ideologists of this campaign called «Russian Albania».
It should be noted that in recent years the activities of the leadership of the Mardzhani Institute have been criticized even by Tatar historians and intellectuals, not to mention the sharp criticism of colleagues from neighboring republics who do not agree with the assessments and conclusions that affect their peoples. Nevertheless, when the news came out, the latter rushed to show solidarity with their Tatar colleagues, despite all the disagreements. Chuvash historian Vladimir Dolgov, for example, expressed his concern about the fate of the Mardzhani Institute, stressing its importance for historical research in the entire Volga region. «There are differences of opinion between Chuvash and Tatar historians, for example, in the formation of ethnogenesis, the origin of our peoples. Our scientists consider the Volga-Kama-Bulgarian state to be the state of their ancestors. There have been debates about this, and some differences of opinion remain. The main thing is that we work together and resolve all disputes constructively,» he said.
As for the Tatar intelligentsia’s criticism of the institute’s current leadership, its representatives expressed their bewilderment at the fact that instead of changing the leadership, a decision was made to liquidate the institute. «The same thing is happening as with the National Cultural Center (https://golosislama.com/news.php?id=36020). The old staff was unable to step down in time and pass on the work, and now they are watching their ship sink. And now, instead of changing the leadership, they have decided to cut off the hand,» wrote one of the leading Tatar telegram channels «Neaysin».
Faced with such a reaction from Tatar society, however, the leadership of Tatarstan quickly distanced itself from the plans to close the institute. The press secretary of the Kazan Kremlin, Liliya Galimova, stated that «discussions are under way on how to develop the institute further, and everything is still at the discussion stage». Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that channels close to the Kazan Kremlin, such as the well-known «Shaltay-Babay,» have begun to justify the Institute’s closure by placing the blame on its leadership. And this raises fears that it may indeed suffer the same fate as the Main Museum of Tatar History, where everything was also «still under discussion».
After all, if the center of the material history of the Tatar people was destroyed first, it would not be surprising if its intellectual center was destroyed as well. And the very fact of discussing such a possibility on the 100th anniversary of Tatarstan makes one think even more about its state and prospects. (In the photo — Rustam Minnikhanov and Rafael Khakimov)