The Russian Federation covers a great territory stretching from Eastern Europe to Northern Asia. The history of its development from an unstable conglomeration of small Slavic principalities into great Eurasian power is closely connected to one of the largest Medieval states - the Mongol Empire.
The first Muslims on the today Russia's territory were Daghestani people converted to Islam during the life of the third caliph of the Arab caliphate Usman. It happened in the region of Derbent that being the most northern point of the Sasanid Empire along with the Persian state was included into the Caliphate (in 653 A. D.). Derbent thus was the starting point for proliferation of Islam in the South of Daghestan.
The next stage of proliferation of Islam concerns the Khazar Kaganate, a large state spread from the Volga river to the Black sea (the middle of the 7th century - 965). Islam was one of the official religions of the Kaganate along with Judaism professed by ruling clique and in the Kaganate capital Itil there were Muslim residential areas with mosques and madrasah.
Islam entered the most territories of contemporary Russia amicably. It started with the official legation of the Abbasid caliphate in the Volga Bulgaria (the north of the Volga region) upon their invitation. In 922 in the presence of the Arab envoys the ruler of the Volga Bulgaria declared the acceptance of Islam.
Islam remained the second most widespread religion in the Soviet Union that was carrying out atheistic policy destroying temples and persecuting the clergy of all confessions. Nowadays the number of Muslims in the Russian Federation totals to 14.6 million (10% of all citizens) and if the migrants from newly independent Central Asian republics are to be taken into consideration the number of Muslims is estimated at 20 million. Major Islamic communities are concentrated among 9 minority nationalities: the Adyghs, Karachay and Cherkess, Kabardins and Balkars, Ossetins, Ingush, Chechens, Daghestani, Tatars and Bashkirs. Muslims are dispersed all over the country but most communities are concentrated in the Caucasus, the Urals, Western Siberia and in the Middle Volga Basin.
The Muslim population of the Volga Federal District (VFD) counts over 6 million which makes over 20% of all the VFD population. The Volga Federal District is a historical motherland of the two largest Muslim nationalities - the Bashkirs (1.7 million) and the Tatars (5.6 million). In the years of Russian Empire and the Soviet Union the Tatars settled all over the country and presently in the VFD there reside over 40% of the Tatar nation. Every seventh resident of the Volga Federal District speaks the Tatar language. Tatarstan is a unique region of the Russian Federation. Officially it has the status of one of the 21 republics of the RF but technically it determined the very form of present statehood of the Russian Federation.
Late in the 15th century Nizhny Novgorod became a part of the Moscow principality losing its independence for good. In the middle of the 16th century Moscow Tsar Ivan the Horrible conquered the Kazan and the Astrakhan Khanates ruining Nizhny Novgorod economical prosperity through putting an end to trading with the East.
Despite the persecution of Islam following the conquest Islamic followers managed to found several settlements on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The oldest ones of the contemporary Tatar settlements are dated back to early 16th century. Muslim Tatars took oath of faithfulness to Moscow Tsar and honestly served the throne guarding the borders of the ever growing Moscow state. This made Tatars essential during Smuta - a period of interregnum at the beginning of the 17th century. It were the Tatars who annihilated one of the pretenders aspiring to take over the Moscow throne. Furthermore, one of the leaders of home guard to free Moscow of Polish¬Lithuanian intervention was a Tatar of Nizhny Novgorod origin Kirisha Minibayev known in history by his russified name Kuzma Minin.
Russia's policy toward its Muslims was marked by systematic repression and destruction of Islamic civilization within Russia's borders up to the end of the 18th century when the Empress Catherine the Great came to power and changed the policy declaring Islam a tolerable religion. However the role of a mediator between Russian and Eastern territories that Nizhny Novgorod played made this area attractive for traders. Liberal ambiance in Nizhny Novgorod determined by free merchant air rather than by Moscow militant policy has always contributed to tolerant coexistence of many nationalities and religions along with reformist opinions concerning Islam of local Muslims.
At the beginning of the 20th century Nizhny Novgorod became a centre of Muslim progressive thinking. In 1905 the first unauthorized Muslim Congress was held here. Tatars, Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, and Caucasians gathered here the next year for the III Muslim Congress laying the groundwork for initiating a Muslim fraction in the first Russian Parliament - the State Duma. The resolutions of these first congresses held in Nizhny Novgorod were later developed into a theory of national autonomy of Turkic Muslims of the Volga region. Thus the appearance of the first national Tatar and Bashkir Military Council Harbi Shuro in Kazan during the Civil war of 1918-1920, the foundation of the first national state Idel¬Ural State in the same years and appearance of national autonomies of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan in the Soviet period are the results of the processes initiated on the land of Nizhny Novgorod.
The Yarmarka mosque (Trade fair mosque) of Nizhny Novgorod is worth mentioning for playing a symbolical role in the history of Nizhny Novgorod. It was opened right after the famous Makariev fair was transferred to Nizhny Novgorod in 1917. It was attended not only by the Volga Tatars, the traditional Muslims in this area, but also by Eastern merchants - Indians, Azerbaijanis, Muslims from China and Crimean Tatars. Upon governmental decision this mosque was used as an architectural prototype for building many mosques in the Russian Empire up until the 20th century.
This is the history of Muslims in the Volga region and of its capital Nizhny Novgorod in short. The history of our city very visually represents the theory of Eurasian merging: Europe and Asia merge here on the border of Christian European and Islamic Asian civilization. The Volga Federal District and Nizhny Novgorod in particular represent an exemplary mediator between Russians, Tatars and Jews with tolerance, cooperation and love for peace and in this respect the three great states of the Volga region - Khazaria, Russia and the Golden Horde - united by Volga¬Idel¬Itil symbolizing the centre of activity.
Working on the revival of Russia we should restore its economy and therefore recreate such conditions that would make it attractive for foreign businessmen from all over the world. It takes being open to everybody and accepting everybody irrespective of the skin color. Paraphrasing the famous saying by Leo Tolstoy we may say that beauty, love and trade will save the world from wars and conflicts.
We are sure to have Muslims among the businessmen coming to our country meaning that we are to reconstruct the Yarmarka mosque - the true symbol of our city. The 100th anniversary of its foundation contemporizes with the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod itself.
Nizhny Novgorod has always been famous for its trading fair bringing great profit to both the city and the country. Nizhny Novgorod Tatars, Muslims, believe that reconstruction of the mosque and restoring of the merchant spirit would help to overcome the ignorance and misery, the poverty and indifference among people. Not missiles and chemicals but concern of people will restore Russia to a worthy life.
Islam and Muslims
-- Islam in Russia can serve as an example for the World Umma
Dear Ravil Hazrat! Yesterday came to an end the work of the second session of the " Russia - Islamic World" Strategic Vision Group. The meeting took place in the capital of Tatarstan. What factor was the major one in the work of the Group?
The Strategic Vision Group is a consultative body aimed at broadening the cooperation between Russia and Islamic states.
Kazan city was chosen not by mere coincidence. Citizens of Tatarstan are represented by various nationalities and religions. Through centuries people of Tatarstan through their way of life, positive and constructive activities strengthened Islamic state and interreligious relations. And this to a great extent is due to the wisdom and insight of multinational people of the Republic of Tatarstan and its government.
The topic of our discussion " Russia - Islamic world" was rather timely. Truly, life of modern multiethnic and multiconfessional society, including Russian Muslims, is many-sided and diverse; it's full of uneasiness and hopes, difficulties and contradictions. Let alone alarming events on the world scene, among which are Israel - Lebanon and Palestine - Israel war conflicts that lead to deaths of innocent civil people.