The settlement of the territory of modern Tatarstan began about 90 thousand years ago, and the history of the development of the Tatar ethnic group has more than a dozen centuries. During this time, Tatar statehood went through several stages in its development: from the Volga Bulgaria to the numerous medieval khanates, the most prominent representative of which was the Golden Horde.
By the time modern Tatarstan was formed, writing changed from the Turkic runic to the Cyrillic alphabet. The number of Tatars within the borders of the later emerged Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was more than 1.5 million people. Those who believe that the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic is a country will find it useful to know the history of its formation and formation. Let us take a look into the past and see how the separation of republics in the Soviet Union began.
When was the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic formed?
During the seizure of power, the Bolsheviks took into account the national component and used local characteristics in working with national-democratic organizations. After the establishment of Soviet power in Kazan in November 1917, the leadership of the young country thought about creating the Tatar Republic.
In January 1920, several years after the Bolsheviks came to power, the Politburo supported the formation of the Tatar Republic. A bit later, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee announced the Decree of May 27, 1920, in which it established a new autonomy and determined the structure of the apparatus of state power in the future republic. It was necessary to create a CEC, which was to deal with the election of deputies to the local Council and the Council of People's Commissars.
Republic Day
The republic’s founding day was June 25, 1920, when the Kazan Executive Committee relieved itself of its leadership and handed them over to the Provisional Revolution Committee of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which was to prepare the basis for the creation of the Constituent Congress of Soviets.
The name "Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic" sounded and was fixed in official documents two years later, when the USSR was established at the end of December 1922. The newly formed Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic has become one of the Volga regions with the most rapid economic development.
Celebrating the formation of the Tatar Republic
The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed in the troubled years of severe upheavals and tectonic shifts in the structure of the Russian state. There were many changes, and the appearance of the Tatar Republic on June 25 of the 20th year of the last century was one of them.
On the eve of June 18, the Politburo issued a decree not only on the formation of the Tatar Soviet Republic, but also on the need to develop a plan for celebrations in connection with this. Within two days, the Kazan Executive Committee put forward for discussion and approved the scheme of celebrations, which included the development of a monument to the singer of the revolution from the Tatar people Mulanur Vakhitov and the laying of the national theater. Also, measures were taken to organize a parade and distribute reinforced rations to the population.
Finally, on June 25, a joint meeting of the Kazan Council was held with party and trade union authorities, during which the provincial committee transferred the authority to govern the region to the revolutionary committee. Preparations for the celebration were not in vain. Kazan, designated as the capital of the newly created republic, was decorated and had a festive appearance. It was fun - the troops held a parade, the workers - a clean-up.
If possible, the republic’s day was celebrated solemnly in other localities of the region. Bugulma was marked by a parade of a garrison stationed in the city. In Chistopol and Tetyushy, the importance of the moment was emphasized by numerous rallies and demonstrations in which the majority of the urban population participated. Perhaps voluntarily, but who knows?
In full accordance with the Soviet tradition, dating back to those times, the committee received welcoming and gratitude telegrams from the workers.
Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic: districts and cities
The commission created by the revolutionary committee conducted territorial division and determined the boundaries of the TASSR. The composition of the republic was largely determined in accordance with the national component. The territory was supplemented by counties with the Tatar population, which were previously part of other provinces. Using the economic criterion, the territory of the TASSR can be divided into the following areas:
- Pre-Volga.
- Southeast and Northeast Zakamye.
- Western Zakamye.
- Western and Eastern Ciscaucasia.
- Northwest.
The emergence and development of the oil, chemical and energy industries were those favorable economic factors that the Tatar ASSR felt. The cities of the republic were expanding. With the increase in population density and the growth of the working class, the process of building new cities and towns was launched. Cities such as Naberezhnye Chelny, Elabuga, Leninogorsk appeared and flourished.
The legal status of the republic
The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic had the state legal status enshrined in the Decree of May 27, 1920. Its official part proclaimed the intention of the RSFSR to create equality between all republics, as well as a mechanism for dividing financial and technical means between regions from a common treasury. It was proclaimed that power would be concentrated in the hands of workers and peasants. From subsequent events, we know that it was a beautiful, but non-binding slogan of the party in power.
The structure of government included the Regional Councils, the CEC and the Council of People's Commissars. The created people's commissariats had considerable autonomy in actions and were subordinate to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The military sphere was administered by the Tatar Commissariat.
Foreign policy and trade remained the responsibility of the central authorities.
Creation of autonomous authorities
The structure of state power in autonomy was created in accordance with the Constitution adopted in the RSFSR. The branches of power were formed from the Council of People's Commissars elected in the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the Central Executive Committee and many local councils.
The basis of the power apparatus was the commissariats affecting the management of all public areas:
- Internal affairs.
- Financial.
- Agricultural.
- Enlightenment.
- Health and welfare.
- Justice.
Some of these commissariats were repaired by the federal government, some remained autonomous in decisions and actions. After the creation of the Council of People's Commissars of the Tatar Republic, this organization exercised control over the commissariats within the sphere of influence of the republic.
Interaction with the RSFSR
At the initial stage of building relations between the RSFSR and the autonomous republics, the federal government tried to organize interactions between hardware structures using the institution of representative offices. Under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, until November 6, 1920, a representative office of the TASSR functioned, which was abolished, and its functions and powers began to be performed by the representative office of the People's Commissariat for Nationalities.
In 1924, the institute of representation of all the national republics created at that time began its work on the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. Through the Statute of the Tattor Representation, economic and financial relations developed.
The scope of the representative office of the TASSR was not limited to the economy. Autonomy and federal power interacted on a wide range of issues affecting socio-cultural, political and national aspects. So that no one doubts that the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic is Russia, a number of actions have been taken. The republic’s autonomy was limited in 1938 by adopting Decree No. 2575, which liquidated the TASSR office in Moscow.
Participation of the Tatar Republic in the Great Patriotic War
For the whole country, the war period was difficult and exhausting. The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was no exception. During the Great Patriotic War, the male population was mobilized to repulse the aggressor. At the beginning of the war, most agricultural equipment was transferred to meet the needs of the army. Despite the extremely difficult working conditions, the villages of Tatarstan developed and delivered food to the front.
Many factories of the TASSR, both located on its territory and originally evacuated, rebuilt production for the production of weapons and military equipment. Engine-building and aircraft instrument-making enterprises mass-producing military products were launched.
On the territory of the Tatar Republic, the 22nd plant operated, on which the creator of the Pe-2 and Pe-8 Vladimir Petlyakov, as well as the design bureau that created the jet engines, performed the duties of the chief designer.
Tatarstan, providing the needs of the front, produced a huge number of military products, including: shells and ammunition, armored trains and boats, components for Katyusha and communications.
We must not forget about the number of evacuated citizens brought from the occupied and destroyed territories of the Soviet Union. In Kazan alone, the population during the war years increased by 100 thousand people.