Girls' party in the 1940s.
Fazile Nasretdin family album.

#tt_culture
Finnish Tatars

A text based on “Visible and Invisible Tatar Women in Finland“ by Sabira Ståhlberg, a unique perspective that offers a refreshing insight into the Tatar community. In a historical field where works often center on men, this piece sheds light on the often-overlooked experiences of Tatar women.

I also strongly suggest you listen to a podcast episode of Modern Tatar Identity on Finnish and Swedish Tatars (it is in English).

Tatars in Finland

In the 1860s, Tatar traders arrived in the Grand Duchy of Finland from Russia's Nizhny Novgorod province, seeking economic opportunities. Settling primarily for trade, they became part of Finland's diverse cultural landscape. Finland, previously under Swedish rule, became an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire after the Swedish-Russian War of 1808–1809. Russification efforts from 1898 onwards fueled Finland's declaration of independence on December 6, 1917.

By the 1890s, Tatar men from the Mişər community were actively involved in trade across Finland, offering various goods and textiles. Most wives remained in their home villages, while complete Tatar families began residing in Finland by 1917. Finnish citizenship gradually became available to Tatars in the 1920s.

Tatars in Finland maintained connections with the global Tatar diaspora, Turkic-speaking communities, and Muslims. The flow of Tatars from Russia and the Soviet Union continued until the border was officially closed in the 1930s. Later, the Finnish Tatars supported displaced Tatars from Tatarstan in WWII prison camps and even participated in secret tourist trips to the Soviet Union in the 1950s to visit relatives behind the Iron Curtain.

Despite facing challenges, including declining numbers from a peak of around 3,000 to fewer than 1,000, Tatars in Finland preserved a well-organized community, cultural identity, and distinct Tatar heritage. Education played a pivotal role in their integration into Finnish society, with most men becoming literate already by the late 19th century. A girls' school back in Aktuk contributed to female literacy. Additionally, the influence of the Jadidist (reformist) movement aligned their values with Western European ideals prevalent in Finland, facilitating their integration after the move.

People learnt Russian, Finnish, Arabic, or Persian, depending on career paths or religious pursuits. Through newspapers, magazines, books, and visits to towns, Mişər Tatars remained connected to the wider world, contributing to their community's resilience and continuity in Finland.

Tatar women in Finland

The division between traditional and modern Tatar women's roles involved distinctions between Qadimists (traditionalists) and Jadidists (reformists) but didn't fully capture the diversity of women's roles. The "women's question" in Tatar society related to broader debates on modernization, economics, politics, and society. Women challenged condescending views of the educated elite and sought protection from abuse, violence, and easier divorce options. Jadidism contributed to secularizing and reinterpreting Islam, impacting women's roles.

Female education was crucial for preserving Tatar traditions. It remains unclear whether interest in women's issues was influenced by foreign literature or concerns about Tatar culture's survival in a Russian-focused nationalist state. Nevertheless, reformist ideas had a significant impact on women's education, not only among Tatars and Bashkorts but also in Turkestan in the early 20th century.

While Tatar male Jadidists advocated for women's rights, portrayed the struggles of women in traditional settings and envisioned a liberated, educated female future, women themselves discussed these issues in journals like Söyembikä and Hanım. Tatar-language journals, including Shura and Vakıt, also held significant influence.

Many female educators, writers, and activists made substantial contributions, founding schools and charitable societies.

Tatar children, especially girls, experienced more parental control than their Finnish counterparts, like restricted socializing and dating, but they also thrived in a warm and affectionate family environment.

Grandmothers held a special place in the hearts of Mişərs and played significant roles in cooking, caring for children, forming close-knit networks, adapting seamlessly to Finnish society, embracing new customs, as well as passing down Tatar language, traditions, and skills. The traditional Tatar dish "pärämäts" (lit. pərəməç), made with love and filled with various ingredients, was a symbol of their cultural identity, representing fond memories, family gatherings, and togetherness.

Engagement in community activities fostered close bonds, with young Tatars taking on leadership roles, organizing events, inviting guest artists, and participating in cultural exchanges. These activities encompassed teaching language, religion, creating educational materials, and producing documentaries – a vital space for language and cultural development to pass down traditions to the next generation.
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Sabira Ståhlberg, Visible and Invisible Tatar Women in Finland, 2022

#tt_advanced
Fikerlәw həm fəlsəfə

💭 Mantıyq — döres fikerləw turında fən. Ul tormışnıñ törle konseptların añlatuğa rasional qaraşnı tә’min itə torğan tanıp belü qoralı.

mantıyq – logic
fikerləw – thinking, reasoning
qaraş – position, point of view
tanıp belü – cognition

Mantıyq farazlarnı isbatlar yəisə kire qağır öçen dəlillər, analiz həm çağıştıru qullana həm dönyanı idarə itüçe üzara bəyleleklərne añlarğa yərdəm itə.

faraz – presumption
isbatlaw – to prove
kire qağu – to disprove, to deny
dəlil – evidence
analiz – analysis
çağıştıru – comparison
üzara bəylelek – correlation

🤗 Temağa kübrək faydalı leksika:

sıltaw, səbəp – excuse, reason
raslaw – confirmation
yomğaq – conclusion
nəticə – consequence, result

çınbarlıq – reality
añ, xuş, zihen – mind, conscience
toyğı, xis – feeling, sense
(añğa) qabul itu, (añğa) alu – to perceive

ışanıçlı – reliable
çığanaq – source
tənqit – criticism
ğəyepləw – to judge

bilgeləmə – definition
qarşı kilü – to object, objection
xuplaw – to approve, approval
artıq yuğarı isəpləw – to overestimate, overestimation
artıq tübən isəpləw – to underestimate, underestimation

❓Ə sez ğədəttə mantıyq yəisə intuisiyә/xislər nigezendə nəticələr yasıysızmı? Üzegezne tiz ışanuçan keşe dip sanıysızmı? Sezneñçə xalıq arasında tənqitle fikerləwne arttırır öçen nindi ısullar bar?

Listening to this right now, inviting you to listen as well 👇🏼🎧

#tt_newbie
Fruit and vegetables

🍏 We have a salad of fruit and vegetables vocabulary for you today. Everything fresh and juicy in one list 📄

cilək-cimeş – fruit
cilək – berry
alma – apple
yözem – grape
armut – pear
avokado – avocado
kiwi – kiwi
qawın – melon
limon – lemon
banan – banana
ananas – pineapple
örek – apricot
əflisun – orange
şəftalu – peach
cilək – strawberry
çiyə – cherry
anar – pomegranate
qızıl/qara qarlığan – red/black currant
qarbız – watermelon
qura ciləge – raspberry
qaracimeş – plum
töçe çiyə – sweet cherry
incir – fig
kük cilək – blueberry
qara börlegən – blackberry
kokos – coconut

yəşelçə – vegetable
borıç – pepper
töçe torma – radish
pomidor – tomato
çögender – beetroot
badımcan – eggplant
qabaq – pumpkin
kişer – carrot
suğan – onion
taşqabaq – zucchini
zəytün – olive
əspe üləne – asparagus
kəbestə – cabbage
borçaq – pea
salat – lettuce
yəşel suğan – spring onion
şpinat – spinach
brokkoli – broccoli
qıyar – cucumber
kerən – horseradish
çəçək-kəbestə – cauliflower
gömbə – mushroom
sarımsaq – garlic
şalqan – turnip
bərəñge – potato
kukuruz – corn

P.S. I know that mushrooms aren’t vegetables but they look cute in my vegetable color palette, so let them be 😭🍄

Navigation TOPICS 🧭

🐣 #tt_newbie

• Hi, how are you?
• What’s your name? / Personal pronouns
• What's your profession?
• I'm from...
• Can you repeat that? / Interrogative particles
• Can you repeat that? / Interrogative particles ~ Audio Lesson
• I have a family
• 10 words: Winter holidays
• Home I
• Food
• Fruit and vegetables
• Dishes and cutlery
• At a restaurant
• At a restaurant ~ Audio Lesson
• The night sky
• Holidays
• Numbers and counting
• Asking for the time
• Days and months
• Studying and Education
• Body parts and appearance
• Inner organs and going to a doctor


📚 #tt_beginner

• Speak like a native
• A little / a lot
• Both / either / neither
• The indefinite verb nitü
• Communicating emotions


🧐 #tt_intermediate

• What do you do at your job?
• It’s all about communication
• Full family tree
• 10 words: Winter
• 5 phrasal verbs: Decisions/actions
• Home II
• Sound imitating words
• Food II
• Cooking and baking
• Confusing words
• Zodiac signs
• Wishes
• Positive energy!
• Basically, allegedly, anyhow…
• More numbers
• Time-related vocabulary
• Confusing words II
• Sneaky words (Russian intervention)
• Medical vocabulary
• Women’s rights

• Song: Ommaj – Uyın
• Song: AIGEL – Naçar Malay
• Song: Sineñ öçen
• Song: GAUGA – Ağıl həm Tügel
• Song: Zulya – Yükələr
• Song: Defne – Qız
• Song: Qazan kiçləre


🚀 #tt_advanced

• Eş ezləw kiñəşləre
• Cәğrafiyə
• Tarix
• Tatarça sləñ
• Fikerləw həm fəlsəfə
• Çəy yolaları
• 5 phrasal verbs: Advanced
• Astronomiyə
• Aylarnıñ tarixi isemnəre
• Fən

• Dialect: Bashkortostan Tatar
• Dialect: Mişər Tatar

• Saq-soq bəyete
• Aq yılan
• Maturlıq (Əmirxan Yeniki)
• Kəcül çitek (Ğayaz İsxaqi)
• Şiğriyət
• Ay östendə Zöhrə qız (Fatıyx Əmirxan)
_________________________

🤍 Support the channel
🖤 Subscribe to Patreon
📷 Learn Tatar Instagram

Navigation CULTURE 🧭

• Tatarstan xaritası
• Başqortstan xaritası

🌍 #tt_culture

• Tatar mythology
• More on Tengrism
• Tatar mythological creatures
• The evil spirit of Albastı
• Do you believe in superstitions?
• Ajdaha and Yuxa-qız
• Forest spirits

• The concept of Moñ
• Winter rites: Narduğan
• Did Tatars celebrate the New Year?
• Tatar architecture
• Dating before Tinder
• Tatar cuisine
• The Tatar tea culture
• Saban tuyı
• Cıyın
• Sacred numbers in Tatar funerals
• The significance behind the Tatar month names
• Tatars and science
• The history of Tatar beauty
• The history of medicine and healing rituals
• A Tatar home

Tatar subgroups:
• Mişərlər
• Finnish Tatars
• Lipka Tatars
• Kerəşen Tatars

Prominent Tatar figures:
• Rabit Batulla
• Baqi Urmançe
• Azat Minnekaev
• Sara Sadıyqova
• Ravil Zagidullin

History:
• A Short Outline of the Tatar Language Development I
• A Short Outline of the Tatar Language Development II
• The History of Tatars I: the Volga Bulgaria

_________________________

🤍 Support the channel
🖤 Subscribe to Patreon
📷 Learn Tatar Instagram

🎉 Happy 85th post!

Where does this number come from? Well, apparently Telegram has this weird thing with only allowing up to 85 links in one post, which means I have to make more navigation posts for you. I have decided to divide them into grammar, topics and culture navigations.

Just giving you a heads up that you'll have to click on the pinned bar three times or more from now on. And here is to another 85 posts!

Tatar rizıqları – Tatar dishes

#tt_culture
Tatar cuisine

The cuisine of the Volga Tatars, rooted in the nomadic Volga Bulgars' transition to agriculture 1500 years ago, showcases diverse flavors influenced by neighboring cultures like the Mari, Udmurts, and Central Asians. The geographical setting, bordering the northern forests and southern steppe near the Volga and Kama rivers brought ingredients like rice, tea, dried fruits, and spices, enriching Tatar dishes.

The heart of Tatar cuisine lies in the region's main agricultural products – cereals and livestock. Although fruits and vegetables were initially limited, the introduction of the potato in the late 19th century diversified the culinary landscape. Local produce like onions, carrots, and pumpkins, coupled with orchard fruits and wild berries, added depth to Tatar dishes. Livestock, including cattle, sheep, and horse meat, played a crucial role in Tatar gastronomy. Dairy products, eggs, and poultry from local farms added variety to their meals. Beekeeping thrived in the forest-steppe, providing an abundance of honey.

In the realm of soups, toqmaçlı aş (noodle soup) featuring homemade noodles, tender pieces of meat or meatballs takes center stage. Mantı are big dumplings with spiced meat mixture, usually lamb or ground beef, wrapped in a thin dough sheet which is then usually steamed. Small festive dumplings, known as pilmən, add a touch of ceremony to the Tatar dining experience.

For main courses, meat, grains, and potatoes form the foundation. From boiled and fried meats to unique dishes like tutırğan tawıq (chicken stuffed with eggs in milk), the Tatars savor a diverse array of flavors. They have a variety of meat dishes like qaqlağan qaz (dried goose meat), tutırma (a sausage made of an intestine filled with finely cut or chopped beef and rice) to azu (a dish consisting of fried pieces of meat, stewed with tomatoes, onions and potatoes in a spicy sauce). Different kinds of bəleş (pie), a combination of meat and grains, are enjoyed with a cup of şulpa (broth). Zur bəleş, a big round-shaped pie with meat, onions and potato, and its little sibling waq bəleş (with rice instead of potato) are usually "tabınnıñ yəme" – the central culinary piece on the table. Pərəməç – a small round-shaped pie with minced meat and onions, öleş – a round-shaped pie with chicken, onions and potato, and öçpoçmaq – a triangular pie filled with a mixture of meat, onions and potato are amongst the most popular Tatar main dishes. Təkə or bökkən is an oval or crescent-shaped pie, filled with various vegetables (mainly pumpkin, also carrots, potatoes or cabbage).

The artistry of Tatar baking unfolds with a variety of dough-based delights. Unleavened dough crafts buns, flatbreads, and biscuits, while leavened yeast dough gives rise to bread and qabartma – a delicious Tatar doughnut. Savory roasted flatbread with various fillings inside (usually mashed potato) called qıstıbıy or küzikmək are also very well-loved.

Sweets take the spotlight with göbədiyə (a sweet round pie with multi-layer filling), qabaq bəleşe (a sweet pumpkin pie), qatlama (a baked roll with a variety of fillings – poppy seeds, sesame seeds, qort, nuts), bawırsaq (a type of fried dough food), talqış kələwə (small, light, fibrous pyramids with a creamy-honey flavor), qoş tele (deep-fried squares or diamonds of unleavened dough), qoymaq (pancakes) and the iconic çəkçək (honey-drenched pieces of pastry) symbolizing celebratory occasions.

Traditional Tatar beverages include əyrən, qatıq, qımız and the sweet honey-infused şirbət, which held a ceremonial significance during the 19th and early 20th centuries. And, of course, no Tatar gathering is complete without the warm embrace of strong tea with mәtrüşkә (type of oregano) and milk, often paired with delightful baked treats.

In essence, Tatar cuisine is a fusion of history, geography, and cultural exchanges, creating a culinary journey that spans centuries and excites with its diverse and flavorful offerings.
________________
F. Adiatullin, Authentic Tatar cuisine, 2011

To support the project and listen to the podcast version, join our Patreon page ♥️

#tt_info
So, I have a plan pretty much mapped out for at least a year to come 😅 Covering a lot of basic topics, beginner and advanced grammar and, of course, my favorite culture topics.

But I would really appreciate any suggestions of:

• what you’d like to see more/less of

• what topics you want me to cover (if you give me any suggestions I haven’t thought of yet, I’ll give you a shoutout in the future post ♥️)

• maybe something you want me to do an in-depth research on

By the way, I’ve just started reading volume 3 of “The History of the Tatars” to make a short version for you to read instead of 1500 pages 🫣 Have you read the sum up of the first two volumes about the Volga Bulgaria that I made? Did you enjoy it?
Are you interested in the recap of the volume about the Golden Horde? 🐎

Also, your active engagement gives me a lot of motivation and lets me know what you’re really interested in! So don’t hesitate to leave reactions, questions or practice what you’ve learnt in the comments 😊

#tt_beginner
Before / after

For today’s lesson I’ve tried to compile all the ways of saying before and after, first and then in Tatar. Let me know if there are other ways of expressing these in the comments 👇🏼

⏮️ To say first in Tatar, the most common word used is başta. Other, more formal, ways of saying that are iñ elek or iñ əwwəl.

Xəlim anı başta poçmaqqa xətle, annarı məçetkə qədər, şunnan soñ hiçber sıltawsız öylərenə tikle ozattı. (İbrahim Ğəzi, “Onıtılmas yıllar”)
Xəlim accompanied her first to the corner, then to the mosque, and after that, without any pretext, up to their house.

⏪️ -ğa qədər / çaqlı / xətle / tikle – before, until (prep.)

Torataw tübəsendə cəy urtasına qədər qar erep betməgən yıllar yış qına bula. (Mirsəy Əmir, “Bez bələkəy çaqlarda”)
Years in which the snow on top of Torataw (mountain) does not melt completely before the middle of summer occur rather frequent.

⏪️ aldınnan – before (prep.)

Tañ aldınnan yoqlap kitte, tik yoqısı tınıç bulmadı. (Barlas Kamalov, “Ömeteñ özelməsen”)
He fell asleep before dawn, but his sleep was not quiet.

Kiçləren, yoqlarğa yatar aldınnan, qayçağında basqıçqa çığıp utırabız, kitap uqıybız. (Nurixan Fəttax, “Mödir Səcidə”)
In the evenings, before going to bed, we sometimes go outside and sit on the staircase (and) read a book.

⏪️ -ğançı / -gənçe / -qançı / -kənçe – before / until + verb
The main meaning of this form is to determine the boundary of the action expressed by the second verb in terms of time.

Küzlərem talğançı kürsəm, miña bit şul da citə. (Xəsən Tufan, “Qayınnar sarı ide”)
If I see you until my eyes are tired, that is enough for me.

⏪️ -dan / -dən / -tan / -tən / -nan / -nən elek – before (prep.)

Kerüweñnən elek çığuwıñnı uyla. (Proverb.)
Before you enter, think of your way out.

⏪️ elek – before, in the past (adv.)

Elek aniñ tömsə yöze oşamıy ide bit, ... xəzer menə sağınam üzen. (Marsel Ğaliev, “Nigez”)
Before, I didn't like his somber face ... but now I miss him.

Elek is also used as ... ago:
öç kön elek – three days ago

⏭️ Mentioned in the very first example, şunnan (soñ), annan (soñ) or just annarı is a very common way to say after that. Berazdan (soñ) means after a little while. More literary soñınnan is also used to express after that.

⏩️ -dan / -dən / -tan / -tən / -nan / -nən soñ – after (prep.)

Aşap-eçkənnən soñ bar da tamaşa zalına kitte. (Batulla, “Alıp batır macaraları”)
After eating and drinking, everyone went into the auditorium.

Same construction is also used as ... later:
öç atnadan (soñ) – three weeks later

⏩️ -ğaç / -gəç / -qaç / -kəç
The main meaning of this form is to express an action that has just been completed before the process expressed by the main verb.

Su alğançı, yulğa ber qarıysıñ, çiləkləreñ tulğaç, tağın ber. (Sibğat Xəkim, “Ənkəy”)
Before you get water, take a look at the road. After your buckets are full, do it once again.

💬 You’re welcome to try using these constructions to create sentences in the comment section!

#tt_intermediate
Cooking and baking

Let’s go to the kitchen today and learn some useful vocabulary for cooking and baking.

peşerü – to cook
qızdıru – to fry
qaynatu – to boil
kisü – to cut (in half, a slice, etc.)
kisep alu – to cut sth for oneself, to cut and take
kisep birü – to cut sth for sb, to cut and give
turaw – to chop, to cut (into small pieces)
qıru – to grate
qırğıç – grater
sözü – to filter/sift (a liquid)
sözgeç – filter/sieve
iləw – to sift (e.g. flour)
ilək – sieve
çistartu – to clean
ərçü – to peel
töyü – to pound
tozlaw – to salt
borıçlaw – to pepper
maylaw – to butter/oil (e.g. a baking form)
yuwu – to wash
sawıt-saba yuwu maşınası – dishwasher
plitə – stove
miç – oven