The Kremlin Thinks to Revive the Khanate of Kazan

They are going to initiate changes in names of almost all national republics of Russia in Dagestan. According to the source, close to the regional government, they consider there that subjects of federation can't carry the name of one of ethnoses. Thus, for example, Kabardino-Balkaria is suggested to be renamed into the Prielbrus Republic, Tatarstan — into the Kazan Republic and Bashkortostan — into the Ufa Republic.

The rector of the Dagestan Institute of Economy and Policy Abdul-Nasir Dibirov supports this initiative of the authorities. “All republics today, including ones in the North Caucasus, are poly-ethnic. To allocate one ethnos, one nationality in its name is wrong. Peoples which aren't title are in the belittled condition. There is international inequality. For example, 53% of the Kazan Tatars live in Tatarstan, thus 47% of inhabitants — not Tatars. It turns out that these 47% — second-grade people living there as guests,” — Dibirov told to "Izvestiya”.

He is also sure that renaming of regions in the North Caucasus won't cause resistance: “Now in many national republics, for example, in Kabardino-Balkaria and the Karachaevo-Circassian Republic this problem of inequality of ethnoses is very sharp”.

Idea of renaming of regions was also supported in the Chechen Republic. Representative of this region in the State Duma, the deputy from “United Russia” Mahomet Vakhayev noted that in their case return to the old place name — Ichkeria — will be wrong decision. “The name "Ichkeria" was thought up at Dzhokhar Dudaev whom was supported by very few people. But it was favorable to them. Besides, the name of the republic in honor of the gorge — not the best option,” — was noted by Vakhayev.

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From editorial board: The authorities have a lot of other ideas, it’s impossible to count all of them, one is more interesting, than the other. A lot of new ideas appeared in the country after cancellation of the psychiatric registration.

For example, a very good idea - to revive the Khanate of Kazan instead of the Republic of Tatarstan, in fact whether it’s a republic? Since Shaymiev - pure khanate. The name Tatarstan in no way reflect reality: historical Tataria starts from Kasimov and further to the east, to the Siberia and to the south - all Volga region to Astrakhan. Why is the territory of the former Khanate of Kazan called Tataria, while the territory of the former Astrakhan khanate - simply territory as a part of the Russian Federation?

Other question - whether revival of the Khanate of Kazan will become strengthening factor for Federation or on the contrary?

Situation with the Ufa republic is already more difficult and more interesting as the historical Bashkiria coincides with borders of the subject of the Federation, while the city of Ufa has nothing to do about it - the city was constructed as a fortress by riflemen of Ivan the Terrible.

It will be even more curious with Yakutia which not only administratively, but also geographically is just Yakutia and nothing else. The main town has the name Yakutsk. So whatever one may do, all the same we have the Yakut Republic.

Things with Karachaevo-Circassia are also funny, if to call it after the name of the main town Cherkessk, Karachays will drop out of the name of the republic. It is very amusing that neighbouring Kabardino-Balkaria is planned to call the Prielbrus Republic, while Karachaevo-Circassia where Elbrus is situated will be somehow withdrawn from it.

It is clear that Chechnya as the name is not very pleasant to the Chechens – it’s dissonant. However, if they don’t like it – let them change it, there’s such mechanism as referendum for this purpose. If Ramzan says that it’s necessary to be carried out, they will carry it out. While if to consider the fact that 95% of the population of Chechnya are Chechens and percent of the Chechen population in the “republic” constantly grows, the name the Chechen Republic reflects the essence of this subject of the Federation. While in Ingushetia the title nation makes less than 80 percent, 20 percent there – the Chechens again. Percent of all others is negligible, about 1,2 percent of the Russian and all the others. So it would be quite possible to return to the Soviet name - the Chechen-Ingush republic. Or Ingush-Chechen.

While then it would be necessary to use this experience changing the names of all other subjects of the Federation - why, for example, the Karelian Republic where Finno-Ugrian population in sum makes no more than 11 percent is not called, for example, the Petrozavodsk Republic?

It’s also necessary to do something with the Russian Federation. What is the ethnos - rossy? Means the Russians? It’s necessary to return the historical name Moskovia and that’s all. The same way we could return the names of the republics to a number of historical areas - the Novgorod Republic, the Pskov one... The same way we can handle with the former princely thrones - to appropriate them the names of the republics - the Tver, Vladimir, Ryazan, Smolensk, Yaroslavl, same Astrakhan Republics.

After it’s possible to get engaged with districts: Suzdal, Starobelsk, Shuya, Kasimov... Then Tushino will follow – now it’s one of the districts of Moscow, even several regions and till 1964 it used to be independent city. Well, at the beginning of the 17th century at "tushinsky thief", sovereign Dimitry the First it used to be the capital of the Moscow state for whole 2.5 years.

Anatoly Baranov, editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk

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