1. Case-study No. & Title:
186. The Tataro-Bashkir minority in the Barda district, Perm oblast (1992-2000).

Keywords

2. Author information
2.1 Author’s Name
Dmitry Groushkin

2.2 Institutional Affiliation and Contact Details:
Center for Civilization and Regional Studies
Russian Academy of Sciences
Spiridonovka street 30/1
Moscow, 103001
Russia

Tel./fax: (095) 202-33-11
E-mail: memhrc@glasnet.ru

2.3 Date recorded
02/12/2000

3. Good Practice Information Sheet
3.1 Local Level Good Practice:
Perm oblast Program "Supporting the development of the ethnic cultures of peoples in the Kama region "

3.2 Location:
Barda region, Perm oblast, Russia

3.3 Minority/Target Groups:
Tataro-Bashkir (local communities in the Southern Kama regions of Perm oblast)

3.4 Major Actors Involved

3.5 Budget allocated by local government authorities and/or by other actors
The necessary means for the realisation of the Perm oblast Program "Supporting the development of the ethnic cultures of peoples in the Kama region " are provided from the oblast budget The everyday expenses connected with the needs of ethnic-oriented educational and cultural institutions, such as schools, museums, and TV are paid both from oblast and local district budgets.

3.6 Timeframe
1992-2000

3.7 Local level good practice relation to national level ethnic policy
In December 1998 the first local Tatar-Bashkir national-cultural autonomy was established in Perm oblast. This is in accordance with the federal law "On national-cultural autonomy" adopted in 1996.

4. Good Practice Description
The ethnic origin of the compact Tatar-Bashkir minority in the Perm region is quite complicated. This community is of mixed Tatar-Bashkir origin, with a predominance of the Tatar component. The total size of this community in the region is of about 220,000 persons, mostly concentrated in the following Southern districts: Barda, Berezov, Kunghur, October, Orda, Perm, Suksun, Uin.

In the Barda district the Tatar-Bashkir community constitutes the majority of the population: in 1998 90% (26,411 persons) of the total district’s population (29,354) were Tatar-Bashkir.

The district borders the Republic of Bashkortostan, includes 17 administrative units, 65 populated areas, and occupies the first position in the region in terms of density of population.

The principle of proportional national representation in local institutions is fully observed: according to official statistics (August 2000), in the local bodies of power 90% of the officials were Tatar-Bashkir. The same principle de facto applies to other spheres as well. So, for instance, 91% of the total number of 348 local employers are Tatar-Bashkir

Barda district is the centre of development of this minority’s national, cultural, educational, and spiritual life. Various activities take place there on a regular basis (for example, seminars/conferences of education specialists with participation of the representatives from other districts that are densely populated by Tatar-Bashkir); conferences and festivals. The "Tan" ("Dawn") newspaper has been published there since 1991, and December 1993 saw the first TV broadcast translated into the Tatar language.

In the Barda district there are 29 Tatar-Bashkir schools. In the same district there are also 35 Tatar-language schools and 2 schools with bilingual, Russian-Tatar education.

As early as 16 April 1993 the Soviet district petitioned the oblast authorities to grant Barda the status of "Tatar-Bashkir National District". The petition was rejected as such a decision was forbidden by federal laws. On the other hand, ever since then the authorities of the Perm oblast have devoted considerable attention and financial resources to the Barda district.

On 21 April 1995, the oblast Governor, G. Igumnov issued decree No.141 "On socio-economic development of Barda district in 1997-2000". On 22 August 1996 the Legislative Assembly of the Perm region adopted with Resolution No. 534 the local program "Supporting the development of the national cultures of the peoples of Kama region". Putting these resolutions into practice meant allocating, from January 1997 to January 1999, 20 million Roubles from the local budget towards the organization of national and cultural activities. The local government, in co-operation with authorities of Barda district financed the national secondary school/gymnasium No. 1 in Barda, organized the reconstruction on the Barda TV station and the building and equipping of the district’s museum.

On 18 December 1998 the local national and cultural autonomy (NCA) of Tatars and Bashkir was registered. The main tasks and objectives of the NCA are to support the socio-cultural development of Tatars, Bashkir and of other Turkic (Muslim) communities of the Perm region: