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The publication is a commentary and the text of the handwritten autobiography of N.I. Vorobyev. The document is introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time. The undertaken analysis of the text allowed us to identify new facts from the life and work of the researcher and to grasp their context. The document is dated March 2, 1947 and was written by the scholar during his work at Kazan State University. N.I. Vorobyev lists in detail the facts about his parents, the process of receiving an education, the beginning of his teaching and research work. He reveals the evolution of his own academic interests, from geography to ethnography, and highlights the author’s scholarly papers that are of significance from his point of view. The document mentions N.I. Vorobyev’s research work in the Far East dedicated to the study of the life of the Nanai (the Golds) and in the Mari ASSR – limnological studies of lakes. The researcher emphasises his work on methodological support of teachers. A separate chapter of the autobiography contains a description of the academic’s participation in the work of various public scholarly organisations. N.I. Vorobyev focuses on the important aspects of his life that correspond to the spirit of those times. This is the recognition of his political unconsciousness in the first years of the Soviet power, service in the Red Army as a private soldier. The autobiography of N.I. Vorobyev is a valuable, informative source. It shows not only the significance of individual milestones in his life and work for the scholar himself, but also reveals the distinctive features of the Soviet era, which formed the conditions for work for the entire academic community.

The publication is a commentary and texts of three previously unknown letters written to each other by N.I. Vorobyev and R.K. Gareeva (Urazmanova), who would later become the leading specialist in Tatar rites and holidays. The conducted analysis of the document revealed the peculiarities of scholarly communication between these individuals, the emotions of an inexperienced but science-minded young school teacher who was involved in the research work, and the influence of Marxist-Leninist ideology on the understanding of the importance of the ethnography science in the Soviet times. Gareeva’s first letter was written on January 23, 1961. In the letter, she shared her concerns about not understanding the need for ethnography. Vorobyev wrote her a detailed response in February of the same year. Nikolai Iosifovich divided the letter into sections. In the first part, when discussing the age of science and technology, he points out the spiritual needs. In his opinion, culture and art are no less important for people than material needs. When reflecting on the importance of ethnographic science, the scholar emphasises the need for a comprehensive study of the ‘development’ of the culture of different peoples, when old skills can be useful for meeting the modern needs. In the last section, he argues that a new generation of researchers is necessary to ensure the continuity of academic knowledge. The geographical education received by R.K. Gareeva, as N.I. Vorobyev is convinced, will help her look at traditional culture much more broadly. The second letter of Rufa (Raufa) Karimovna is not as worrisome as the first one. She expressed gratitude to Vorobyev for the answer and, inspired, she reports on her research plans to collect ethnographic materials on the culture of the Tatars and on preparation for entering graduate school. The revealed epistolary documents made it possible to reveal the subtle aspects of the formation and development of ethnological science in the Volga region, the importance of the individual/teacher in the professional development of researchers of the traditional culture of the peoples of the region.

The article opens the issue dedicated to the ethnosocial problems of the city. Its authors – the compiler and scientific editor of the issue and the editor-in-chief of Historical Ethnology – substantiate an approach to the topic in relation to the ideology of the journal. It is intended to present manifestations of ethnicity in urban settlements in the broad context of the economic, political, social, historical and cultural processes which occur in them. The sections offered to readers reflect this aim and focus on the following aspects: identifying the directions for studying cities, as laid down in the works of ethnosociology classics; the issues of state national policy as applied to them and the influence of various social factors on interethnic engagement; the topic of urban identity in its relationship with ethnic, regional and all-Russian identities, as well as in the context of the impact on the migration mobility of the population; urban ethno-confessional, linguistic and cultural practices that reflect socio-political and economic changes in the post-Soviet space. A brief overview of the articles presents their main ideas and the perspective chosen by each author on the topic. It is concluded that revealing the dialectical relationship between historical, political, economic and ethnosocial development opens up prospects for further research of the city as a social community.

The history and culture of the holy sites in the Volga-Ural region remains an underdeveloped topic in ethnological science. The introduction of new written sources into scientific circulation and a secondary analysis of the works of Russian and foreign researchers can help in solving this problem. The article aims to systematise and analyse information about the cult of saints and pilgrimage traditions among the peoples of the Volga-Ural region in the pre-Soviet period. The belonging of holy sites to certain peoples has become the main principle of the distribution of information. Its use showed the need to single out a separate group of data that reveals the syncretism of holy sites among the Volga-Ural peoples. The collected corpus of materials made it possible to identify the main places of worship in the region, pilgrimage traditions, the attitude of national and religious elites towards sacred objects, and the nature of public discussions. The authors believe that when studying the cult of saints, it is important to take into account the essence of "holiness" and the ideas about it among individual peoples, the system of its maintenance – oral and written heritage, ritual and ceremonial culture. The nature of the worship of holy sites in the context of intercultural contacts in the Volga-Ural region is of great importance.

One of the key conditions for the successful development of modern states is human capital. The international approach to calculating the Human Development Index, developed within the framework of the UN Development Program, is unified and does not pay attention to the socio-cultural (ethnic) factor. To assess its significance, the authors of the article carried out a discursive quantitative and qualitative analysis of the "Strategy for the socio-economic development of the Republic of Tatarstan until 2030" and semi-formalized interviews with experts. The purpose of the article: to identify the significance, foundations and meanings of the ethno-cultural component of the human capital of the Republic of Tatarstan and how they are implemented in practice. The results of the study revealed the high focus of Tatarstan on supporting the ethno-cultural component of the region’s human capital. Such a component is considered to be an indicator of the quality and diversity of the cultural life of the people living in Tatarstan. The republican government aims to develop human capital by supporting creative initiatives, motivating the population to build up creative competencies. The positioning of the republic as a region with international peace and harmony is used by Tatarstan to attract highly developed human capital from other regions and investors to stimulate its development.

The article highlights the results of the work of the 5th All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Positive experience in the regulation of ethno-social and ethno-cultural processes in the regions of the Russian Federation”, held on April 28–29, 2022 in Kazan. The main thematic areas of the forum focus on identities (all-Russian, regional, local, ethnic), their influence on the socio-psychological attitudes of the Russians and on interethnic relations; language policy and language processes in Russian regions; migration; theory and practice of post-secular society. The appeal of the conference participants to a wider range of topics is pointed out, taking into account the tasks facing the modern Russian society. They include the consequences of Covid-19 and intangible resources for the development of Russia and its subjects in the context of the formation of the new world order.

The article is devoted to the analysis of a new book – a monograph by O.V. Va-silyeva “Ethnicity and Society in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia): Sociological Analy-sis”, published in 2020 in Yakutsk. Its advantage is a new original approach to studying the process of constructing ethnicity in the context of the development of capitalist relations and modern global economic flows. The reviewer gives some parallels in the social development of the Yakuts and Tatars at different historical stages. This is the emergence of the bourgeoisie and political organizations at the beginning of the 20th century, specific labeling under the influence of the Soviet Republic constitutional acts and post-Soviet census campaigns, the “acquisition of republics” in the conditions of the Soviet practice of national zoning of territories, etc. All such facts highlight how much the peoples of the Turkic world of the Russian Empire, the USSR, and the Rus-sian Fe¬deration had in common. The monograph by O.V. Vasi-lyeva encourages new research in the field of social aspects of the the Turkic world ethnicity functioning.

In December 2016, employees of the Institute of History of Sh. Marjani of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan Gulnara Gabdrakhmanova and Elvina Sagdieva went on an expedition to the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its goal was to study the characteristics of the ethnic identity of the Tatars –the residents of Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital. Research work was conducted within the framework of qualitative sociology. The main method was biographical ("life stories"). The sample consisted of respondents representing different demographic groups (by sex and age) and living in different parts of the capital of Uzbekistan. As a result of analyzing the biographies, the types of ethnic identity of the studied group, as well as the content of its formation and development were revealed. The Tatar diaspora continues to be strong enough and united in the Republic of Uzbekistan, however, it suffered a significant reduction in number. This happened not only under the influence of Tatars’ mass emigration from the region, but, as the study showed, a certain part of them replaced their ethnic identity in favor of the Uzbek one. In the course of the analysis, it was possible to identify four types of ethnic identity of the Tatars – the inhabitants of Tashkent. Carriers of the first type are representatives of the Tatar diaspora’s elder generation, who spent most of their lives in the USSR. The second type is typical for those who have lived about half the life in the Soviet era, and the second half – in the period of Uzbekistan's independence. Representatives of the third and fourth groups were born and socialized in the 1990–2000's. At the time of the study the carriers of the third type expressed the Tatar identity, but this actualization has occurred in recent years and is essentially "returnable". The fourth type has practically lost their ethnic (Tatar) identity, or it is nominal, although its representatives still know and remember about their "Tatar roots". Both types are examples of "shifting ethnic identity," the change of which occurs under the influence of subjective and objective factors. Another important identity of the respondents is religious one. Everyone without exception called themselves Muslims. Religious practices are reduced to visiting a mosque by men during the holy Muslim holidays (Uraza Bairam, Kurban Bairam) and in observance of the life cycle rites. All those born in Uzbekistan call the republic their homeland, treat it with respect and with gratitude. It is noted that the Uzbek and Tatar people have lived together for several centuries in Uzbekistan, respecting each other's culture. Most of the participants in the study do not forget about their ethnicity, they try to observe the Tatar customs and rites and instill them in their children. An important way to preserve "Tatar" in Tashkent are cultural events held by the "Tatar Public Cultural and Educational Center."

Mass ethnosociological studies conducted over the past two and a half decades have revealed the importance of ethnic identity for Tatars, and its increasing importance in the post-Soviet period. Understanding this phenomenon theoretically and empirically cannot be performed using traditional methods. Cultural boundaries and markers of ethnic identity among Tatars can be understood only in terms of the early stages of their formation and transformation in later periods. Diachronic and synchronic analyses are the most promising methods for studying these dynamics. Generic and patriotic associations, Islam, Tatar language, and some elements of traditional culture have always been important to Tatars. They remain important in the contemporary world. Other identity markers are lost forever, replaced as primordial manifestations of ethnicity. Origins are important for the older generation and young Tatars. In studying Tatar ethnic identity it is important to pay attention to the significance of local identifications associated with belonging to certain territories (region, country). Such an overarching approach can absorb multilevel identitifications associated with Tatar aspirations to build various horizontal links that are not managed by vertical structures.

In 2016, a group of scientists from the Sh. Marjani Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan made an expedition to the Altai Republic. Its purpose was to identify the status and content of the ancient Turkic Clan identities among Altai people living in the region. The primary analysis of the collected data allows us to draw the following conclusions: Tribal identity among the people of Altai is a sustainable phenomenon, performing the function of demographic security for the ethnic group. Many Turkic peoples who came from the Altai Region lost their tribal identities because in conditions with different ethnic groups they did not have the threat of genetic extinction. Tatars’ aspirations to unite on the basis of belonging to a single community is preserved mentally and behaviorally. Semiotic study of the Altai language testifies to the development of certain historical processes. Thus, the presence of terms such as kadybas (smith) and kömÿrchi (collier) confirm the presence of a developed economy of iron mining and smelting technology of high-quality steel in the Altai Region during the rise of the Turk Khanate. Legends about the origins of Turks reveal fundamental commonalities and a certain evolution of the spiritual and religious world. The cult of the wolf is one of the elements of the archaic world of Turkic-speaking peoples. With this animal is considered the ancestor. Once the life of Turks became varied, as they migrated farther to the west, and away from Chinese culture, and came under the influence of Islam, their ideas about themselves underwent transformation. Each Turkic people formed their own ideas about their places of origin and their world.

This article is devoted to the study of virtual Tatar communities in the VKontakte social network typologized according to basic consolidating social and ethnic markers. The authors studied the three largest Tatar communities: “Iң shəp Tatarcha җyrlar” [The Coolest Tatar Songs], “Kyzyk-myzyk (Tatarcha yumor)” [Interesting Indeed (Тatar Humor)], and “Tatary i tatarochki” [Тatar males and females] using methods of statistical and content analysis. To investigate the various audiences of the communities and to identify the most popular publications, we used the following applications: https://vk.com/compare_ groups, http://allsocial.ru/communities, http://popsters.ru. The categories of content analysis were: culture, news, religion, politics, history, economics, sports, humor, self-stereotypes, marriage and dating. As a result of our research, the main audiences of the communities, the thematic and linguistic content of their publications, and the language behavior of users were revealed. The basic functions of the investigated communities were likewise detected. The study revealed the features of Tatar ethnic identity in these social networks (community members’ ideas about their identity, and how they present it in virtual and real life).

At the turn of the 21st century, conditions occurred as a result of the Russian Federation’s turbulent sociopolitical and economic transformations that allowed in the country’s constituent republics to construct relatively independent linguistic and cultural policies. Tatarstan showed initiative and was at the vanguard of these processes, and to a large extent become a model for other regions of the Russian Federation. Tatarstan’s subsequent ethno-linguistic policies developed in line with its adjustment to the new requirements from the center in Moscow against the background of the region’s compliance with certain basic principles developed in the early 1990s. The modern stage shows the incomplete formation of ethno-linguistic policies in the country, an ongoing process of mutual agreement in the field of ethno-linguistics between the Russian Federation’s center in Moscow and its republics, including in the national education sector.

The collective volume under review, The History of the Tatars of the Western Urals. Volume I. The Nomads of the Great Steppe in the Urals. Tatar Medieval States (Kazan, Sh. Marjani Institute of History of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences Publ., 2016) is a scholarly work that presents the latest research by turkologist experts in the field of the ethnic processes taking place in the Western Urals in the early and late Middle Ages. The volume may be useful to a wide range of specialists, including ethnologists. The conclusions the book’s authors regarding the origins of Tatars and Bashkirs, concerning the pragmatic transition from one ethnic group to another, and about the presence of a single culture among associated ethnic groups raise new questions about the nature of ethnicity – its limits, variability, and plasticity in both time and space.

The article presents an analysis of the work and some results of an ethnosociological conference held in Kazan on 17–18 November 2016. The participants’ papers were related to clarifying issues concerning state, civil, regional, and ethnic identities in Russia’s regions, problems of inter-ethnic and inter-religious cooperation, and the demographic, social, and cultural processes characteristic of the country’s people. A separate session was devoted to discussing systems for monitoring ethnic relations. A lively discussion arose about the proposal for a federal law on the Russian [territorial] nation, announced on 31 October 2016 in the Council on Inter-national [Inter-ethnic] Relations under the President of the Russian Federation.