Democratic self-government
Political decisions about Tatarstan’s future should be made by its citizens.
About
Mission and vision
A political and public institution representing supporters of Tatarstan’s self-determination and independence outside the Russian Federation.
Purpose
Mission
Our mission is to build durable political and international representation for the idea of an independent Tatarstan: a state in which decisions about the republic’s future are made by its citizens, the Tatar language and culture can develop fully, and human rights and civic equality do not depend on nationality, language, or origin.
Vision
We see Tatarstan’s future as that of a democratic civic state, open to the world and to its neighbours. For us, independence does not mean isolation; it means the ability to determine domestic and foreign policy, protect national identity, build institutions governed by law, and develop relations with other states and peoples on the basis of equality.
About
The Government of Independent Tatarstan in Exile is a political and public institution that represents supporters of Tatarstan’s state self-determination and independence and conducts its work outside the Russian Federation.
The Government’s activities include international representation and public diplomacy, the preparation of statements and documents, advocacy for the rights of Tatars and other Indigenous peoples, coverage of political repression, preservation of historical memory, and the development of cooperation with democratic, national, and human-rights movements.
We regard the question of Tatarstan’s future as more than a question of state status. It is a question of a society’s ability to make political decisions independently, preserve its language, culture, and historical memory, and take responsibility for its own future.
Institutional history
20 December 2008: Formation of the Government in Exile
On 20 December 2008, at a special meeting of the Milli Mejlis of the Tatar People, the Declaration of Independence of Tatarstan was adopted. One of its provisions established the Government of Tatarstan in Exile to defend the interests of the Tatar people. This historical connection with the Milli Mejlis is an important part of the Government’s institutional history.
Historical foundation
1990–1992: Sovereignty and the popular mandate
The modern movement for Tatarstan’s state self-determination has deep historical foundations. In the early 1990s, amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union, sovereignty became the subject of broad public and political debate in the republic.
On 21 March 1992, citizens of Tatarstan took part in a referendum on the state status of the republic. For the independence movement, that referendum remains a central point in Tatarstan’s modern political history and an example of direct popular expression.
The Government of Independent Tatarstan in Exile regards the preservation of documents, photographs, and testimony from this period as an essential part of Tatarstan’s historical memory and public archive.
Rights and civic equality
Human rights and equality must not depend on nationality, language, or origin.
Language and historical memory
The Tatar language, cultural inheritance, documentary record, and historical memory require durable public institutions.