Tatar in Estonia

People Name:	Tatar
Country:	Estonia
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	1,900
World Population:	5,722,500
Primary Language:	Tatar
Primary Religion:	Islam
Christian Adherents:	1.00 %
Evangelicals:	0.10 %
Scripture:	Complete Bible
Ministry Resources:	Yes
Jesus Film:	Yes
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	Ural-Siberian
Affinity Bloc:	Turkic Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The ancestors of the Tatars were a nomadic people living in northeastern Mongolia near Lake Baikal starting in the 5th century CE. Some of the Tatars and other Turkic peoples became part of Genghis Khan's conquering armies in the early 13th century, leading to a fusion of Mongol and Turkic peoples. These invaders of Russia and Hungary became known to Europeans as "Tatars" meaning "archer." After Genghis Khan's power eroded, Tatars were associated with the western half of the remaining Mongol domain and known as the Golden Horde.

The Tatars have had a strong civilization since the tenth century. The Russians conquered them in the sixteenth century. In the 1800s, Tatar cities ranked among the greatest cultural centers of the Islamic world. Tatars might have blue eyes and blonde hair or may look like Mongolians with very little facial hair. Many speak a unique Turkic language called Kazan Tatar, while some now claim Russian as their mother tongue. Although most of them live around the Volga region, others inhabit Azerbaijan, Armenia, Byelorussia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Central Asian republics like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Tatars in Estonia fall into two basic groups: those who arrived during the Soviet period, and those who came after that era ended in 1991. The first group has mainly integrated with the Estonian majority in terms of language and customs. The second group is more Tatar in culture. They look forward to Tatar religious and cultural celebrations.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Tartars are one of the largest Muslim groups in Estonia. Many Tatars place more of their identity in Islam than in being Tatar. Most are Hanafite, one of the four schools of Sunni Islam. While orthodox Muslims believe in Allah as the only God, many Tatars still honor saints and holy places. Some believe in supernatural powers such as the "evil eye," involving the ability to curse someone with a glance. Unlike most Muslims, some of the Tatar eat pork. Very few observe the prescribed Islamic fasts. They remain more liberal than most orthodox Muslims of Central Asia, even inviting women to pray in the mosques instead of at home. Unfortunately, the Tatars' view of Christianity has been scarred by negative interactions with the Russian Orthodox Church and its earlier attempts to convert them through force. This has served to drive them away from Christ and toward Islam.

What Are Their Needs?

Christian laborers are needed to live and work among the Tatars. The Tatars in Estonia, as well as those scattered throughout the world, are an unreached people group.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to send workers to the Tatar people and for a church planting movement to arise.
Pray for a spiritual hunger that will drive the Tatars to the Savior.
Pray for a powerful Tatar church where people place their hope in Christ alone.