Abstract :
The people inhabiting the Volga-Ural region of Tsarist Russia experienced difficult times in the first half of the 18th century. They were living under very heavy pressure, a pressure of which Christianization and Russification formed the most important parts. In 1708, Peter I published a decree establishing the Governorate (or Guberniya) of Kazan. Artemiy Volinskiy, one of the men in Peter the Great s immediate circle, undertook the task of the governorship of Kazan in 1725-1730. The practices of Volinskiy during his years as a governor are of significant importance, as they directly influenced the fate of the Turkish people, especially the Tatars, the Bashkir’s and the Nogais living in the Volga-Ural region. During his tenure as governor, Volinskiy was dealing directly with the Kalmyks and the Bashkir’s, preparing reports on how to make them loyal servants of Tsarist Russia. His “The Bashkir’s Report” in particular directly influenced the future of the Bashkir’s. As the governor of Kazan, Volinskiy also succeeded in bringing order to the city. However, the bribery and corruption Volinskiy had been involved in at Astrakhan, did not leave him alone in Kazan either. The struggle undertaken with religious officials became the reason he lost his position as the Governor of Kazan.
NaturalLanguageKeyword :
Artemiy Volinskiy , Kazan Governorate , the Bashkir’s Report , the Tatars , Kazan
