The Tatar language in interpersonal communication and public spaces of Tatarstan cities

The article analyzes the use of the Tatar language by residents of the five largest cities of Tatarstan (Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Nizhnekamsk, Almetyevsk, and Zelenodolsk) in interpersonal communication and in various institutions and urban public environments. It is based on the data of a mass-scale ethno-sociological survey conducted in late 2024 – early 2025. In the course of integrating the data, the authors sought to use certain new approaches to the analysis of ethnolinguistic processes – by posing the question of the choice of the language of communication not only in connection with the respondents’ belonging to a particular ethnic group, but also in relation to the environment and situation of communication, socio-cultural practices and expectations. The study showed that the Tatar language is chosen significantly more often in the private life of city residents and to a lesser extent in their public life. Nevertheless, in the social and institutional sphere it is noticed to one degree or another (“constantly” and “sometimes”) by about 90% of city residents. The Tatar language is used slightly less in educational institutions, somewhat more in administrative and medical institutions, and it is heard noticeably more frequently in public spaces of cities. In all spheres of interpersonal communication, the Russian language is predominant among the Russian settlements under examination. Tatar-Russian bilingualism or Tatar monolingualism prevails among Tatars. Two languages are used by 60–80% of Tatars in friendly communication, half in business, as well as when talking with parents, spouses, grandparents, and a third when they address their brothers and sisters. 75–96% of respondents recognize the importance of the representation of the Tatar language in the socio-cultural space of their cities. However, when assessing the real situation, from a fifth to a third of Tatars in different settlements pointed out the insufficiency of its presence. The identified public demand for the Tatar language, its perception as an organic part of the urban landscape by a significant proportion of representatives of different nationalities, demonstrates the significant role of this language in interpersonal communication and in the socio-cultural development of large cities in Tatarstan.