'It is a Miracle When a Tatar Finds Jesus'
[Estimated reading time: 5 minutes]
A Tatar couple dances in traditional folk outfits during a celebration in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. [Image by IMB.org]
Ildar* climbed up to the stage with flowers in hand to propose to the woman he loved. Venera* had just finished performing a traditional Tatar dance at a local beauty competition. When she fixed her eyes on Ildar, her joy brought her to tears. She said yes.
Moments later, the announcement came: she had won the competition! “Introducing Miss Tatar from the town of…”
Ildar and Venera grew up in Tatarstan, a republic of Russia and home to the largest community of Tatars. Married for many years now, they are involved in Christian media ministry despite the challenge.
“To be Tatar is to be Muslim,” said Ildar. “It is a miracle when a Tatar finds Jesus.”
In fact, both Ildar and Venera were raised in Muslim families. It wasn’t until Ildar began comparing the Bible with the Quran that he discovered the truth of the gospel. When he told his mother he was a Christian, she told him that he was no longer her son. Her strong emotions have eased over the years, but Ildar still experiences social pressures because of his faith.
Venera explained how strong the link is between the Tatar identity and Islam:
“You should understand that Tatar equals Muslim. I have a very common Tatar name and, for example, in my classroom at school, there could be three people with the same name and everyone knows that it’s a Tatar name. But if I wear a cross, they look at me and ask, ‘Are you Russian?’ My mother never told me that a cross is bad or that Christians are bad, but we took it as something in our blood that we are not Christians. When I was a child, I was afraid to even look at crosses.”
Venera's family interpreted the tough times she went through after becoming a Christian as divine punishment for following Jesus. Though this troubled Venera, she stayed firm in her faith.
Today, Ildar and Venera are leading TWR’s Tatar ministry. They boldly present the gospel to Tatars in ways that don’t provoke instant defenses. For example, the name Jesus Christ is perceived by Tatars as the Russian God because of the deep roots of the Russian Orthodox church. So it’s important to refer to Jesus with culturally relevant names such as the Creator or Isa (the Arabic translation of Jesus).
“If you don’t, you lose their attention,” said Ildar. “It’s also very important to use the Tatar language because it’s an open door to their hearts.”
In Tatarstan, many schools teach in Russian, and many Tatars speak Russian with one another in the cities. But when content is created in the Tatar language, using traditional Tatar designs and music, it forms a direct connection within the community. For example, the Tatar Bible, completed in 2015, has a gold foil cover design that resembles traditional Tatar folk art. These details are important in contextualizing Jesus’ message for the culture.
The choice of media format also matters. For example, a lot of Tatars buy the Tatar Bible on a popular Russian website. It's important to have a strong online presence in the digital spaces where Tatars commonly go.
“Two thousand years ago, people would go to marketplaces in the local town squares to meet other people. It’s exactly like that except digital,” said TWR’s director for Russian ministry initiatives.
Reaching Tatars and Bashkirs 
Tatarstan and Bashkortostan are Russian republics that share a common border and culture. The Tatars and Bashkirs also share a Muslim heritage. They are essentially one family group.
“Only a few letters in our languages are different, but we can understand each other. There are a lot of Bashkirs in Tatarstan and a lot of Tatars in Bashkortostan,” said Venera.
When Ildar and Venera create content specifically for Tatars, they also reach Bashkirs.
“Bashkirs are like brothers and sisters to us,” Ildar explained, “but they have a different kind of dance.”
A New Digital Initiative
TWR is now developing digital content for Tatars, led by Ildar and Venera, who have a passion for sharing Christianity with Tatars in simple, accessible ways.
Venera shared from her heart:
“I see how unbelievers are trying to solve their stress and problems through spiritual things like meditation. If we don’t tell these people about the real God, about real spirituality and God’s love, they will never know about it. That’s why this project is special. At first glance it might not look specifically religious because my goal is to not be in a religious box so that unbelievers can understand the content. So I use very simple words and ideas.
“At first, people can read posts that help them solve their issues by meditating on the true Creator. When they read our posts, they can sign up for an online course to find out more about Jesus and how to communicate with God.”
One way that Ildar and Venera are starting spiritual conversations with Tatars is by asking for prayer requests. When people show more interest in God, they connect them with a local church and give them Tatar Bibles.
One man wrote to Ildar, saying, “I want to know God and I want him to change my life.” Ildar talked with him, sent him a Bible and connected him with a local church.
In the first year of ministry, 31 people have received Bibles, nine have accepted Jesus, 13 have been connected with local churches and thousands have engaged with the digital content.
Each time a Tatar becomes a believer in Jesus, it’s a miracle. Pray that Ildar and Venera find more Tatar believers who will minister alongside them for the sake of the cross.
*Names changed for security
Images: (top banner) A Tatar couple dances in traditional clothing in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, (middle, right) A Tatar woman in a village near Kazan. Both images are courtesy of IMB.org.
