Leyla Latypova
@LatypovaLeyla
Followers
5,825
Following
1,788
Media
122
Statuses
2,086
Tatar from Bashqortostan 🐝 | Journalist & analyst | Author @FromRepublics
Joined September 2020
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
taylor
• 375825 Tweets
#TENxFireworkMeetandGreet
• 152949 Tweets
TEN X MAYBELLINE EVENT
• 143727 Tweets
Yankees
• 95737 Tweets
WANG YIBO AT THE 1ST GT RACE
• 78825 Tweets
自民党本部
• 67966 Tweets
期日前投票
• 43716 Tweets
Botafogo
• 41712 Tweets
FLORENCE
• 34542 Tweets
Stanton
• 25107 Tweets
APT NUMBER ONE
• 16753 Tweets
TIM MCGRAW
• 14004 Tweets
Boone
• 11971 Tweets
#NOAHnoHAKOBUNE
• 11729 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
Next week I am launching From the Republics, the first-ever English-language newsletter dedicated to Russia’s ethnic republics & non-Slavic Indigenous communities. Subscribe to receive unrivalled scoops and insider analyses directly to your mailbox
11
107
279
Recently I have been reflecting back on peculiar ethno-social dynamics I have experienced growing up as an ethnic Tatar in a Russian settler colonial town in Bashkortostan. A little snippet on russian imperial mindset and a🪆of discrimination and imperial mentality. 🧵1/?
2
817
3K
Russia’s first casualty numbers among the mobilized are starting to appear…The average life span? Just 10 days. My (very very grim) latest
64
802
3K
Падение Казани в 1552 году положило начало русской империи насилия. Так чему же, как не возрождению свободной татарской нации, положить начало ее краху.
8
288
2K
Why am I showing this? Because minorities like me have learned to tolerate discrimination and that needs to stop. But also because after the empire dies, its largest minority communities will have to make sure not to repeat mistakes of the colonizer when building their new future
2
98
1K
Russian colonization is killing our beautiful language and adding Tatar to
@duolingo
would be a lifesaver for our nation. Please rt/like/help us spread this message
1
281
954
470 years ago today Ivan the Terrible’s army stormed Kazan. The capture of the city marks the end of our independent statehood. We will never forget.
2
117
743
The war in Ukraine brought the Kremlin’s imperialism into sharper focus. I spoke to prominent ethnic leaders who have been fighting for the rights of minorities for years. About the collapse of the empire and the vision for the future of their people:
0
263
706
На этой неделе 73 депутата и один товарищ Минниханов решили, что у них есть единоличное право отнять у 6 миллионов Татар родину. Отнять наше родное государство. 🧵
4
79
682
She often mocked other Turkic kids in my class for their accents and marked me down for silliest things like an apparently “unclear” distinction between cursive “а” and “о”… I wonder if she is parading around with a Z symbol now…
1
41
667
Hundreds of languages of russia's indigenous communities are rapidly disappearing, while moscow does little to nothing to improve the situation. Highlights from my latest:
25
285
635
Tolya passed away nearly 10 years ago but I’ll never forget him. An ethnic Russian, he was born in Bashkiria and spoke a mixture of Bashkir and Tatar. He used to say it was an “obvious” thing to do. Frankly, he probably spoke it better than I do.
1
26
584
These policies also didn’t do away with Russians’ feeling of superiority. My classmates refused to learn Bashkir, would openly mock the teachers and their “useless, uncultured” language. I do remember a teacher being humiliated to tears. The kids were never reprimanded for it.
1
53
578
Nothing helped. Years later looking back at my essays I realized that it wasn’t me. My ethnic Russian teacher strongly believed I couldn’t possibly speak the sacred language on the same level as my Russian classmates.
1
41
581
Meanwhile, some of our neighbors (who lived next to my family for generations) to this day continue to call my family a derogatory «татарва» behind our back. Many, except for a few like Uncle Tolya (here on the right)
1
29
508
In 1937 my great grandfather Abdullah Tukhvatullin was found with a bullet in his head right at his work place, the local NKVD headquarters in Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan.
2
81
497
My clans have lived on the territory of Bashkiria for generations. Sterlibash, Chekmagush and Sultanovka are our native villages. But I was brought up in Blagoveshchensk, a factory town founded by Russian magnate Myasnikov and originally populated exclusively by Russian settlers.
1
32
498
I’m a daughter of the Tatar nation that lost lives in an attempt to defend its freedom and dignity. We/I did not succeed and will be paying the price for failure and complaicancy. I’m proud to stand with the Ukrainian people against Russian aggression.
1
73
498
On March 21, 1992 Tatarstan held a sovereignty referendum. With a voter turnout of 82%, more than 62% voted in favour of the region's sovereignty. A moment of hope. And the rest is...a tragic history.
1
109
496
Minorities in the town got used to changing their legal names to Russian ones. Rushania Gabdulkhakovna would turn to Natalya Romanovna etc. With mandatory Bashkir language and culture classes and quotas for minorities in gov institutions the ethnic hierarchy was suddenly reversed
1
34
488
Here, I want to note that Bashkiria is extremely diverse. Rakhimov’s policies discriminated against all ethnic groups living in the republic. It was easier for Tatars due to language and cultural similarities. For Maries, Chuvashs, Ukrainians, Germans - not so much.
1
28
467
In elementary school I would always get very low grades in Russian. I started reading at 3, family spoke only Russian at home. My mother was extremely puzzled and worried about my career prospects. She decided to pull me out of Tatar language classes in favor of more hours of Rus
1
29
466
Pope Francis. Best friend of all the good Russians. Defender of the great “Russian tradition.”
3
99
455
From ethnic make up to life style to architecture Blagoveshchensk has little from Bashkiria’s native culture. That’s why the years of “Bashkirization” politics pursued by regional strongman Murtaza Rakhimov looked quite out of place in the setting…
1
25
434
We are yet to understand how Russia’s “limited mobilization” will work in practice…But one thing is certain: ethnic minorities from less economically well-off regions will be invited to die for russkiy mir first
2
95
429
I didn’t expect this🧵to receive so much attention. I’m grateful for your interest/feedback and do want to use this opportunity to remind how much 🇺🇦 needs your support. Please consider donating to one of the charities from this list by
@an_oliinyk
1
30
406
Despite his heroism, Navalny wasn’t Russia’s only hope for democracy. Right now, Bashkortostan’s long-running, diverse and nonviolent protest movement is the best bet for a better future. Read my latest for
@ForeignPolicy
0
100
374
The looming possibility of Tatarstan’s sovereignty being recognized by Ukraine is bringing to surface all the true colors of Russia’s liberal opposition. No surprises. Mostly raging imperialism.
0
49
319
On 30 August 1990 Tatarstan declared its sovereignty. 32 years later, all the freedoms we once had have been taken away but we will keep fighting for the bright future of our nation. Every day. Together. Happy National Day, Homeland 💚❤️ Татарстан Республикасы көне белән!
2
31
314
We speak a lot about decolonizing russia here and beyond, but most seem to know little about the indigenous activists who propel this movement forward. Who are they? What are their goals and hopes? Read all about it in my latest for
@meduza_en
`s The Beet
4
140
311
@b_nishanov
And Tatarstan. Men listed in reserves are prohibited from leaving the republic and even travelling away from their respective cities.
6
35
286
Байрам менән, Башҡортостан 💙💚 Wishing blessed Republic Day to my native Bashkortostan. Praying and fighting for your freedom every day.
4
19
279
🧵Russia’s Justice Ministry today labelled 54 (!) indigenous rights movements as "extremist." The label means the activists will face even more hurdles and stigmas while fighting the Kremlin's propaganda and promoting anti-war and decolonial agenda across the regions
6
138
275
Да, вспоминаем референдум за независимость Татарстана и видим, что при 82% явке 61.39% проголосовали за независимость. Едем в мой родной Башкортостан и (независимо от национальности) слышим на протяжение десятилетий, что всем надоело кормить и жить под диктатом Москвы
При этом люди, родивши��ся при Путине, вспоминают «референдум о независимости Татарстана» и «Уральскую республику» 1993 года как, на полном серьезе, доказательство неизбежного развала России (хотя это были лишь успешные пиар-проекты Шаймиева и Росселя по выбиванию денег из Москвы)
77
25
525
3
22
261
The future of decolonized Russia is female 💪🏼
@FreeBuryatia
Alexandra Garmozhapova, Raisa Zubareva of Free Yakutia Foundation and yours truly
@OSCE
#WHDC
earlier this week
1
37
260
Personal update time. I’m excited to announce that I’m now back with
@MoscowTimes
team as a reporter. I have some big shoes to fill but am incredibly thrilled.
7
11
259
On this day in 1736 the russian army massacred >1,000 residents of Bashkir village of Seyantus, including women in children, and burned it to the ground. >40,000 Bashkirs were murdered or subjected to life-long penal labor during pro-independence uprisings of 1735-40.
1
74
239
Day three of protests at home 💙🤍💚Today hundreds gathered in the very heart of Bashqortostan’s capital Ufa near the monument to Bashqort liberation fighter Salawat Yulaev. Here protesters are singing a song based on Yulayev’s poem “My Urals”
0
68
253
Многие российские либералы обижаются, когда их обвиняют в имперскости и нежелании с ней бороться…И вот мне подумалось. Чтобы доказать «неимперскость» может быть стоит просто так взять поддержать акции татарских активистов 15 числа? Но нет. Не будет этого.
14
18
239
This is how the knowledge of native languages among the peoples of Volga-Ural region changed in just the past 11 years. Russia has been committing open linguicide and ethnocide of our nations for years with absolutely no repercussions.
3
97
247
He was a devout communist lifted from poverty by the revolution. But when it came to executing arrests of the innocent, he chose honorable death over collaboration with the bloody regime.
1
12
220
I have seen a lot of misinformed takes on recent events in Bashkortostan in the past 24+ hours. So here is the brief who, what, where and why. Spoiler: Bashkortostan is not “a remote Russian region”
2
89
224
@benrifkin
Thank you 🤲It truly means a lot to me personally and to all the people in my community.
1
5
211
A few days ago, authorities in Bashkortostan said they will be forming the region’s third “ethnic” battalion named after…Salawat Yulaev. This just couldn’t be more absurd because Yulaev was the ultimate anti-colonialist who headed the anti-russian rebellion of late 1700s
1
27
206
It seems that for many academics/analysts/“watchers” indigenous people of russia are simply an inconvenience that threatens to disturb their clear cut analyses and arguments. Their solution? Simply take us out of the equation and keep ignoring.
2
35
200
We, the savage people of the “stans” (with a prior history of flourishing independent statehood), apparently always need a big brother watching over us, keeping us at bay…Racist much?
Creating a bunch of Turkmenistans out of Russia is *not* the answer. The answer lies in building democratic institutions, protecting human rights, including especially freedom of press and freedom of speech, tackling corruption, and anchoring Russia in Western institutions.
70
26
267
3
30
193
I'm very grateful to
@NewlinesInst
for publishing my (seemingly niche) piece on why aiding democratic governance in Russia's regions such as Tatarstan and Bashkortostan is the key to solving the "Russia problem." Some things I want to clarify/highlight 🧵
28
51
194
Сотни тысяч наших предков отдали жизнь в борьбе за независимость, а миллионы жителей современного многонационального Татарстана проголосовали за суверенность их родного государства на честном референдуме 1992 года.
1
0
187
He left behind his wife Sakhipkamal and two small children. Sakhipkamal was хокуксыз, daughter of kulaks who were stripped of everything during the revolution. After Abdullah’s death, his family went on to deprive the widow of all financial support.
1
13
191
Нынешнее Татарстанское правительство грубо нарушило не только принципы демократии, но и основной закон нашей республики, который запрещает менять 1 статью конституции без референдума. Так, из «государства объединенного с РФ», мы превратились в еще одного безвольного вассала.
2
2
177
Я часто говорю об этом, но повторюсь. Татарская культура, Татарский фольклор, Татарская национальная идентичность пропитана оптимизмом и надеждой на будущее. Даже сквозь боль и слезы.
1
2
176
Когда-нибудь русские узнают, что поволжские татары и татаро-монголы - это вообще никак ни одно и то же. На пример, прочитав вот этот тред.
ДАЖЕ если бы поволжские татары и татаро-монголы был один и тот же народ, то неужели вы реально не видите разницы между тем что страну захватили и потом она 400 лет находится в составе страны-захватчицы и тем что страну захватили а потом расхватили пару сотен лет назад
8
10
78
1
7
177
Но где искать ответы и надежду? В помощи Украине и её безоговорочной победе в этой колониальной войне. В единстве и возрождении Татарской нации. В солидарности и объединении с другими народами, которые пострадали и страдают от российского колониализма.
1
8
169
Я знаю, что продолжительная борьба Татарстана за суверенность была лучиком надежды не только для нас, но и для наших сестер и братьев из других национальных республик.
1
0
163
Bashkortostan is again the stronghold of anti-Kremlin resistance in Russia. Up to 10,000 people gathered in Baymak today to support activist Fayil Alsynov who was jailed four years on fabricated charges of "inciting interethnic hatred"
1
61
173
In its latest update, Google added 11 languages of Russia’s Indigenous peoples to its translate services. Most of these languages - except for Tuvan and Chechen - are rapidly diminishing in speakers. Why? You can find out here 👇🏼
0
73
169
Tatar language activists and enthusiasts are working hard to save our beautiful language and make it accessible to learners worldwide. Please help them by singing this public petition for bringing Tatar to Duolingo via
@Change
1
61
160
It’s impossible to build a truly democratic society in the environment where some voices sound inherently louder than others or when a large part of the population is deliberately excluded from decision making processes. The time has come to talk about this…
1
45
152
Поэтому невозможно отделаться от щемящего чувства, что трусливое правительство Татарстана подвело не только нас, но и другие ныне колонизированные народы.
1
0
141
I just want to reiterate that Russia is a multiethnic state so if you are submitting to the racist propagandist narrative of people of Central Asian descent “looking out of place”/��visibly migrant” maybe you should keep learning? Travel outside of Москва a bit?
8
6
152
@RusMinnikhanov
Вы прямо сейчас запустили машину геноцида Татарского народа. Нас осталось 6 миллионов на этой земле и Вы добровольно отправляете нашу нацию на убой. Мы этого не простим. Никогда. На Ваших руках кровь невинных Украинцев и Ваших соплеменников. Хурлык!
5
32
146
Tatar-American journalist and
@Azatliq
employee Alsu Kurmasheva was arrested three weeks ago in Kazan. Russian authorities still haven't allowed her to speak with family nor have they permitted U.S. consular access to her.
#FreeAlsu
#JournalismIsNotACrime
0
86
147
Моя прабабушка говорила: «Последний штан продаем, мах не даём!» Так и сделаем.
0
1
141
Rifat Dautov, Minniyar Bayguskarov, Alexei Navalny - the three men murdered by the Russian regime in the past month. Deaths of political prisoners should never remain unnoticed. They don't come alone and out of nowhere. My condolences to all families and allies.
0
49
148
On the left is the map of Bashkortostan’s losses in the war in Ukraine by district by
@Idel_Realii
On the right - the map showing percentage of ethnic Bashkirs in those districts. Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine and an ethnocide of indigenous people on its own territory
0
56
137
С каждым постом о правах ЛГБТК+ теряю кучу фоловеров. Но останавливаться не собираюсь. Так же продолжу говорить о том, что в Татарстане и Башкортостане будущего не должно быть места дискриминации в принципе, включая дискриминацию по признакам сексуальной ориентации и гендеру.
2
8
131
I pride myself in having a very clear schoolgirl-like handwriting in Russian…but cursive happens even to the best of us.
6
1
133
Друзья! Я корреспондентка The Moscow Times, и я ищу представителей коренных народов Севера, Сибири и Дальнего Востока, которые живут/поддерживают связь с родным регионом и согласились бы побеседовать со мной. Анонимность гарантирую.
0
96
131
My heart and prayers today are with the people of my native Bashqortostan 🩵🩶💚 I have spent years researching the patterns of resistance in the republic, including the Kushtau protests, but the bravery of Bashqorts and fellow Bashqortostanies will never cease to amaze me
1
19
132
Both propagandists and liberals are calling Bashqortostan protests "ethnic nationalist riots," which couldn't be further from truth. Ever since Qushtau, they have transcended ethnic and religious lines and have been a textbook example of benefits of non-violent discipline.
1
45
132
@Lettre_Pour_Toi
Где вы нашли хоть малейший намек на какие-то «чистки русских» ? 1. Современный Татарстан - многонациональная республика, как и Казанское ханство было многонациональным государством, о чем я и говорю в видео. Но русские изначально пришли туда как колонизаторы - это факт.
29
6
115
As I’m reading today’s news headlines from Bashkortostan and Sakha, I can’t help but (finally!) feel proud of my research - a big step given that the white men of my dissertation committee have done their best to humiliate me. Won’t name names. They know who they are.
4
15
115
In historic move yesterday
@oscepa
's Vancouver declaration officially called russia "the imperial and colonial" state and recognized the ongoing abuse, exploitation and violation of rights of its indigenous peoples and minorities AND reiterated our right to self-determination 👏
1
30
113
“Russians are not inherently imperialistic” says Mr. Navalny while conveniently failing to address the faith of nations currently colonized by russia and discrimination and ethnocide of indigenous populations that go hand in hand with russia’s attacks on its sovereign neighbors.
Why would stopping Putin's aggression benefit Russia?
9. Are all Russians inherently imperialistic?
This is nonsense. For example, Belarus is also involved in the war against Ukraine.
89
245
2K
0
21
107
A typical example of gaslighting by the colonizer. This lawyer is saying indigenous people in ru just don’t want to learn their languages or use the right to access services in them. Btw, where are those services? There are 5+ million Tatar speakers and not one Tatar university
Все остальные языки титульных меньшинств в республиках имеют статус государственных. На них может, например, вестись гражданское и уголовное судопроизводство (ч. 1 ст. 9 ГПК РФ и ч. 1 ст. 18 УПК РФ). Но там не пользуются этой возможностью, потому что она никому не нужна
7
2
12
0
16
103
"May Putinists and Wagnerites kill each other and leave us alone"
Wagner mutiny revived the talks about ru collapse, but what was actually happening in the republics at the time? Read my latest with voices from Buryatia, Yakutia, Tatarstan and Chechnya:
1
31
105
Random fact of the day ➡️ Article 15 of Tatarstan’s constitution explicitly prohibits advocacy for/promotion of war.
2
14
103
Seeing that conversations about russia's colonialism are finally happening in the West and beyond is encouraging. But. What doesn't sit right with me is that those are conversations happening around us, the indigenous people. Not with us.
6
17
95
Closing my account because I’m being attacked by innocent ru liberals, people with ru imperial flags in their profiles and straight up war deniers 🫣 could that possibly be a mere coincidence
#NAFOfellas
?
6
1
103
My fellow “Tatar by blood Bashqortostani by birth” would be 85 today. Happy birthday, Rudik 🤍
0
9
97
An incredibly powerful and moving must-read piece by my favorite
@MicheleBerdy
📝“Maybe that superstition is right: Once you shut the door, walk away and don’t look back.”
4
25
97
Despite allegedly studying history of Bashkortostan for 6+ years at school, I only learned of these events as an adult. Just like other colonial crimes committed by russia, this one is not written in history books. Instead, we are taught a myth of "voluntary unity with russia"
0
11
93
Today is my birthday and I would like to use it as a pretext to remind you that even a small donation makes a big difference for Ukraine’s courageous fight against russia. You can donate to
@BackAndAlive
@CharityPrytula
@razomforukraine
or other Ukrainian charities
2
14
93
Bashkortostan's courts have opened at least 117 cases against protesters so far and mass arrests are still ongoing. "People are scared now but I think there is still loads of anger underneath that," a woman from Baymak, the epicenter of protests, told me.
0
36
97
Bashqort activists have launched a fundraiser to provide legal assistance for those arrested durung the protests and for their family members. Bashqortostan’s Kremlin-appointed head said the arrested “have no future.” Let’s prove him wrong
1
71
95
Безумно рада быть первой гостьей нового подкаста Tatarverse. О татарской идентичности, о чем мы думаем, чего мы боимся и куда идем поговорили с замечательным Халилем Ахметзяновым #татартви Всё по ссылке:
1
11
89
I’m honored to join anti-war activists from other ethnic republics in declaring 2023 the year of decolonization of Russia. Watch our New Year address made possible by
@FreeBuryatia
here:
2
21
89
In addition to being complacent with the genocide in Ukraine, Tatarstan’s government is now working to wipe out its own, Tatar nation, from the face of the earth by killing all our men on the Kremlin’s orders
Tatarstan prohibits all reservists from leaving and even moving within the republic.
0
9
34
1
37
92
On Friday Tatarstan’s State Council will pass (no miracles expected) a resolution abolishing the republic’s presidency. In the best Tatar tradition the region held off until the last possible moment to adopt the criminal order forced on by the Kremlin.
1
20
84
Я - первая русскоговорящая в моей семье, продукт постыдного, сознательного решения моих родителей, которые переживали за моё будущее в РФ. Мама и папа почти не говорили на русском до школы, старшая сестра - билингвал, на больших семейных сходках тат/башк до сих пор в приоритете
9
1
85
It might be years, decades even until we have access to the concrete evidence showing how russia used colonized minorities in this war and particularly the latest mobilization drive. But here is at least some evidence that we have so far:
0
28
82
Легенда. (Пост из телеграм канала «Тот самый из Башкорт»)
1
7
82
Following the pro-Kremlin failure that was the World Congress of Tatars, leaders of the Tatar opposition have prepared a list of 119 individuals whom they wish to see sanctioned by the West. I think this initiative is extremely important because...
Татарский санкционный список. Причины возникновения и перспективы принятия
"В случае с Башкортостаном — все осознают, что Хабиров — это уже списанный кадр".
1
1
4
1
22
79
Russia’s ethnic minorities and indigenous people continue to suffer outsized fatalities in the war in Ukraine, a trend that will likely lead to entire ethnic groups being wiped out from the face of the planet. Read more in my latest:
1
44
85
@gorgich
А когда русские научились выговаривать слово «Башкортостан»? Пропустила этот важный момент. Кто-то еще недавно кричал, что им удобно «Башкирия» и «Татария» и никак иначе.
6
1
82
“They died for the truth. You are dying for Putin” says this anti-war poster distributed on local social media.
0
11
81
I have finally made it to Warsaw today to take part in
#OSCE
#WarsawHDC
Tomorrow I’ll be speaking on Russian colonialism and systemic discrimination of minorities at an event organized by
@HelsinkiComm
together with
@GoncharenkoUa
and Maria Vyushkova of
@FreeBuryatia
1
12
81