majority muslim ethnic group they have lived in touch our stand of republic within russia for centuries peacefully coexisting with russians and many other ethnicities . within the walls of the citadel in castle on the republic's capital a mosque and church side by side symbolize a long history of balancing local custom with the majority culture. although there were public lost its special status the touch hours have always been viewed as autonomy and russia and that independent. streak has not gone unnoticed in moscow a year ago president vladimir putin demanded that schools in tatarstan only teach russian as a required language no more tar the decree came as a shock to the tars michel your shake love is the chairman of the society of the russian culture of tatarstan he thinks the touch ours of too many rights in their republic which could lead them to split off from russia tar is