The world’s largest online platform for Tatar language learners is shutting down after its Western developer chose to cease activities in Russia, ending what activists and language specialists have deemed a crucial tool for preserving the language. Ana Tele (Tatar for “mother tongue”), had offered free lessons in Tatar, the second official language of Russia’s republic of Tatarstan, for a decade on a platform created by Sweden-based EF Education First. “The closure was initiated by the developers.