ABSTRACT
The Tatars, like many other peoples, are currently experiencing what ethnographers refer to as "the ethnic paradox of modem times." The crux of this paradox is the simultaneous appearance of trends toward increasing interethnic interaction and integration with increased expressions of ethnic assertiveness and exclusivity. In this chapter I explore the contradictory tendencies toward ethnic integration and exclusivity in Tatarstan, as well as issues pertaining to the larger issues of Tatar nationalism and the Tatar independence movement.
