Everyone who lived through the end of the Gorbachev era will remember that the Soviet president sought to raise the status of the autonomous republics of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to weaken it and thus make it more difficult for the Russian Federation and indeed the other non-Russian union republics to defend their interests and pursue their goals.

Year 2019 just started, and there is already a bunch of texts in media space, dedicated to social and political situation in Idel-Ural in general and activity of our movement in particular. We tried to analyse these publications for better understanding what topics are of key importance in today’s media.

Moscow strengthens its control above personal life of Russian citizens and aims to monitor any activity in internet. On January 24, 2019 State Duma of Russian Federation supported on first reading bill № 606593-7, which includes fines and even arrest for offense of state symbols of Russian Federation and bodies of power. Similar strict punishments are provided for “distribution of unreliable information”.

Free Idel-Ural civic movement is asking OSCE High Commissioner on national minorities to help Erzyans to establish a monument of their national hero.

Creation of British local branch of Free Idel-Ural civic movement was declared during assembly of movement’s supporters on January 20, 2019 in London. 

As it has become known from open sources, official Ufa initiated determination of administrative border of Republic of Bashkortostan. In current year Bashkortostan defined borders with the Perm’ region, legitimizing it with the special agreement. In 2019-2020 republican authorities intend to settle this question with other adjoining regions.

December 1, 2018 Nadezhda Lisova, chairperson of Chuvash diaspora association in Ukraine, declared that Chuvash community is denied the opportunity to study their mother tongue. On behalf of Chuvash diasporea mrs. Lisova expressed regret, that Chuvash sunday-schools are absent in Ukraine, and Chuvash language as special discipline is not studied in higher educational establishments. 

Constituent meeting in order to create a branch of Free Idel-Ural civic movement in Great Britain will take place in London at January 20, 2019. 

Territory of Republic of Mordovia covers only small part of lands where Erzya and Moksha people lived since time immemorial. Large Erzyan and Mokshan settlements were placed outside borders, established by Bolsheviks in 1928.

National movements of Idel-Ural peoples use all possible means to protect their identity from permanent onslaught of Moscow. In this long-lasting and unequal struggle we have virtually no international support. Any display of solidarity with national movements of Idel-Ural is a portion of freedom which motivates us to move forward. 

A round table, dedicated to violation of rights of native peoples in Russian Federation, was held at Committee on the Foreign Affairs of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian parliament) on December 7, 2018. The event gathered members of Ukrainian parliament, diplomats, scientists, human rights advocates and political emigrants from Russia. Activists of Free Idel-Ural civic movement presented special lectures about political situation in republics of Idel-Ural (rus. Povolzhye). 

Our movement adressed to Rustam Minnikhanov, President of Republic of Tatarstan, with a request to provide financial support to family of Danis Safargali, Tatar political prisoner. His wife Guzel is now raising 4 children on her own.

For more than eight months official authorities of Republic of Mordovia have been exploring the issue of building a monument to famous warlord Inyazor Purgaz.

The expiring year seems to become one of most dramatic in newest history of Idel-Ural. Our people lost their right to teach official languages of the Republics as obligatory school disciplines. Without regard to numerous mass meetings and pickets, statements and appeals, Moscow implemented humiliating procedure in our republics: to study Mari or Erzyan language it is necessary to apply special written statements, and even more, in some cases to convince school management that mother tongue of your child should be allowed to study there. 

We are compelled to note that in 2018 the situation with respect of language rights for peoples of Idel-Ural became only worse. Erzyan, Mokshan, Chuvash, Mari, Tatar, Udmurt and Bashkir languages not only did not extend their scope of application – on the contrary, their positions in education have weakened substantially. Russian authorities offer to our people to practice their mother tongues in families, to sing folk songs in villages and to participate voluntarily in humiliating bureaucratic measures, aimed to cover russification with slogans about friendship of nations. We demand the most exdended functioning of our official languages in all spheres of public and private life, from government services to television and radion broadcasting.