The next blog entry from Rector of Altai State University Sergey Bocharov highlights his participation in the XI St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures.
The session titled “Traditional Values as a Basis for Dialogue of Cultures" was moderated by Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. The panel discussion on "Slavic-Turkic Historical and Cultural Heritage" featured prominent orientalists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, including Nikolay Makarov, Ilya Zaitsev, and Irina Popova, along with international guests, including Professor Olkay Turkan (Turkey), Ravshan Nazarov (Uzbekistan), Shayrkul Batyrbaeva (Kyrgyzstan), and others.
A very engaging question was raised: “Is it legitimate to speak of the unity of the Slavic and Turkic peoples, or is it merely a myth?” The discussion was rich and lively.
Let us also reflect on this question. We live in Barnaul, which is a name of Teleut origin. Moreover, Altai Krai contains many toponyms with Turkic roots, such as the Chumysh River and the village of Kulunda. The region borders Kazakhstan, and within our area lies the Kazakh village of Kirey, where the Karakul school has operated since 1916, offering education in the Kazakh language. The Kumandins, a small ethnic group, have lived near Biysk since ancient times. Russian settlers who moved to Altai adopted many economic practices from the indigenous peoples, including hunting, beekeeping, and reindeer herding.
Although 90% of the Altai population identifies as Russian, many of us have Turkic ancestry due to common interethnic marriages. The saying “scratch a Russian and you will find a Tatar” continues to hold true.
In colloquial speech, we often use words like "ayda" ("let’s go" in Russian), "bashka" ("pate" in Russian) and "bardak" ("mess" in Russian) without considering their origins. We enjoy Turkic dishes such as pilaf, manti, lagman, and halva. These examples clearly demonstrate how the cultural codes of Turks, Slavs, and other peoples of Russia have become deeply intertwined over centuries of cohabitation.
Unity is not a myth but an objective reality. Approximately 25 Turkic ethnic groups reside within the Russian Federation, with the total Turkic-speaking population exceeding 10.5 million people. After Russians, they represent the second-largest ethnic group.
Naturally, the Turkic peoples differ in both population size and historical significance. For instance, there are fewer than 2,500 Kumandins. Yet, despite this, they have survived for centuries without disappearing, assimilating, or losing their identity, culture, and language. The Russian leadership has consistently approached national issues and cultural heritage with great care. The primary focus has always been on peaceful coexistence and integration.