The legal status of the Tatar Republic in its early development (historical and legal aspect)

• Published in: Uchenye zapiski Kazanskogo universiteta. Serii͡a︡ Gumanitarnye nauki Vol. 162; no. 4; pp. 21 - 34
• Main Author: A.L. Vasin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Kazan Federal University 01-08-2020
• Subjects: atssr; autonomous republic; autonomy; constitution of tatarstan; federalism; national statehood; right to self-determination; state-legal status; tatar people; tatar republic (tassr; tatar-bashkir republic (tbsr); treaty federation; volga-ural republic (idel-ural state)
• ISSN: 2541-7738; 2500-2171
• DOI: 10.26907/2541-7738.2020.4.21-34

The development of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (TASSR) was studied. Factors that influenced its form and territorial structure were analyzed. Special attention was paid to the concept of Soviet autonomy as a way of legitimation of the national statehood of the Tatar people. The evolution of this concept was traced with regard to its relation to the principle of federalism. The conditions under which the conceptual and organizational confrontation of two opposing trends – weakening and strengthening the legal status of the Tatar Republic – were explored. The views of persons involved in this process were discussed. Problems of the legal status of the Tatar Republic were considered from the perspective of general trends in the development of autonomous republics within the RSFSR, as well as taking into account all regional features characteristic for the formation of the Tatar Republic. The influence of the creation of the USSR on the possibilities of improving the national statehood was assessed. The reasons that slowed down the constitutional development of the region were revealed. The factors that prevented the first Constitution of Tatarstan of 1926 to come into force due to its non-recognition at the federal level were covered. The idea about subordination of the legal norms and officially declared principles to the political expediency and subjectivism was substantiated.