The name of Musa Jalil unites Tatars

August 22, 2018

August 25 is both a tragic and memorable day not only for the Tatar nation, but for the entire Russian people. It was on this day – August 25, 1944,   Tatar poet, organizer of resistance in the fascist captivity Musa Jalil and his associates were executed. The poet Musa Jalil for the Tatars is still the sample  of courage, honor and patriotism.

We are proud that as a result of the propaganda work of Musa Jalil, the Tatar prisoners went over to the partisans, thereby proving their loyalty to their common homeland. Tatars did not raise their weapons against their country and that’s a fact! We are builders and defenders of Russia! And Musa Jalil for all time will be a Tatar honor, thereby protecting the Tatars from all charges. We should all be proud that our people have such a patriotic poet, a hero of the Soviet Union.

Musa Jalil and his work are part of the Tatar ideology in general. The glorious name of Musa Jalil helps to instill love for the Tatar language, poetry, culture among the youth. His name separates the Tatar communities throughout Russia. His name unites, raises the spirit of the Tatars.

Musa Jalil is our Muscovite. After all, in 1920-30 he studied, worked and lived in Moscow. Many places in the capital still store his memory. But unlike those turbulent years, today Tatar literature, culture, education in Moscow is on the decline. Before the war, when the poet lived in Moscow, he himself   at the house of Asadullaev published Tatar newspapers and magazines, there also  the Tatar school worked, the Tatar theater was thundering. And what do we have today? Nothing! Let us, together, restore the lost. And this must be done today, not tomorrow, and certainly not in a year. It is necessary to decide the question while we have a chance for history.

Then Musa Jalil in his youth, when he was still living in his homeland in Orenburg, was a very active Tatar boy. He arranged circles,  staged performances, and organized poetic evenings. Unfortunately, our young people today do not have enough. Therefore, we are trying to revive the Tatar evenings at the «Shtab of the Tatars of Moscow», inviting poets, scientists and writers. Also, the headquarters of the Tatars closely communicated with the poet’s daughter – Chulpan Jalil. She eagerly meets with our youth and talks about her father. We are preparing a documentary film about the poet Musa Jalil with the help of Chulpan Jalil. Thus, Jalil is in our hearts and deeds.

In many cities of Russia there are monuments to the great poet Musa Jalil. And these monuments every day should remind the Tatars about the need to preserve the Tatar language and culture. If every Tatar learns one verse of Musa Jalil by heart, signs up with Tatar newspapers, leads a child to a Tatar school, visits Tatar events, then we will be real patriots of our people, like Musa Jalil.

Leader of the Headquarters of the Tatars of Moscow Rustem Yamaleev