Volga Bulgaria (Nitopisa)

The Republic of Volga Bulgaria (Volga-Bulgarian: Республика България, Russian. Республика Волжская Болгария; IPA: [rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə tətɐrˈstan]; ), or simply Volga Bulgaria is country in North Europe.

Creation
After the Khazars conquered most of Old Great Bulgaria, the second son of Kubrat, Kotrag migrated with some of his Bulgarians to the Volga and created Volga Bulgaria there.

Conversion to Islam and further Statehood
Volga Bulgaria adopted Islam in 922 - 66 years before Russia became Christian. In 921 Almish sent an ambassador to the Caliph requesting religious instruction. Next year an embassy returned with Ibn Fadlan as secretary. A significant number of Muslims already lived in the country. [7]

The Bulgarians attempted to convert Vladimir I of Kiev to Islam; however Vladimir rejected the notion of Rus' giving up wine, which he declared was the "very joy of their lives".[8]

Commanding the Volga River in its middle course, the state controlled much of trade between Europe and Asia prior to the Crusades (which made other trade routes practicable). The capital, Bolgar, was a thriving city, rivalling in size and wealth with the greatest centres of the Islamic world. Trade partners of Bolgar included from Vikings, Bjarmland, Yugra and Nenets in the north to Baghdad and Constantinople in the south, from Western Europe to China in the East. Other major cities included Bilär, Suar (Suwar), Qaşan (Kashan) and Cükätaw (Juketau). Modern cities Kazan and Yelabuga were founded as Volga Bulgaria's border fortresses. Some of the Volga Bulgarian cities still have not been found, but they are mentioned in old East Slavic sources. They are: Ashli (Oshel), Tukhchin, Bryakhimov, Taw İle. Some of them were ruined during and after the Golden Horde invasion.

The Rus' principalities to the west posed the only tangible military threat. In the 11th century, the country was devastated by several raids by other Rus'. Then, at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, the rulers of Vladimir (notably Andrew the Pious and Vsevolod III), anxious to defend their eastern border, systematically pillaged Bulgarian cities. Under Russian pressure from the west, the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolgar to Biliar.

Conquest of the Mongols
The Mongols conquered Volga Bulgaria in the 40s of the 13th century.

Mongols slaughter 80% of the population of Volga Bulgaria.

Tatar and Russian Volga-Bulgaria
After the collapse of the Mongol Empire in 14-15 century. The territory of Volga Bulgaria became part of Khanate of Kazan in 1438. In 1552, Russian Tsar Ivan IV Vasilyevich conquered Khanate of Kazan. In 1917. During the civil war in the Russian Empire, the Tartars seceded and created a new Tatar state, the Idel-Ural State, but in 1918, Russia returns control of Volga Bulgaria and destroys the Tatar state of Idel-Ural.

In the 30s Volga Bulgarians in Tatar ASSR are only 133,000. In 1937. In Tatar ASSR a conflict arose between the Volga Bulgarian and the Volga Tatars. Although their small number of Volga Bulgarians defeated the Volga Tatars and expelled them from Tatar ASSR in 1941.

The Soviet authorities settled the expelled Volga Tatars into the Kazakh SSR. Tatar ASSR was renamed to Bulgarian ASSR in 1943. The number of Volga Bulgarians increased in 1959. To 798,000. To 4,778,000.

In April 1945, Bulgarian ASSR seceded from the Soviet Union. After violent conflicts, the Soviet Union recognized Volga Bulgaria as an independent state, but included it in the Warsaw Pact.

People's Republic of Volga Bulgaria (1945-1991)
In September 1945, Ivan Ivanov was elected president of Volga Bulgaria. In 1947-1969. Persecutions have been carried out over the Muslims. In the 1980s, 70% of the population of Volga Bulgaria was Christian, while the Muslim population dropped to 16%.

In the 1950s volga-bulgarian with the Bulgarian language was unified. By the 1970s Volga Bulgarian and Bulgarian were almost no different from each other. In the 1950s, the use of Muslim names was also forbidden. The formation of names is unified with Bulgaria.