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More than anything, his art serves as a visual archive of Tatar history. For viewers both within Tatarstan and far beyond it, his paintings reopen a world that often feels distant: the spirit of Bulgar warriors, the atmosphere of old Kazan, and the quiet grace of everyday life centuries ago.

1. "Qunaq töşte. İske Tatar bistəsendə" / (2003) 2. "Qunaqlar kilde" / "The guests have arrived" (2009)

1. "Eçke qazaqlar" / "Inner cossacks" (1993) 2. "Azan yañğırıy" / "Adhan sounds" (2018)

"Qazan işeğaldı. XVI ğasır" / "Kazan courtyard. 16th century" (2022)

"XVI ğasır Qazanı" / "Kazan in the 16th Century" (1990, 1992)

Another recurring theme is medieval Kazan. He paints the city not just as a historical reconstruction, but as a living memory: sloping roofs, watchtowers, winding streets, and the quiet rhythm of daily life. His Kazan is calm and intimate, a place shaped by the artist’s own childhood impressions and emotional ties.

"Bilərdə irtə" / "Morning in Bilər" (2016)

"Bolğar xanbikəse" / "Bulgar duchess" (2019)

1. "Qıpçaq suğışçısı" / "Qıpçaq warrior" (2017) 2. ? 3. "Bolğar saqçıları" / "Guards of Bolgar" (1993)

"Bolğarlarnıñ küçenüwe" / "The migration of the Bulgars" (1997)

"Bolğarlar İdel buyında" / "Bulgars on the Volga". Triptych (1985)

At the heart of Zagidullin’s work is a single, continuous theme: the story of his people. He often returns to the era of Volga Bulgaria as a central motif in his work. On steep riverbanks, his Bulgar warriors stand firm and dignified, as if time has paused around them. Even in small canvases, Zagidullin manages to create a sense of vastness, open horizons, wide skies, and landscapes.

1. "Əbilər" / "Grandmothers" (1984) 2. "Bişek cırı" / "Lullaby" (2019)

#tt_culture Ravil Zagidullin. Painting the memory of the Tatar people One day, my grandmother showed me a painting, and I immediately wanted to share it with you as well. It was the work of Ravil Zagidullin (tat. Rawil Zahidullin), one of the most prominent Tatar painters of our time. His art brings to life the worlds of Volga Bulgaria, the Golden Horde, and the Kazan Khanate – periods of history that shaped the identity of today’s Tatars. Through bright colors and a sense of nostalgia, the artist creates paintings that feel both historically rich and deeply personal. His attention to detail – clothing, architecture, everyday objects – gives his paintings a documentary quality, as if they were windows into another time.

#tt_advanced Expressing desire 🧡 To express a desire to do something in Tatar, there are very straightforward, simple constructions that we already introduced to you in a beginner-level post. 🧡 Another way to express desire is to say “Let me do …” and this is discussed in the following post. To express more nuance, you can use the following constructions: 🧡 Future Tense I (in -r, -ar, -ər, -ır, -er) + ide: Bik onıtır idem də, Ləylügem, ...! (Mədinə Malikova, “Aq dawılda tal börese”). – I would like very much to forget it, my darling Ləylə, but, ...! • A verb in the conditional + (ğına) yarar ide expresses a wish or a polite request: Məşəqət bulmasa, menə şuşı məqələne qarap çıqsağız yarar ide. (İbrahim Nurullin, “Tuqay Peterburgta”) – If it isn’t inconvenient, I would like you to look over this article here. 🧡 A verbal noun in -maq/-mək with -çı/-çe expresses a definite wish or intention to act: Keşelərne qızıqtırıp üzenə qaratmaqçı. (Nəbi Dəwli, “Qoyaşqa yöz belən”) – He wants to interest people into looking at him. • The past tense form -maqçı ide / -məkçe ide means the person had an intention or wish to act, but it was not realized or seemed uncertain or subconscious: Min siña saq bul dip elek tə əytməkçe idem, üze də sabıy tügel bit dip, batırçılıq itmədem. (Mədinə Malikova, Qazan qalası—taş qala”) – I wanted to tell you before to be careful, but considering you are not a child after all, I didn’t dare to. • The past tense form -maqçı buldı / -məkçe buldı expresses a more definite, decisive intention. It suggests that the agent had a firm resolve to act, even if, for some reason, they ultimately did not (compare with -rğa buldı in this post): Rəxim nider əytməkçe buldı. Ləkin süz taba almadı. (Atilla Rasix, “İke buydaq”) – Rəxim wanted to say something, but he could not find the words.

🔸çığu (lit. to go out, set out, step out) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the course of a (thorough) action from the beginning to the end Şunnan soñ qısqaça gına ul, bezgə üzeneñ bezdən kitkənnən soñ qaylarda bulğanın, nişləgənen söyləp çıqtı. (Möxəmmət Ğali, “Rəxmətulla tegüçe”) – After that, he told us briefly where he had been and what he had done after he had left us. 🔸qaraw (lit. to look) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the person attempts to carry out the action Min üzemne Xəmdünə urınına quyıp qaradım. (Ğomər Bəşirov, “İ yazmış, yazmış”) – I tried to put myself in Xəmdünə's position. kitapnı uqıp çıq – read through the book kitapnı uqıp qara – try reading the book 🧡 Give this post a like and I will make a list with more frequently used verbs combinations!

#tt_intermediate Read this through! In Tatar, the combination of verbal adverbs (VA) formed with -a, -ə, -ıy, -i or -p, -ıp, -ep / -mıy, -mi, -mıyça, -miçə with auxiliary verbs is one of the most common ways to express subtle nuances of action. Auxiliary verbs are independent verbs that, when combined with a verbal adverb, add a lexical nuance to the action of the principal verb. 💬 uqı (read) – uqıp çıq (read through) – uqıp beter (read to the end, finish reading) 💡 Using auxiliaries often makes an action more definite or concrete: Awırunıñ xəle yaxşıra. – The condition of the patient is improving. Awırunıñ xəle yaxşıra bara. – The condition of the patient is gradually improving. Here are some frequently used auxiliary verbs: 🔸başlaw (lit. to begin) – with a VA in -a, -ə, -ıy, -i indicates the beginning of an action Əni çəy əzerli başladı. (Kərim Əmiri, “Əsma”) – Mother began to make tea. 🔸betü (lit. to end (intrans.)) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the action has come to an end Cil tuqtağan, kiçəge bolıtlar taralıp betkənnər. (Ğalimcan İbrahimov, “Diñgezdə”) – The wind has stopped, and yesterday's clouds have completely dispersed. 🔸beterü (lit. to finish, bring to an end) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that an action is brought to an end Rəis, xatnı uqıp betergəç, berniqədər waqıt onıtılıp tordı. (Mirsəy Əmir, “Məxəbbət xatı”) – After reading the letter, Rəis became lost in thought for some time. uqıy başladı – started reading uqıp beterde – finished reading 🔸kilü (lit. to come) – with a VA in -a, -ə, -ıy, -i or in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that an action is repeated within a certain period of time Min bit gel əytə kildem, Sayimə ciñgi, tuy yasamıym, didem. (Şərif Xösəyenov, “Əniyemneñ aq külməge”) – After all, (sister-in-law) Sayimə, I have said it all along, I'm not going to have a wedding, I said. • With a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the direction of an action towards the speaker: alıp kildem – I brought (lit. I took and came) 🔸kitü (lit. to leave, go away) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the sudden begin and rapid development of an action Uyın yañadan qızıp kitə. (Şəyxi Mannur, “Ağımsularğa qarap”) – The game is heating up again. • Also indicates an action moving away from the speaker: çığıp kittem – I left • Used together with bulıp denotes an action or state becoming continuous dus bulıp kittek – we became friends oçıp kilü – to come flying oçıp kitü – to fly away 🔸menü (lit. to mount (on), to rise, climb, ascend) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates an upward direction of the action 🔸töşü (lit. to descend, to fall) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates a downward direction of the action sikerep mende – jumped on sth. sikerep töşte – jumped down 🔸quyu (lit. to put, lay down) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates an intentional execution of an action, often producing a result Tuqta, min bolarnı yazıp ta quyıym əle. (Mirsəy Əmir, “Yeget şə-ə-əp”) – Wait, please, let me just write down these things. bəyləp quyu – to tie yatlap quyu – to learn by heart 🔸cibərü (lit. to send) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates a sudden, forceful, or brief action that may start abruptly, intensify, be carried out unconsciously, or develop into a continuous state. Raxmankulov tərəzəne açıp cibərde. (Mirğazican Yunıs, “Bozılğan tınıçlıq”) – Raxmanqulov flung the window open. kölep cibərü – to burst out laughing etep cibərü – to push 🔸citü (lit. to reach) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the action or state has reached a limit or has rendered a result İkençe könne nəq bilgeləngən waqıtta Mədinəneñ çaqırulı qunaqları kilep citte. (Atilla Rasix, “İke buydaq”) – The next day, exactly at the set time, Mədinə's invited guests arrived.

#tt_intermediate Lyrics by Xəsən Tufan Music by Sara Sadıyqova QAZAN KİÇLƏRE Kil əle, İdelneñ ciləs cile, Yullarğa çəçəklər sip əle. Aq bulıp, saf bulıp istə qalsın Qazannıñ qəderle kiçləre. Tuğan il çaqırğan zur yullarğa Kitərbez tañnarda bez monnan. Ozatıp qalırsıñ bezne, Qazan, Balasın oçırğan qoş sıman. Yəşərbez tuğan cir tufrağında, Qırlarda, İdeldə-diñgezdə. İsən-saw bulsınnar balalar, dip, Xəyerle yul telə, İl, bezgə. İdelgə suzılğan aylı yuldan Tın ğına, moñ ğına cır ağa. Sağınırbız, duslar, bu kiçlərne Çəçlərgə çal kergən çorda da. Al göllər sibegez bezneñ yulğa, İdelneñ irtəñge cilləre. Məñgegə, ğömergə istə qalsın Qazannıñ qəderle kiçləre. __________ EVENINGS OF KAZAN Come, gentle breeze of the İdel (Volga) River, Scatter flowers along the roads. May them remain in memory pure and bright — The precious evenings of Kazan. Our homeland has called us on a great journey, We will depart from here at dawn. You will see us off, Kazan, Like a bird sending its child to flight. We will live on our native soil, In the fields, on the İdel, on the sea. “May the children be safe and sound,” — Wish us well, O Land, on our way. Along the moonlit path over the İdel, A quiet, soulful song flows. We will miss, friends, these evenings — Even when our hair turns grey. Scatter red flowers along our road, Morning breezes of the İdel. May them remain in memory forever, for a lifetime — The precious evenings of Kazan.