The purpose of the study is to trace the evolution of relations between the Great Horde and the Ottoman Empire after the arrival of the Ottoman Turks in the Northeastern Azov region at the end of the 15th century. Research materials: This work is based on an analysis of Russian embassy books and chronicles, Lithuanian metrics, writings of Italian ambassadors and travelers, and the correspondence of the Horde and Crimean khans with the Ottoman sultans. The theoretical basis is the analysis of previous historiography on the designated research topic. The results and novelty of the study: In the summer of 1475, the Turks landed at the mouth of the Don. From that moment on, the Northeastern Azov Sea region came under the control of the Ottoman Empire. But how did the Great Horde react to the arrival of the Ottoman Turks? It can be argued that at first the Tatars were wary of such a neighborhood and even made several attempts to conclude military and political alliances in order to oust the Turks from the Azov steppes. When the Greater Horde khans realized that they would not be able to cope with the Turks, they tried to get guarantees from the sultans of non-interference in their struggle with the Crimean Khanate. When this was not achieved, against the background of the disintegration of the Great Horde, the Tatars began to seek reliable protection and patronage in the Turkish Azak. Linguistic, religious, and – to some degree – cultural proximity played a role. Chronological framework: From 1475 to 1502.

Objective: To identify possible real or imaginary cases of Shibanid rule on the Kazan throne in the 15th century. Research Materials: The present work is based on the analysis of published sources (chronicles of various origins, the collection of chronicles of Utemish Hadji, dastan Kadir Ali-bek, historical writings of Sayyid-Muhammad Riza and Hurremi Chelebi) and unpublished sources (Siberian chronicle of Ivan Cherepanov). Results and scientific novelty: In 2007, V.V.Trepavlov proposed the hypothesis of Moscow and Kazan citizenship of the Siberian yurt, which had a significant impact on subsequent historiography. It was built on the basis of an analysis of the embassy and chronicle sources of the 16th century, which reflected precisely the Moscow point of view on this extremely important issue during the annexation of Siberia. However, an analysis of Turkic-language sources of various origins indicates that, on the contrary, they reflected a different narrative: the real or imaginary rights of the 15th-century Shibanid dynasties to the throne of Kazan which, regardless, turned out to be dependent on the Siberian suzerains. The difficulty of studying this narrative lies in the fact that the full list of such Shibanid rulers on the Kazan throne is available only in the Crimean sources of the 17th century. Here they include such famous political figures of this dynasty as Mahmud Khoja, Khizr, Abul-Khair, Sheikh Haider, Yadigyar, and Eminek, as well as a certain unidentified Bayan Khoja. At the same time, in other sources, none of these khans, except perhaps Abu-l-Khair, was directly related to the Bulgar or the Kazan throne although in different periods they acted as leaders of all the Sibanids. Apparently, this made them potential rulers of the Kazan yurt, especially before the formation of an independent dynasty there in the late 1430s and the first half of the 1440s. Beyond the information of Crimean historians, there were more factual cases of occupation of the Kazan throne or some lands there by representatives of the Tyumen ruling Shibanid dynasty in the person of Hadji Muhammad and his grandchildren, Ibrahim and Mamuk. At the same time, the Siberian chronicle tradition of the late 17th and 18th centuries also reflected other views on this issue which, on the contrary, can be interpreted as a possible dependence of Kazan on Siberia. Undoubtedly, this raises the question of the possible bias of political views, reflected in written sources, regarding the rulers’ claims to an important political symbol of power in the post-Horde world.

Research Objectives: The aim of this article is to analyze the ethnonyms used in Jewish texts in relation to Tartars and some other groups of the Muslim population. The article intends to present the differences in the use of these terms, as well as the factors behind their emergence and their evolution. These ethnonyms will be considered both in their linguistic and cultural-historical contexts, as these dimensions add frequently specific connotations to some of these terms. Research Materials: This study is based on specific examples of the use of terms in Jewish sources, written in Hebrew, from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 19th century. These include texts on Jewish religious law and Kabbalah, as well as travelogues and historical chronicles written in the Crimean Khanate between the 17th and 19th centuries. Chronographic texts reflect everyday contacts and relations between Jews and Tatars, and therefore contain rich material for the study of ethnonyms. Results and Novelty of the Research: The ethnonyms used in Jewish texts in relation to the Tartars have never been studied, except regarding an explanation of the meaning of individual terms. The present research is not only about a selection of words and their etymology. The ethnonyms found in Jewish sources, related to Tartars and some other groups of the Crimean Muslim population, reveal a broader picture. They reflect some cultural and religious concepts and stereotypes towards the Tartars, as well as a view on the interethnic relations as perceived by the authors of these texts and their immediate environment.

The VIII International Golden Horde Forum “Pax Tatarica: Medieval Sources and Historical Context” emerged as a landmark academic event in 2025, bringing together 151 researchers from 16 countries. The Forum served as a platform for in-depth discussions on current issues in the study of the Golden Horde, its role within the Eurasian historical landscape, military affairs, socio-political problems, and new approaches to analyzing written, archaeological, and numismatic sources. A notable extension of the Forum was the I International Summer School on the Golden Horde History, which provided a dynamic space for communication and education. This project successfully connected experienced scholars and early-career researchers in Turkic studies, medieval history, and source criticism, fostering a productive environment for scholarly exchange and collaboration. A significant politico-academic event held in parallel was the session of the Joint Working Group of Historians of Russia and Kazakhstan, which included participants from universities and research institutions, as well as representatives of executive and legislative authorities and diplomatic services. The newly presented research materials at the Forum offer promising prospects for a comprehensive study of various facets of the Golden Horde and Tatar khanates – from political and social developments to cultural and religious traditions. The Forum reaffirmed that the Golden Horde legacy remains a fertile ground for new discoveries, interdisciplinary research, and academic dialogue, both in the Russian Federation and near abroad.

The aim of the research is to study the evolving relations between the Italian maritime republics and their trading posts in the Black Sea region against the background of their relations with the Golden Horde. To analyze the nature and causes of these transformations, new materials from the Venetian and Genoese archives are utilized, namely unpublished documents from the Venetian and Genoese archives of Italy: the decrees of the Venetian Senate related to navigation, the funds of the Judges of Petitions and Advocates of the Commune containing materials of claims on trade cases, account books (massarie) of Genoese Caffa (Feodosia), and the acts of notaries. The research is focused on the influence of trade bans regarding navigation to Tana (Azov), introduced by Genoa in relation to Ve­nice in the 13th–14th centuries, on the state of trade in the region, as well as how the gradual lifting of the bans gradually evolved into a trade partnership between the merchants of the maritime republics. This partnership, however, was complicated by the rivalry between the two main Black Sea trading outposts, Caffa and Tana. The relations between Caffa and Tana are examined in the context of internal struggles within the Golden Horde, where their ties with Edigu and his political adversaries played a crucial role in events. The desire of the Genoese administration in Caffa to expand its sphere of influence in the region, especially in the waters of the Sea of Azov, was manifested by the fact that the authorities of Caffa kept their garrisons in Vosporo (Kerch), Matrega (on Taman), and Mapa (Anapa) to control the navigation of Venetian ships, and above all to prevent their passage through the Kerch Strait. In order to control the straits, the magistrates of the trading stations presented gifts to the emirs of Copa (at the mouth of the Kuban), to Matrega, to the khan’s envoys, to the beylerbey Edigu, and to many others. The author demonstrates how commercial ties and contacts between the residents of the Venetian and Genoese trading stations in Tana were combined with the political confrontation between their authorities, especially when the relations between the metropolises – Venice and Genoa – were often hostile and were only softened during periods when they were under the threat of external attacks.

The purpose of the study: The article is devoted to the analysis of the defeat of the Great Horde in 1502 by Mengli-Giray based on Russian and Lithuanian sources, which reflect the perception of contemporaries, their different views on this event from the Russian and Polish-Lithuanian sides. Research materials: Nikon Chronicle is a chronicle of the 16th century. Vologda-Perm Chronicle is a chronicle of the end of the 15th – first half of the 16th century. The 16th century pictorial vault is a monument of book art containing 17 thousand miniatures. Gustyn Chronicle is a chronicle of the last third of the 17th century, containing information about the history of South-Western Rus’, Lithuania and Poland. Bykhovets Chronicle is a source on the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until 1506. Monuments of diploma­tic relations of Ancient Russia with foreign powers. This source contains ambassadorial letters on relations with the Crimean Khanate. Results and novelty of the study: the article analyzes the defeat of the Great Horde on the river Sula in 1502 in Russian and Lithuanian sources. It was possible to identify differences in the interpretation of this event. Russian chronicles report on the fall that occurred rather reservedly and assess it from a neutral position. Lithuanian chronicles and annals, on the contrary, sympathize with the Great Horde in the outcome of this battle, and there is clear condemnation of the political leadership of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Differences in the perception of this event are due to the fact that the Great Horde ceased to pose a great danger to the Russian principalities at the beginning of the 16th century, and all attention was focused on relations with the Crimean Khanate. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland tried to build an alliance with the Great Horde, directed against Moscow and Crimea, so all the attention of contemporaries at that time could be focused on relations with it, in addition, the battle took place on the territory that was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Treatise on Tractatus de duabus Sarmatiis is a source of Polish origin, written by the historian Maciej Miechowita and published in 1517.

Objective: to study the nomenclature of geographical names from the territory of the Golden Horde, presented in medieval European, Arab and Persian narratives and on this basis to imagine how the medieval world saw the geography of this state in the 13th–14th centuries. Research materials: European works – Plano Caprini, Willem Rubruk, Marco Polo, Johann Schiltberger, Josaphat Barbaro, Arab works – Ibn al-Zahir, Rukn ad-Din Baybars, Abu l-Fida, al-Nuweiri, al-Mufaddal, ad-Dzehebi, al-Omari, Ennasir, ibn-Battuta, al-Forat, ibn-Khaldun, al-Kashkandi, al-Makrizi, al-Asadi, al-Askalani, ibn-Arabshah, al-Aini) and Persian – Juzjani , Juvaini, Wassaf, Qazwini, Zein ad-Din, Sheikh Uwais, Nizam-ad-din-Shami, Natanzi, Sherif-ad-din Yazdi authors, available to us in translations into Russian and European languages. Results and scientific novelty: the classification of names contained in narratives according to groups accepted in geography – horonyms, hydronyms and urbanonyms – shows that their number in groups is approximately the same: horonyms – 18 names, hydronyms – 15, urbanonyms – 16. The frequency of their mentions by medieval narrativist varies depending on how significant they were from the point of view of geographical knowledge of the Golden Horde by the medieval world. As for urbanonyms, how noticeable a particular city was from the point of view of international trade. Since the narrativist writers of the 13th-14th centuries, with rare exceptions, did not themselves visit the territory of the Golden Horde, their geographical nomenclature differs little over time. In this regard, the works of European authors who themselves visited the Golden Horde differ. But the list of hydronyms, horonyms and urbanonyms they provided was determined by the specific route of their passage through the territory of this state. Therefore, in the perception of the consumers of this information – contemporaries – the Golden Horde appeared as an endless plain inhabited by nomads, very poorly urbanized.

The purpose of the study is a systematic analysis of the Tatar historiography of the dastan “Idegey”; the article accumulates a set of basic studies from the 19th century to the present day related to the Tatar epic of the dastan “Idegey”. Research materials: The multifunctional science of folk art samples includes a considerable number of textual and theoretical studies devoted to the collection, publication, and study of the monumental folk epic “Idegey”. At the same time, the historiography of Dastan in Tatar studies has not yet become the subject of special research in the context of philological and historical sciences, although the famous Dastan of the Golden Horde period has repeatedly attracted and continues to attract the attention of prominent collectors and researchers over the years. The relevance of the article is explained by the need to rethink the Tatar historiography of the epic, taking into account the achievements of philological and historical science and presenting a holistic view of this problem. Results and novelty of the research: The study is the first effort at a systematic analysis and description of sources and scientific literature about “Idegey” epic belonging to Tatar scientists. The emphasis on the works of domestic and foreign researchers in relation to the Tatar-language texts of the dastan in different historical periods, along with the identification of significant problems characteristic of the study of the historiography of the epic “Idegey” are also included in the circle of interest of the author. The novelty of the research is a reliable interpretation of the historiography of “Idegey” in the light of new scientific requirements, systematization of assessments, characteristics, and revision of a whole range of previous views on the declared topic. This research provides an important impetus for the active scientific circulation of a number of significant materials on the “Idegey” epic in a broad historical and cultural context.

This paper is devoted to analyze the text of Abu Bakr Qalandar Rumi’s poem “Qalandar-name” from the point of view of describing the Sufi ritual of listening to sama`. As it is known, Sufi zikr can be two types – “loud”, with singing, dancing movements and playing musical instruments, and “quiet” without any musical part. Research materials: The statement of the author of the poem is of scholarly interest because the author welcomes both two types of zikr, as his Ushshaki group used singing, dancing and musical instruments. All these activities were used for the sole purpose of unity with the divine. The text of the poem is a source on Sufi rituals and their musical peculiarities in different tariqats. The poet also provides theoretical justifications for the permissibility of music in Sufi rituals, based on famous Sufi sheikhs of the earlier centuries. Also the author of the poem displays a deep knowledge of the general Sufi Islamic culture of his time, often referring to poetic images of famous Sufi poets of different countries. The musical instruments presented in the poem give a deep insight into the fact that each group of dervishes may have had their own set of instruments and their own dances. A common genre for all Sufi groups in the world is the genre of munajat, which appears four times in the poem as a separate prayer chapter. Results and novelty of the study: In this paper much attention is paid to the analysis of Sufi musical genres and instruments which were typical of that era. Also a number of the most favorite musical instruments are identified, which were widely used during the Sufi ritual of listening to sama`. The differences between the terms sama` (Sufi listening ritual) and the dance genre of Crimean Tatars “sema” and Tajik “samo” are explained separately. The musical instruments, such as arganun and organ, as well as musikar / musigar, which have different descriptions in historical and modern scientific literature, are also studied separately. The description of the organ in the context of the poem together with the image of the immortal bird Kuknus / Phoenix gives the readers the poem the image about two variants of the wind instrument – the Pan flute type and the keyboard type with mechas. Since we have not found a precise description of the organ and the arganun / musikar in the poem itself, this question remains open for future research. The poem “Kalandar-nameh” will no doubt be useful as a source on Sufi culture of different tariqats of the Middle Ages.