On October 14, a multi-media video-bridge Moscow – Kazan – Kiev took place, involving the theme: “Did the Tatar – Mongol yoke exist?” Historians from Kazan, Moscow and Kiev participated in this conference. The video-bridge was organized by IA Tatar-Inform and RIA Novosti.

The Ukrainian participants were the first ones to speak. Historian Vladimir Belinskiy explained that Rus (old name of Russia) was a part of the Golden Horde. “And the Russian principalities were ruled by Genghisids. There was no yoke, the Russian principalities were an integral part of the Golden Horde,” – he said.

Expert of the corporation of strategic consulting “Gardarika”, politologist Konstantin Matvienko offered information that Kievan Russian Orthodox episcops represented Batu-Khan in Byzantium.  “This does not look much like occupation, - he emphasized. – And Alexander Nevskiy fought against the Crusaders ion the side of the Golden Horde.  The Golden Horde was the precursor of Russian state. There is no way one can talk about oppression by Tatar-Mongols of Russian culture or of Russian state. Half of Russian aristocracy is originally from the Golden Horde. Kutuzov, Naryshkin family…and even Peter I, whose mother was from the Naryshkins.

Vladimir Belinskiy again hotly joined the discussion. In his opinion, Alexander Nevskiy never existed at all. “He is an invented personage, as well as Dmitriy Donskoy and others. Tataro-Mongols – that is also an artificially constructed term. Genghis himself was a Turk, and his empire was Turkic”, - he announced.

After heated statements of the Ukrainian colleagues, Tatar historians joined the discussion. Senior scientific worker of Shigabutdin Mardzhani history institute of the Academy of sciences of Tatarstan republic, Iskander Izmailov believes that maybe there was some yoke, but not in such form as we have been told previously. “We owe the term “Tatar yoke” to Ukrainian historiography. Until the 16^th century, there is not a single mention of a “yoke” in Russian sources. We see the first mention of a yoke in “Kiev synopsis”, a textbook for church schools of 17^th century; it describes the liberation by Ivan III of Muscovy Russia from the rule of Golden Horde. Later the term “yoke” was adopted by Karamzin. By using the term “yoke”, the Russians tried to justify to some extent their taking over of the Kazan Khanate,” – said the historian.

The chief of the Center for research of Golden Horde Civilization of the AN of Tatarstan, Ilnur Mirgaleyev also believes that no yoke existed. “The term “yoke” was invented at the end of the 17^th century. This is how they tried to explain why the development of Russia was relatively slower than that of Europe – oh, but you see, we were under a yoke”, - he explained.

The Moscow participant – ex-envoy of Tatarstan in Moscow (1999-2010), Nazif Mirkhanov agreed with his Tatarstan colleagues.  He also confirmed that the term came into use only at the end of the 17^th century. “People who lived at that time had no idea that they were living under a yoke. There was no such yoke, just like there was no Mongol-Tatar nation”, - he emphasized.

In conclusion of the discussion, Iskander Izmailov explained that the opinion about the system of rule which is called a yoke is mistaken. “There was no terror or serfdom. On the contrary, the Orthodox Church flourished in Batu-Khan’s times, many churches were built. It was precisely in the 13^th century that the majority of white-stone churches were built, - he said.