Novye Bulgary: History and Cultural Traditions

• Founded in 1918: 80 percent of the founders were Kazan Tatars.
• Lessons at the school were taught in Tatar until 1962.
• Katza fish traps were used for fishing until the 1970s.
• Sabantuy is celebrated annually; Tatarstan Cultural Days took place in 2005.

Novye Bulgary was founded in 1918 by Kazan Tatars, who made up 80 percent of the founders. The other founders were Mishar Tatars from the Penza-Nizhny Novgorod, Simbirsk and Khvalynsk regions. Before that, they had settled in the Astrakhan Tatar settlement of Tiyak and in the Nogai villages of Karagali, Tatarskaya Bashmakovka and Yaksatovo.

The school’s history also provides a specific date: lessons at the school in Novye Bulgary were taught in Tatar until 1962. Both the founding and the language of instruction are therefore notable historical milestones for the place.

Katza fish traps were used for fishing in Novye Bulgary until the 1970s. Historically, the catch was used to feed residents’ families, not sold. This purpose gave fishing a different role from a catch intended for trade.

Older residents recalled that Koteshny fishing saved Novye Bulgary from starvation during the famine years of the Civil War and collectivization, as well as during the war and postwar periods. The information about Katza fish traps describes a fishing method and its timeframe; the recollections about Koteshny, by contrast, highlight the importance of fishing in times of hardship.

Sabantuy is celebrated annually in Novye Bulgary. Historical celebrations included horse races, pole climbing, rifle shooting and wrestling. Tatarstan Cultural Days were also held in the village in 2005. For planning your trip, the timeframe matters: Sabantuy is an annual festival, while the Cultural Days took place in 2005. If you want to plan your trip around a festival, check the dates for your travel year.

The traditional rain-calling ritual “Kuday jol” is also associated with Novye Bulgary and other villages. In this custom, children and adults imitated rain after a meal by splashing and pouring water on one another.

A Tatar folk game is associated with the House of Culture in Novye Bulgary. Two players climbed onto a three-meter-long log set 1 to 1.2 meters high and tried to push each other to the ground. Soft mats were placed beneath the log for safety.

The Astrakhan Nature Reserve, within the broader destination of Astrakhan Oblast, covers 67,920 hectares. It consists of three sections far apart from one another in the lower Volga Delta: Damchiksky in the west, Trekhizbinsky in the center and Obzhorovsky in the east. These details describe the regional natural context of Astrakhan Oblast.

If you’d like to compare other destinations, also explore: Oranzherei, Tishkovo, Obraztsovo-Travino, Krasa, Kharabali, Obukhovskiy, Akhtubinsk and Starokucherganovka.

When was Novye Bulgary founded?

Novye Bulgary was founded in 1918. Kazan Tatars made up 80 percent of the founders; the rest were Mishar Tatars.

Until when were lessons taught in Tatar at the school?

Lessons at the school in Novye Bulgary were taught in Tatar until 1962.

When can you experience Sabantuy?

Sabantuy is celebrated annually. Check the dates for your travel year if you’d like to plan your visit around the festival.

What role did fishing play for residents?

Historically, residents fished to feed their families, not to sell the catch. Older residents also recalled the importance of Koteshny fishing during periods of famine, war and postwar hardship.

For the broader travel overview: Astrakhan Oblast.