Nizhny Novgorod educator and local historian Alimzhan Orlov has passed away.

      On July 17, 2025, at 10:42,

      Society

      Alimzhan Mustafиновich Orlov, a distinguished historian, local historian, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, publicist, and public figure, passed away at the age of 96. He dedicated decades to studying the history of the Nizhny Novgorod region and the Tatar people, leaving behind a significant scientific and cultural legacy.

      Alimzhan Orlov was recognized as an authority in the ethnography and history of the Tatar-Mishar people — one of the indigenous peoples of the Nizhny Novgorod region. His works include over a hundred scientific and journalistic publications, including fundamental studies such as "The Historical Fates of the Mishars" and "The Nizhny Novgorod Region in the History of the Tatar-Mishars," among others.

      The government of the Nizhny Novgorod region noted that Alimzhan Mustafиновich left behind not only a substantial scientific contribution but also a deep human legacy. He was described as a person of high culture, a true enlightener, and a guardian of historical memory. His merits have been repeatedly acknowledged at the municipal, regional, and federal levels.

      He taught for many years at the Gorky Agricultural Institute, now the Nizhny Novgorod State Agricultural Academy. His pedagogical activity was combined with active public work.

      In 1990, Orlov became one of the founders and the first chairman of the Tatar cultural society "Tugan Yak" ("Native Land") — the first official Tatar organization in the region. Later, it transformed into the Nizhny Novgorod Center of Tatar Culture "Tugan Yak," which played a key role in the revival and development of national traditions in the post-Soviet period.

      Thanks to his initiative, the Tatar national holiday Sabantuy was held in Nizhny Novgorod for the first time in the late 1980s. Since then, it has become an annual and significant event in the city’s cultural life.

      With his involvement, the region’s only Tatar newspaper "Tugan Yak" began publication, which has been issued for over 35 years, preserving the language and traditions of the Tatar community.

      Alimzhan Mustafиновich was also actively involved in ethnocultural and interethnic projects aimed at promoting harmony and understanding among the peoples residing in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

      The Nizhny Novgorod news agency emphasized that the death of Alimzhan Orlov is a great loss for the scientific community, the Tatar community, and all who knew and valued his contributions to preserving historical memory and cultural heritage.

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