A detailed analysis of the epigraphic monuments of the South-East of Tatarstan, which is still poorly studied both in historical and cultural terms, makes it possible to trace the stages of ethnic history, the evolution of cultural strata in this multiethnic region, where complex migration processes have been going on for many centuries. These stones preserve the echoes of the culture of the peoples who were in the sphere of influence of the Nogai Horde in the XV-XVII centuries, and allow us to trace the continuity of traditions from the period of the Golden Horde rule, from the culture of the Turkic Khaganate. Epitaphs on tombstones-exist in a single copy and are of undoubted scientific value primarily for their authenticity, so their value is invaluable when studying the history of the region, individual settlements and for clarifying the role of specific individuals in the development of this part of the territory of Tatarstan.

The south-east of Tatarstan, bordering on the Ik River with the territory of Bashkortostan, is part of the Eastern Trans-Kama region. This remote region from the center and capital of the republic is still poorly studied both in historical and cultural terms. Its monuments began to attract close attention of scientists of Tatarstan from the middle of the XX century. For the first time, epigraphic monuments of the XIV century were discovered here by G. V. Yusupov in 1966. In 1974, part of the territory was surveyed by M. I. Akhmetzyanov, Doctor of Philology, who continued his research until 1980.During this time, hundreds of inscriptions on tombstones were discovered and read, and the pedigrees of the population of the Priik basin were studied. The results of this scientist's research work are reflected in books, monographs, and articles. One of them (Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p.2) describes the monuments of the XIV century, which begin the epigraphic culture of the region. But because of the current historical situation, this type of creativity of the Tatar people is being forgotten. The renewal of the Tatar epigraphic culture begins in the last quarter of the 18th century. Emphasizing the uniqueness of the region, he notes that even in all the areas of Zakazan, only one tombstone monument dating back to the XVIII century has been preserved.

When in the 1990s, due to changes in the political system and the emergence of new socio-cultural landmarks, interest in the cultural heritage of the past increased, a network of local history museums began to be created in Tatarstan, which launched research work on the study of the history and culture of the peoples of the region. In the capital of the oil region - the city of Almetyevsk, on the basis of the oil and gas production department, a foundation and a scientific and creative group were organized to create a fundamental work on history called the Almetyevsk Encyclopedia. M. I. Akhmetzyanov was also involved in this work. On the assignment of the scientific and creative group in 1997, he studied the epigraphic monuments of the Almetyevsk region and published the results of the research.-

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see the book "Epigraphy of the Almetyevsk region". In 2000, at the invitation of the Aznakaevsky Museum of Local Lore, he and the author examined cemeteries previously studied in the 1970s and 1980s with interesting factual material. As a result, tombstones with inscriptions were photographed, inscriptions based on Arabic graphics were deciphered and translated into modern Tatar. The result of these studies was the book "The Chronicle of a noble family". Later, with the inclusion of some of the material we examined, the book "Nogai Horde" was published, where, by scientific analysis of the texts of the found genealogies, inscriptions on tombstones, M. I. Akhmetzyanov proves that in the part of the region that was in the sphere of influence of the Nogai Horde in the XV-XVII centuries, the remnants of the culture of the peoples of this union were preserved.

Ethnocultural composition of the population of the South-East in different epochs was not constant. According to archaeological data [Kazakov, 2000, p. 43], migration processes can be traced here until the late Middle Ages. The southern steppe regions, which make up part of the region, were more often developed by Turkic-speaking nomads from the Nogai Horde. Their influx increased after the Mongol invasion, when the region became part of the Golden Horde. Such conclusions are confirmed by the results of a study of a burial mound discovered in 1974 near the village of Bayryaka Tamak in the Yutazinsky district, where " a dig was laid and things were collected from destroyed burials... Similar items have numerous analogues in the burial mounds of late Turkic-speaking nomads. The monument dates back to the XIII-XIV century" [Kazakov, 1978, pp. 93-94]. Features of burial mounds and their inventory allow us to conclude that the spiritual culture of the Kipchaks who left this monument was based on pagan beliefs. "The well - known toleration of the Bulgars contributed to the preservation of pagan religion in this area," explains E. P. Kazakov, who explains the preservation of paganism in the region until the late Middle Ages.

The fact that the spiritual culture of the region has a continuity of traditions from the culture of the Turkic Khaganate is indicated by the stone sculptures discovered here. "The artistic traditions of nomadic tribes of the Turkic Khaganate are associated with the construction of stone statues - the so-called balbals, or "stone women"" [Chervonnaya, 1987, p.49]. Discovered in 1994 by E. P. Kazakov near the village of Nizhni Abdulovo, the stone "balbal" indicates that the South-East between the VI-VIII centuries was under the protectorate of the Turkic Khaganate. M. I. Akhmetzyanov considers this find a valuable cultural and historical discovery, indicating that the region's culture preserves relics of the traditions of ancient Turkic peoples. The statue is a primitive image of a man with the outline of a torso and head. Carved from a single piece of dolomite, this sculpture is now in a horizontal position, but, according to the villagers, it used to stand facing east. Another feature is that the chest part of the statue bears the sign of the tamga (Akhmetzyanov, 1999, p. 314).

There is evidence that until the 1940s, not far from the site of the Kipchak burial ground described above, at a fork in the road on the site of the sanctuary, there was an Old Russian stone statue, which was a figure of a pregnant woman with a bowl at the navel level. This statue, which has not survived to this day, has been repeatedly described by local historians and scientists. In 1999, the author of this article conducted an oral survey of residents of nearby villages who saw and remembered this statue. According to eyewitnesses, the statue was on its way from the district center to the surrounding villages. As they passed it, all the travelers, especially the women, stopped as if at some sacred place. This statue was something of a milestone at a crossroads. According to the stories of older people, she gave women strength, after meeting her, people gained strength, the path seemed shorter. Although the statue has been missing for more than half a century (someone

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smashed it in the post-war years), the rumor about it is alive, the old people tell the next generation about it. Years of fighting religious prejudice have not completely eradicated the people's attitude to this ancient monument. People saw him as an image of an ancient female deity, showed him respect, and took a positive charge of energy from him.

Sculptural sculptures preserved in the South-East of Tatarstan to this day indicate that the spiritual culture of the population was heterogeneous here for a long period of history - relics of pagan cults, faith in Tengri were preserved, Islam was preached. A major role in the interpretation of ethno-cultural phenomena on the territory of this unique, multicomponent region should be assigned to written primary sources, which, in particular, include tombstone inscriptions.

Epitaphs, preserving the written language and language of the people who left them, do not just list the biographical data of a person, reveal his worldview, exalt his earthly deeds. They primarily represent a clearly dated historical source. They can be used to draw information about the spiritual culture of the people in the past, in particular about mythological ideas or religion, the worldview of society in a particular period of time.

Most interesting in epigraphic terms is the site of the old Ursai village "Iski Yort", associated with an ancient necropolis located on the opposite bank of the Ika River on the threshold of the Ural Mountains. M. I. Akhmetzyanov connects the origin of the cemetery with nomadic Tatar tribes who moved here from the Crimea. This version is also supported by the name of the highest local mountain - Chatyrtau, which they probably gave by analogy with Mount Chatyrdag in the Crimea.

This Staroursayevsky necropolis is home to the oldest gravestones in the region. Their antiquity can also be judged by their appearance: they are poorly processed, some of them resemble "balbals" in their appearance, the inscriptions based on Arabic graphics are indistinct, in many places they are erased, and the dates are not always completely legible. All this does not detract from their importance for science, so it is extremely important to preserve this valuable material.

The text of one of the inscriptions read by M. I. Akhmetzyanov reads as follows: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Merciful. Every soul will taste death. Then you will return to us. Gali Khoja, the son of Karsak kazy... tombstone sign (bilge). May God have mercy... I'll be generous." The first three lines are Quranic sayings in Arabic, and then comes the text in Tatar. Both Turkic (Karsak) and Muslim (Gali) names are found here; the social terms "khoja" and" kazy "are used as the titles "feudal lord" and "judge" (Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p. 2).

D. K. Valeeva expresses the idea of the philosophical and literary nature of such content of inscriptions: "After all, they contain not only the name of the deceased and the date of his passing away, but also solemn, sublime lines from the Koran about the eternity of Allah, about his great mercy, about the impermanence of life. A common saying: "Death is a door, and all people will enter it" seems to reconcile everyone to the inevitable, calls not to despair and not to lament inconsolably, because life and death are two sides of the same phenomenon, they constantly flow into each other, and therefore those who remain on earth must muffle the suffering in their hearts. These laconic epitaphs contain so much wise, calm philosophy, but, on the other hand, it is already an element of poetry and literature, and the thread from these texts to the true literary works of the medieval East is not long" (Valeeva, 1998, p.94).

The next tombstone is particularly interesting for its ornamental design, which carries not only an aesthetic, but also a philosophical load. The border of the tombstone is decorated with a zigzag and two straight lines, which, connecting between

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by themselves, they form triangles with dots inside. And the upper part of the tombstone is a three-part composition. There is an inscription on the central double circle. A broken zigzag line runs between the circles. The circles, in turn, are divided in half. The upper part is an ornament in the form of a "half-sun", and the lower part is an inscription in Arabic script. According to F. Kh. Valeev, "the three rosettes symbolized three worlds - the heavenly, earthly and underground, where the soul of the deceased resides" (Valeev, 1975, p. 175). The ornaments representing the three-part structure of the world reflect the spiritual culture of the people in the XIV century.

The "half-sun" ornament on this tombstone dates back to ancient pagan traditions. This designation is "one of the most common symbols among a number of ancient and almost modern peoples" (Grach, 1980, p.62). The religious ideology associated with the cult of the sun was widespread among the ancient nomads of the Great Steppe Belt. The paganism of the ancient Turks was monotheistic, so in science it is considered as an independent religion-Tengrianism. Its adherents, deifying the sky and everything that is on it, considered it as a spiritual principle-Tengri. And the sun was an attribute of Tengri.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the tombstones were decorated mainly with solar ornaments. These are eight - and six-petaled rosettes inscribed in a circle, or a more realistic image - the sun with divergent rays [Valeev, 1975, p. 48]. G. V. Yusupov explains the presence of rosettes with the image of the "sun" on tombstones as "the refraction of the oldest ideology in the art of agricultural peoples", which included the Bulgars-the people "rather old agricultural culture" [Yusupov, 1960, p. 63]. Scientists interpret the plots of the rosette - "sun", "half-sun" - in different ways. But something else is important to us. The preservation of this ornament allows us to conclude that the Tatar population of the Bulgar ulus, although it was already muslimized in the XIV century, has not yet completely freed itself from the views associated with the cult of the sun.

In all agricultural cultures, the concept of" sun " is associated with something particularly valuable, high, on which the harvest depends and, ultimately, life itself. D. K. Valeeva quite accurately revealed the meaning of this sign for the population of the Bulgar ulus: "For us, it is a sign of light, purity, and eternity. Perhaps, in the Bulgarian and Golden Horde art, images of the sun or flower were symbols of the purification of souls after death and their aspiration to eternity and the light of paradise. And it is important for us that the desire for beauty, for art did not leave the Bulgars, even when they decorated the last refuge of a person, and no matter who he was in life , in death he was cleansed of all sins, was forgiven, became worthy of the light of the sun and the purity of the flower... "[Valeeva, 1998, p. 93].

The triangular pattern formed by zigzag lines on these stones is not accidental. It expresses the religious form of social consciousness of that time. As D. K. Valeeva notes, "abstract thinking led the art of Islam to create lush fanciful ornaments and arabesques, which, by changing the repeated repetition of individual elements and forms, seemed to confirm the theory of Muslim theologians that these forms are impermanent, but are constantly recreated by God." Therefore, by carving zigzags, repetitions of elements, the master expressed the most important meaning of being-the infinity of time. With his art, he reminded a person that in the afterlife he will sink into eternity, "when his spirit becomes so perfect that it will be honored to approach Allah" [Valeyeva, 1995, p. 196]. All three rosettes are filled with half-erased sayings from the Koran.

Writing is considered the most essential component of culture. Along with the Arabic script, the tombstones bear the signs of tamga. "The appearance of tamgas is undoubtedly one of the indicators of a particular cultural circle, which included or actively communicated with the population that left these tamgas" [Kyzlasov, 1994, p. 38]. As is known, the ancient Turks possessed runic writing.

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With the adoption of Islam, it is gradually replaced by writing based on Arabic graphics. But the population of the region in the XIV century was not only Bulgarian, but also part of the multi-tribal Kipchak world. It was "Nogai epigraphy that had its own special, ancient and distant, but undoubtedly traceable source-runic inscriptions on stelae that were widely distributed in the territory of the Turkic Khaganate" (Kereitov, 2002-2003, p.183).

Staroursaevsky necropolis is not the only place in the south-eastern region where grave stones of the XIV century are preserved. M. I. Akhmetzyanov also refers the historical necropolis "Cemetery of Saints" near the village of Nizhni Abdulovo to the Golden Horde period [Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p. 10]. The stones are poorly preserved, two of them vaguely stand out indistinct traces of Arabic script and signs of tamga. These tombstones were not discovered by scientists until 1994, so the inscriptions on them, unfortunately, were not subject to restoration. This once again reminds us how important it is to identify and study these monuments in a timely manner, so that the information encoded on them is not lost for us.

In the ancient cemetery of the village of Asey in 2000, during an expedition with the participation of M. I. Akhmetzyanov, a gravestone from 1786 with a tamga in the upper part was discovered. A partially preserved inscription says that this is the tombstone of Ahmadi, the son of Gabdelbaki. Tamgas can also be traced on the tombstones of 1858 in the cemetery of the village of Gabdrakhmanovo, even in 1921 in the cemetery of the village of Minnibaevo, discovered by a scientist during an archeographic expedition in 1997. Four more stones were found from different cemeteries in the region with preserved tamgas (inscriptions do not appear).

The fact of the presence of stones with tamgas indicates the existence of a tradition of applying such signs, which served to fix the deceased's belonging to a certain genus. This feature of the studied stones of the region allows us to assign them to the monuments of Nogai epigraphy. Such types of stones are considered as a combination of the ancient Turkic tradition with the Muslim one. It seems that we can agree with the authors who consider the tamga on a Muslim tombstone as "evidence of the strength and vitality of pre-Islamic pagan traditions that have found themselves in a kind of synthesis with Islamic cult art", and consider it a peculiar phenomenon inherent in "first of all, perhaps even exclusively Nogai ethnic culture" [Kereitov, 2002-2003, p. 184]. In addition, scientists emphasize that in the epigraphy of Volga Bulgaria and the Kazan Khanate, this phenomenon is not traced. This means that it proves once again that the lands of the South-East contain the remains of an ethno-cultural layer rooted in the Nogai Horde.

A distinctive feature of the tombstones of the region is the preservation of pagan relics. Thus, the tombstone stele of 1812 in the village of Kulsharipovo (Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p. 45) with the "sun" sign in a geometric circle and broken lines in the form of teeth vaguely resembles the tombstones of the XIV century . To find out this similarity, which has been preserved for four centuries, it is necessary to turn to the history of the village. It turns out that the village was founded, most likely, in the XVI century.as a result of migration of the Kazan-Tatar population after the conquest of Kazan. Here " the urbanized culture of the Kazan Tatars, which has roots in the traditions of the urban Bulgar-Tatar culture, was predominant "(Valeeva, 2000, p. 115). It turns out that the author of this tombstone has preserved traditions passed down from generation to generation.

On the gravestone of the beginning of the XIX century in the cemetery of the village of Ursaevo, erected on the grave of Ishan-the organizer of the life of the Muslim community, a person respected and revered, the sign "half-sun", which completely illuminates the upper semicircular part of the stele, emphasizes the special rank of the deceased. The text contains the words "sheikh", "murid", "naqshbandiya". M. I. Akhmetzyanov, after reading the inscription, determined that Ishan belonged to the Nugaibekov family and was an adherent of Sufism. From the preserved fragments of words it is clear,

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that the deceased belonged to the Naqshbandiyya Sufi brotherhood, and this stone was placed to the mentor-sheikh from the Murid novices. The " sun " as a sign of Tengri emphasizes the ideological views of the cultist who preached Sufism during his lifetime, that is, he called on Muslims to endure hardships and remain themselves.

The " sun " sign on the magnificent tombstone of 1857, erected in honor of Shamsizigan from the village of Chalpy, emphasizes the nobility of a woman, the daughter and wife of clergymen, expresses her charity and generosity of soul. And on the tombstone of 1908, built to a centenary elder from the village of Kulsharipovo, the text of the epitaph itself says that this is a "light-bearing grave". This is a sign of respect for his fellow villagers, relatives, who believed that he brought light to people, which is also emphasized by the Muslim symbol in the form of a crescent, depicted in the upper part of the tombstone. And on the tombstone of the infant Atlas (1925) - the image of a crescent moon with the sun. Something in common can be traced on the stones built for the old man and the baby. Perhaps the crescent is depicted here not only as a sign of Turkic-Muslim unity, but as a symbol of purity and sinlessness.

For a long time, the Tatars adhered to Tengrianism, remnants of which existed among them for a long time and after the adoption of Islam. The name Tengri was used along with the name of Allah. This is also indicated by the inscriptions on the tombstones. On the tombstones of the XIX century (from 1808 to 1882), as well as on the stones of 1922 and 1965, next to the name of Allah is the name Tengri, which is synonymous with Allah. The inscription in Arabic script begins with the expression: "There is no Tengri but Allah." And on some epitaph inscriptions the author exclaims: "I bear witness: there is no Tengri but Allah!", or: "In the Name of the Most Merciful to the people, I begin Tengri." Even in 1965, an elderly mullah writes Tengri's name on a tombstone, which once again testifies to the persistence of the religious worldview formed by distant ancestors.

Tatar epigraphy, which is a fusion of calligraphy, architecture, poetry, and philosophy, could not fully be guided by Islamic canons - there are many relics of pagan traditions in it. For example, in their shape, stelae with an arch-like finish represent a" head "(rounded) on "shoulders", vaguely reminiscent of the Kipchak "balbals". The stone of 1781, erected by "kazantsu" in the village of Kulsharipovo, is made in the form of a human bust, with a head and shoulders, the outlines of a face with eye sockets, nose, mouth clearly appear. The tombstones of 1908 and 1916 are similar in shape, although the facial features are invisible. "Vague memories of figurative stone "balbals", of course, were intertwined in such structures, and this tradition turned out to be so stable that it passed from pagan to Muslim art (which fundamentally rejected the plastic image of a person), so that anthropomorphic signs were quite clearly manifested here" (Chervonnaya, 1997, p. 113).

Another ancient symbol is preserved on the tombstones of the Southeast. In the upper part of several stones of the XIX and one - XX centuries. carved a kind of bowl for collecting rainwater. "The beginning of such a tradition," writes Yu. M. Mogarichev, " has its roots in pagan antiquity, when it was believed that abundant rain and watering contributed to the purification of the soul..."[Mogarichev, 1995, p. 24]. He emphasizes that the master carvers were based on the Muslim formula: "Death is a cup of wine that all living things must drink." And M. I. Akhmetzyanov, linking this symbolism with Islamic canons, believes that "songbirds, having quenched their thirst from this cup, calmed and pleased the soul of the deceased" [Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p. 158]. It is hard to disagree with these arguments. But it should be added that this symbol probably represents such an expression as "drink the cup of death". The carver, carving a notch, on the one hand, tried to show that

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the deceased drank his death cup, and on the other hand, emphasized that his soul needs to be cleansed.

Since the state religion was Islam, the word expressed in Arabic script gradually entered the spiritual sphere of the people's life. Indeed, tombstone inscriptions from the 14th century to the first half of the 20th century are based on the Word of God. Although Islam did not approve of the custom of carving inscriptions on tombstones, as this was contrary to its canons, a solution was found: suras of the Koran were carved on the stones, glorifying Allah and declaring their worship for him. On the tombstones of the region, the formulas prevail: "The supreme court belongs to Allah", "Fleeing from the accursed shaytan, I seek refuge in Allah", "In the Name of the merciful, merciful Allah I begin", "There is no Tengri but Allah", "Muhammad is his Messenger". Further information is provided about the name of the deceased (names of the deceased and his father), date of death and age. The belief in the other world, where the deceased must go after death, is reflected even in the texts: "He moved to the eternal house", " From the mortal world to the world of eternity he moved."

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Epitaphs not only serve as a source of information, but also carry a religious and philosophical load, they capture the beliefs and value orientations of the people of the time to which they belong. Here are some more examples of a strict text: "I seek refuge in God from the accursed Shaitan", "Everyone will know the bitterness of death", "May Allah have mercy on him", "May Allah light up his grave", "May God forgive him". Most of the texts are stingy, giving the impression that expressions that glorify Allah are given only as a tribute to traditions. The authors confine themselves to giving Qur'anic formulas of a philosophical nature.

The postulates of Allah, brought to the people through his Prophet Muhammad, were considered perfect and eternal, but creatively thinking authors of epitaphs tried to give the texts emotionality. Approaching their craft as an art, they allowed expression of their feelings, eloquence. The gravestone of 1912 bears the following inscription:: "Death is inevitable, no one, not even thinkers, can prevent it." On another undated stone, the author promises: "Whoever makes pious speeches will then reach paradise." On the stone, installed in 1922, is carved: "Only with God's help can you break with evil and become a worthy person."

The ability to think, to express their views, inherent in some master carvers, among whom were priests, gave rise to poetic lines on epitaphs. The lively burst of thoughts expressed in appeals to those who will visit the graves gave a positive impulse, made people realize that here, in the cemetery, they are in contact with eternity, and think about the meaning of life, the impermanence of being. The authors urged the living to hurry up to perform noble deeds in the name of their future life in the next world. Here, for example, is a fragment of the text from the 1802 epitaph in the cemetery of the village of Chalpy, dedicated to the legendary personality of the region Nugaibek Khasanov: "You, the man who visited the grave..." (the poetic text is not fully preserved). Direct access to an indeterminate person increases the effect of exposure. Although the full text of the appeal to future generations is not available, it can be assumed that the master encourages people to live for the good of the people, for the good of the Motherland, and not to enter into deals with their conscience.

The stone of the early 20th century, which resembles a small house (and for Muslims, the grave is an eternal home), is carved with calls: "Hey, followers of Islam! Be united! Then prosperity awaits you!" As it is not difficult to guess, we are talking about the same thing here - about existence in the afterlife, when the spirit of a person who has passed the earthly path with dignity will be honored with the honor of unity with God.

Here is the epitaph of 1858, dedicated to Gabdelmannan, the son of Rakhimkulyya from the village of Almetyevo: "Mercifully read a prayer, ask for the forgiveness of the deceased. Years passed, the time of worldly pleasures passed. Look at what's left of me and draw conclusions for yourself "[Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p. 15]. The author, on behalf of the buried person, appeals to people to draw conclusions, that is, to live a life without sin, with dignity, in order to calmly meet their death hour, the moment of unity with God.

On the gravestone of 1911 is carved an inscription stating that the late Nizametdin, the son of Gabdulkagir, was a noble man of the village, so he deserves honors in the afterlife.: "Let the paradise Guria meet you with food!" [Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p.24]. The author asks the reader of these lines to preserve the memory of the deceased forever and pray for his soul, but does not indicate his name. Perhaps he thought that his name was insignificant in comparison with the deceased, a man who was worthy of all praise during his lifetime. You can feel the modesty of the master, carver and poet in one person, and his reverent attitude to the buried.

On the tombstone erected to the infant Atlas, the son of Habibullah, the poetic inscription has a mystical character: "In paradise I am, the Houri caresses me. But I'm inconsolable, so I cry: she's not my mother, she's not my mother. An angel comes up and gives me a toy. But I am inconsolable and

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I'm crying: he's not my dad, I know " [Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p. 20]. A sinless baby, according to the canons of Islam, immediately goes to heaven, but the author expresses with pain the sad state of the deceased: there he is an orphan, without a father and mother he has no joy. These lines impress with their emotionality, penetration, touch the most delicate strings of the soul, which is what the author of the lines was striving for. And the lines of poetry on the stone, set in 1900, are filled with philosophical meaning. The poet, on behalf of the late Mukhametshakir, the son of Bagman, expresses his thoughts that he, as he came to the mortal world naked, as a falcon, and went to the other world naked. And in the first lines, the author warns that a person who has experienced many sorrows rests here.

S. M. Chervonnaya describes such tombstones as follows: "In the overall aesthetic and semantic expressiveness of these monuments, along with the architectural structure and ornamental and pictorial carved decor, the poetic word depicted in the epigraph played a huge role... The master carvers themselves were the authors of these texts, which... they often struck with their poetry, eloquence, and piercing expression of pain, and represented a particle of high Eastern poetry" (Chervonnaya, 1997, p. 118). Thus, epitaphs preserve for us living examples of folk poetic creativity.

The fact that poets were singled out, honored, and had their own niche in the social hierarchy is indicated by the inscription on the stone of the XIX century: "Here lies the poet Shagidulla, the son of Ibatulla from the village of Mitriai." At the same time, gravestone carvers were also poets, masters of reproducing the Word of God and God's own gift. Proficient in the traditional art of carved tombstones, they performed a multi-functional mission: there were also scribes with a calligraphic handwriting of Arabic graphics, stone carvers, and poets. They were mostly clergymen, enlightened people who were literate and possessed, among other things, a literary gift. It is no coincidence that some of the tombstones are signed "Mullah Fakhretdin, son of Sayfutdin", "Mullah Gabdrahman", "Zaki Mullah, son of Murtaz from Almetyevo". Many of them were well-known craftsmen in the area, so their works can be found in cemeteries that are remote from each other for considerable distances. "The honorable position in the society of such masters is evidenced by the dignity with which many of them enter their own name in the text, expressing pride in their creation" [Chervonnaya, 1997, p.118]. Indeed, they were right. The names of all the masters of the region are forever etched on the stones. As time passes, new generations admire their work reflected on the stones. They were true chroniclers of the region, thanks to their creations, the most valuable information about the spiritual life of the people who inhabited this land from time immemorial was preserved. Several names of customers of tombstones have also been preserved. The stone with the epitaph to Yarmukhametu Nugaybekov was erected in 1833 at the expense of his grandson Mukhametgaray from the village of Chalpy, and Sharifzyan Akhmetgarayev ordered epitaphs for his parents in 1898 and 1926.

Inscriptions on tombstones also capture the social terms-scholar, hajj, kazi, mentor, imam, etc. On the gravestone of 1809, a message is carved that the scientist Tazetdin Mursalim from the village of Sarly is buried here. In the cemetery of the village of Kama-Ismagilovo, M. I. Akhmetzyanov discovered a stone erected to the scientist, Mullah Gabdulzamil, son of Mullah Ishmukhamet from Bulgar, dating back to 1797 [Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p. 11]. And on the stone of 1923, an inscription is carved that this is the grave of a thinker from the village of Aksu. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, enlightened people who wrote religious and philosophical treatises, scribes of books lived in the villages.

The spirit of reverence for scientists and thinkers reigned at that time in the Eastern Trans-Kama region. It is based on "the Islamic faith with its desire and respect for education" [Davletshin, 2004, p. 276]. Thinkers, scientists brought to the masses the ideas of Sufism, the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, enlightened the population, instructed on the right path. All over Islam-

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The teacher-student relationship was widespread in the Russian world. Obtaining deep knowledge corresponding to the level of higher education at that time depended on the enlightenment of the teacher. Therefore, the title "teacher" was not given to everyone. Usually the mentors were worshippers of the cult, and the training was conducted in madrasas - educational institutions opened at mosques. In search of such educational institutions, students came from faraway places. Just the inscription on the tombstone of 1858 tells about this. It says that a madrasah student from the remote village of Zai, whose mentor was Mullah Mukhametamin from the village of Sapeyevo, is buried here. The mention of the teacher on the tombstone emphasizes the great importance of education, respect for mentors-teachers. Therefore, the author, along with the late shakird-disciple, immortalized the name of his mentor.

Another interesting fact related to the use of the social term on a tombstone deserves attention. Epitaphs of the XIX century dedicated to the father and son were found in the ancient cemetery of the village of Chalpy. The first reports that the deceased Yarmukhamet was a venerable judge, and the second-about the death of his son at the age of 35. Among the whole series of materials studied, this is the only fact that confirms the great importance of judges in the social hierarchy of the XIX century. Although the title of judge was not inherited, the author nevertheless perpetuated the name of his son by his father's services to society.

Studying the epitaphs, you can draw from them information about the history of settlement of the region. If the deceased were non-native, the inscription indicated their place of birth. For example, the tombstone was erected in 1781 to a "Kazan citizen", in 1809 to a native of the village of Makashka of the Siberian Tract, in 1838 to a native of the village of Saby of the Kazan Road, and in 1906 to a native of the village of Maly Shingar of the Laishevsky district. These data indicate that at the beginning of the XX century the main flow of population came to the region from Kazan, which was associated with the political events of those times. So, epitaphs significantly supplement information on the history of the region, as they are a kind of documents with indisputable facts.

Some epitaphs of the XVIII-XIX centuries depict texts of pedigrees, shedzhere. "The term of Arabic origin, of course, does not mean that the custom itself was borrowed. The latter is the cultural heritage of modern Tatars, which they inherited from their Turkic ancestors "[Akhmetzyanov, 1999, p. 3]. Among the Turks, reverence for their ancestors was a characteristic feature of society. Every Tatar must have known his or her ancestry at least up to the seventh generation [Davletshin, 2004, p.347].

M. I. Akhmetzyanov considers the pedigrees on the epitaphs to be epigraphic. They were created to permanently fix information about the relatives of the deceased on the stone. This emphasized the gentility of a person, the high level of his culture. The studied tombstones mainly contain pedigrees of the tribe with anthroponyms. For example, a 1799 stone from the cemetery of the village of Chalpy shows the genealogy of four tribes: the late Almamat son of Masgud son of Timka son of Pulat. Its epitaph character is expressed in the fact that the name of the founder of the family, from which the shedger begins, is in last place. Although in ordinary pedigrees, generations are indicated, starting from the founder of the surname. Epigraphic pedigrees differ from other types in that the main person in them is the deceased, so at the beginning of the text it is his anthroponym that is mentioned, and then the tribes are indicated. On the stone of 1783 from the village of Sarly, three tribes are represented: the late Aitmamat, the son of Ishmamat, the son of Atnagol. From these two inscriptions, it is possible to judge the influence of the Muslim religion on anthroponyms. If Timka, Atnagol are purely Tatar names, then Almamat (Almukhammed), Aitmamat, Ishmamat are already Arabic - speaking. "The oldest anthroponyms in shejer largely coincide with the names that used to exist or exist among related Turkic peoples... This phenomenon cannot be considered a simple random one

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a coincidence. The Tatar people are Turkic by origin and language" [Akhmetzyanov, 1999, p. 78].

On the tombstones of the XIX century, there are shedgers with notes, that is, information about individual ancestors with their titles, names of their places of birth or service. On the tombstone of Mullah Zakizyan from Tumutuk village, his pedigree is given: Mullah Miftah - Mullah Galiakbar - Mullah Yusup from Kama village. This four-track family shejere indicates that all the ancestors of the deceased were priests, and one of them comes from the village of Kama, which is located about 70 km from the place of his burial.

And on the tombstone of 1926 [Akhmetzyanov, 2000, p. 39], the family genealogy is presented separately from the text of the dedication to the deceased: Akhmetgaray - Shakhgaray - Galiasgar - Fayzulla - Yusup - Dust - Muhammad - Razyap - Galibay. The notes contain the name of the customer-the son of the deceased and information about the great-great-grandfather who served as an imam in the village of Kama. Another epitaph made by the same author is of interest. Consisting of a pedigree with notes, it tells about the legendary personalities of the region, who are the ancestors of the deceased. Thanks to the surname attributed to the anthroponym, it can be concluded that it is involved in the well - known tribal shedger of Nadir Urazmetov, a large feudal lord. The Qutlyqadam Nadirov mentioned here is the great-great-grandson of the feudal lord. There is evidence that he was a nobleman, a notable person [Akhmetzyanov, 1995, p. 118-119]. These tombstones not only contain valuable material on the history of individual families to which the deceased belonged, but are also of great importance for the history of the region as a whole.

Another extremely interesting and informative epitaph pedigree was discovered in the cemetery of the village of Kakre Elga. The inscription was carved by the mullah of the village Davletsha for his future tombstone. When he died in 1908 at the age of 97, a stone was placed on the site of his burial. As an educated man who held a high position in society, even during his lifetime he recorded for posterity an expanded list of pedigrees in the form of a statement of the kinship system. The founder of the family is Tuesh from the distant village of Bikbau, and the ancestors are Baikilde, Tilyanchy from the village of Azalak. The sons of the latter, as the text says, have already been recognized as residents of the above-mentioned village. Kadermet had two sons, Mustafa and Hassan, and Samarqai had two sons, Almet. It reflects the legend of shejere, its chronological framework.

M. I. Akhmetzyanov found a clue to this genealogy [Akhmetzyanov, 1995, p. 123]. Its legend says that Kadermet and Sarmakai bought land from a major landowner of the region, Nadir Urazmetov, who was previously mentioned, and founded the village of Kakre Elga, where the tombstone of the successor of the family was preserved. One of the descendants of Nadir Urazmetov carefully guarded this stone all his life, and in his old age he was the mullah of the village. It was he, Aglyam Bayanov, who showed the scientist his ancestral relic back in 1980 during an epigraphic expedition, thereby contributing to the preservation and study of the monument. Until his death in 2003, he oversaw this grave with a headstone, paying tribute to his ancestors. And today, his son Habip Bayanov, the head of the farm on this land, makes a worthy contribution to the prosperity of the village founded by his distant ancestors.

So, the pedigrees displayed on the stones make it possible to trace the stages of ethnic history, the ethnogenesis of the Tatars of the South-East, and the evolution of cultural strata in the region. Epitaphs are a unique monument of history and culture. They exist in a single copy and are valuable primarily for their authenticity, so their study can make a solid contribution to the history of the entire region, its individual settlements and help clarify the role of individuals in this eventful and migration-rich history. Inscriptions on tombstones are also valuable from the point of view of their scientific significance as a phenomenon reflecting spirits-

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the national culture at various stages of its development. They are a repository of language and writing, ideological attitudes and ethical preferences, they can be considered both as a work of art and as historical material that reveals many facets of the creative aspirations of the people. This is their enduring significance for culture.

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Akhmetzyanov M. I. Tatar pedigrees. Kazan: Tatknigoizdat, 1995.

Akhmetzyanov M. I. Tatar shedzhere. Kazan: Tatknigoizdat, 1991.

Akhmetzyanov M. I. Epigraphy of the Almetyevsk region. Kazan: Magarif Publ., 2000.

Akhmetzyanov M. I. Epigraphic monuments of the district. 30.07.2000.

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Mukhametshin D. G., Khakimzyanov F. S. Epigraphic monuments of the city of Bulgar. Kazan: Tatknigoizdat Publ., 1987.

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Chervonnaya S. M. Moslemskaya epigrafika v Krymu [Muslim epigraphy in the Crimea]. 1997. N 1.

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