“Interethnic marriages are the strongest”

The Tatarstan Cabinet of Ministers Registry Department chief Elmira Zaripova has told Tatar-inform about the results of a poll aimed to explore causes of divorces in single-ethnic and interethnic couples in Tatarstan.

Q: Why was the decision made to conduct such an unusual survey?
A: We have in conjunction with the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences Centre for Family conducted a research into causes of divorces in this republic, polling 1,200 couples. This is linked to the fact that we had until 2008 seen a substantial progress in divorce rates, from 12,800 divorces in 2004 to 15,600 in 2008.

The trend is strange for a socially and economically prosperous region like Tatarstan, considering that financial dissatisfaction is the main reason for divorce in everyday life.

Analysing the results of the study, we saw the main reason for divorce was a lack of understanding between the spouses, psychological incompatibility, 40 percent. Women during in-depth interviews said “He [ex husband] does not understand me, we did not get along, and, consequently, had conflicts.”

Thirty percent of the respondents named financial difficulties and constrained living conditions the main reasons for divorce. Marital infidelity was the third reason, 26.7 percent, though we expected more something like alcoholism.

We went on to assess the data in regards to sex and age. Of course, financial problems come to the fore for younger families, while middle-aged women who are often initiators of the divorce consider alcoholism and marital infidelity more relevant.

Q: Did you analyse data on causes of divorce among mono- and interethnic couples?
A: Yes, but we mainly focused on couples where the spouses are Russian and Tatar. In general, the above mentioned reasons are valid in interethnic marriages as well. Only in unions where the wife is Tatar and the husband is Russian cheating was factor number two. Incidentally, Tatar women are commonly believed to be very accommodating and willing to tolerate anything, to save the marriage. The research has shown this is not so.

Q: Can any conclusions be made regarding which marriages are stronger, mixed or monoethnic?
A: First, we saw in the course of the study that the number of registered divorces had decreased considerably since 2008. While in 2008 15,607 marriages were dissolved, last year they were 14,670. This is a great result, meaning one thousand couples kept their marriage, have not divorced. The trend is still present, as few as 6,865 divorces have been registered in the first half of 2010. The share of divorces in interethnic marriages has been 12, 11 and 10 percent in 2008-2010 respectively.

Overall, stats show that about 30 thousand marriages and 15 thousand divorces are registered annually in Tatarstan [21-23 percent of the total number are interethnic couples – TI]. Therefore, every second union ends in a breakup. If we look at it in terms of interethnic couples, we see that every fourth union ends in divorce.

Q: What makes interethnic marriages so strong? Why do they dissolve half as often?
A: We believe that two cultures blend in such marriages. In this case, people understand that they become one and not only have to accept the other’s culture, lifestyle and traditions, but bear responsibility before each other and the relatives. That is why this type of spouses is more inclined to make their marriage work.

So, the speculation that interethnic marriages are less strong than ones involving single-culture representatives have been proved wrong.

In Tatarstan, Russians and Tatars, being the largest ethnic groups, have long lived together, we are related through many traditions, history, and even holidays and national dishes. We have no tough antagonism of we and the others. Tolerance, intercultural penetration, reciprocal influence are present. There are many interethnic marriages among my kinsfolk, I must say, and they all live very well.

Q: Opposition on the part of the parents that a new couple has to cope with is probably another factor behind interethnic couples’s strength. That is, if a marriage has been concluded despite the odds, the two must truly love each other.

A: According to polls we have conduct when a marriage is registered, the younger generation are mostly motivated by love. Ethnicity goes to the background.

It is curious, that 7 percent of the marriages are registered after the future spouses were introduced by parents. I cannot deny that most of such marriages are based on the desire to keep ethnic or religious isolation.

Q: Have you held polls to find out which nationalities commonly participate in mixed marriages in Tatarstan?
A: The most frequent ones are marriages between Russians and Tatars, Tatars and Udmurts, Tatars and Mari, Mari and Udmurt, Russians and Mordva, and Chuvash and Mordva. There are international marriages as well, they are especially popular with residents in the CIS.

Q: Rumour is the share of marriages with foreigners has decreased in Tatarstan.
A: The number of marriages with foreigners has decreased 30 percent. The peak of 850 marriages was seen in 2007. As few as 227 such marriages have been registered in the first half of 2010.

Meanwhile, 100 such marriages of the 600 concluded last year have ended in divorce, that is every sixth one.

Interview by Kristina Ivanova