Chat Tatars

The Chat Tatars or Chats (Siberian Tatar: цат татарлар, цаттыр, чат татарлар, чаттыр, cat tatarlar, cattyr, chat tatarlar, chattyr, Russian: чаты) are one of the three subgroups of Tom group of Siberian Tatars. Their traditional areas of settlement are on the rivers Ob, Chik, Uen', and Chaus in Kozhevnikovsky District, Tomsk Oblast, and in Kolyvansky and Moshkovsky districts, Novosibirsk Oblast since the 8th century, later also on the territory of modern Shegarsky, Tomsky, Kochenyovsky, Bolotninsky, Novosibirsky, Toguchinsky, Iskitimsky, Ordynsky districts, and in the cities of Tomsk, Novosibirsk, and Berdsk. They live, among others, in the villages of Chernaya Rechka and Takhtamyshevo. Chat Tatars are divided into two sub-groups: Tom Tatars (Tomsk Oblast) and Ob Tatars (Novosibirsk Oblast). To a significant degree they have been assimilated by Russians (Ob Tatars) and by other Siberian Tatars, usually depending on the religion (Christianity vs. Islam). Chat Tatars (along with other related groups of Siberian Tatars) are Sunni Muslims. Chat Tatars, native to Tomsky district of Tomsk oblast speak Eushta-Chat variant of the Tom dialect, while those native to Novosibirsk oblast and close regions of Tomsk Oblast speak Or Chat subdialect.