On May 22, 2025, Edem Umerov, Chairman of the Moscow Community of Crimean Tatars, took part in a roundtable discussion on “Modern Challenges to the National Heritage of the Peoples of Dagestan: Preservation of Native Languages ​​and Culture,” held in the State Duma of the Russian Federation. The event was organized at the initiative of State Duma Deputy Saigidpasha Umakhanov and the Russian Congress of the Peoples of the Caucasus. The roundtable was moderated by renowned journalist, orientalist, and political scientist Ruslan Kurbanov.

Participants included State Duma deputies, members of the Federation Council, religious figures, representatives of national and cultural autonomies, and youth associations.

In his speech, Edem Umerov spoke about the dire situation of the Crimean Tatar language:

“The Crimean Tatar language is the language of a repressed people who have lived under discriminatory conditions for more than half a century.” Currently, its use is limited, and instruction in schools is conducted primarily outside of school hours, leading to a decline in student numbers. It is crucial to adopt a regional law on the functioning of the Crimean Tatar language and make it a compulsory subject in primary school.”

During the discussion, participants noted the need to strengthen family values, support the native language within the family, and ensure mandatory state support for the preservation of minority languages ​​through educational programs and textbooks.

The roundtable generated active interest and discussion, and the final conclusions and recommendations will be sent to the relevant departments and committees of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council, and the State Duma, as well as to educational and academic institutions across the country.