The Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) has recently released a new edition: a translation of the Gospel of Mark into the Siberian Tatar language. Prior to this, IBT published three Old Testament books in Siberian Tatar: Jonah in 2019, and Ruth and Esther in 2022. Additionally, portions of the New Testament were made available through selected parables from the Gospel of Luke, which were included in the 2022 publication of “Gospel Parables”. 

The Gospel of Mark is the first full New Testament book to be translated into Siberian Tatar . As the shortest and earliest of the four canonical Gospels, it is characterized by a smaller number of parables than the others, as well as by the brevity and dynamism of the narrative. 

The Siberian Tatars are a distinct ethnic group of Tatars that emerged during the era of the Siberian Khanate and are primarily settled in Western Siberia. They reside across several regions, including Tyumen, Omsk, and Novosibirsk, with an estimated population of around 101,000. The Siberian Tatar language, part of the Kypchak branch of the Turkic language family, is regarded as an eastern dialect of Tatar. However, not all its speakers are fluent in literary Tatar. Although literary Tatar is taught in schools and universities, Siberian Tatars predominantly use their native language in daily life. Linguistically, Siberian Tatar distinguishes itself from Tatar and Bashkir through the preservation of an archaic vowel system, which aligns it more closely with the Cuman and Nogai languages. 

This unique linguistic feature highlights the cultural and historical richness of the Siberian Tatar community. The translation of the Gospel of Mark represents a significant contribution to the cultural heritage of the Siberian Tatars. By providing access to biblical texts in their native language, it plays a vital role in preserving and revitalizing the Siberian Tatar language. This publication, along with other works in Siberian Tatar, is available on the IBT website, offering valuable resources for both the community and linguists interested in this unique linguistic tradition.