Russian deputy resigns after his claims of Siberia being historical homeland of Uzbeks spark backlash

An extraordinary session of the Yugra regional parliament has been scheduled to formally address the matter. Tagi-Zade is also expected to make an official statement via social media. According to the aide, he submitted his resignation on July 7, and a final decision could be announced on July 19.

Controversial remarks spark backlash

The controversy began on May 29, when Tagi-Zade stated during a regional parliamentary meeting that Uzbek migrants were “returning to their historical homeland” by coming to Yugra. He added that parts of Yugra and Tyumen regions had once been under the rule of the Siberian Khanate.

His comments provoked strong public criticism. Calls were made to strip him of his parliamentary seat, and law enforcement agencies were urged to investigate whether his statement violated Russian laws, including those related to extremism.

On June 3, he was removed from his post as deputy chair of the parliament’s Committee on Social Development. He was also publicly reprimanded and asked to issue a formal apology. On July 3, he was stripped of his parliamentary salary due to what was described as “poor performance.”

Despite the uproar, neither linguistic experts nor the prosecutor’s office found any legal violations or signs of extremism in Tagi-Zade’s statement.

Tagi-Zade later apologized on his VKontakte page, clarifying that his remarks were not a definitive claim but merely a hypothesis. He is one of the co-founders of the Russian Communist Youth Union and the author of more than 30 academic articles. His background includes work as a schoolteacher, forensic expert, and officer in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.