Volga Tatar DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Russia · Eastern Europe
The Volga Tatars, centred on Kazan in Tatarstan, are the largest Turkic-speaking people of European Russia. Their history runs through Volga Bulgaria, which adopted Islam in 922, the Golden Horde and the Khanate of Kazan, conquered by Russia in 1552. In our model, this Kazan Tatar average is 37.7% steppe-related, 26.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 14.9% Eastern hunter-gatherer and 2.6% Western hunter-gatherer, with 9.5% Ancient Northeast Asian, 5.6% Arctic Siberian and 3.2% East Asian ancestry. That eastern part is far smaller than in Bashkirs (16.8% Ancient Northeast Asian, 14.7% Arctic Siberian) or steppe Crimean Tatars (19.2% Ancient Northeast Asian), so Volga Tatars are mostly West Eurasian in ancestry, much of it shared with their Volga and Ural neighbours. After other Tatar samples, the nearest averages are Bashkirs from Ilishevsky and Ianaul (around 0.031), then the Besermyan and Komi. The closest ancient groups are people with an East Asian-mixed profile from early Arpadian-period Hungary (0.0325) and medieval people from Chiyalik in Bashkortostan.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 37.7%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 26.5%, Eastern hunter-gatherers 14.9%
- Closest non-Tatar population in our data: Bashkir (Ilishevsky), distance 0.0305
- Closest ancient group in our data: Hungary High Medieval Arpadian Period Early (East Asian-Mixed Profile), distance 0.0325
Where does Volga Tatar DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Volga Tatar individuals sampled in Russia, listed in the G25 sheet as "Tatar_Kazan" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Volga Tatar average
The ancient make-up of the Volga Tatar average is led by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (37.7%), followed by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (26.5%) and Eastern hunter-gatherers (14.9%). The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) component reflects the Bronze Age herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppe (Yamnaya and related groups), whose ancestry spread across Europe and into Asia from about 3000 BC. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (26.5%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
Smaller traces of East Asian and Western hunter-gatherers (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.037): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Closest modern populations to Volga Tatar
Genetically, the Volga Tatar average sits nearest to Tatar at 0.008, Tatar (Ufa) at 0.025 and Bashkir (Ilishevsky) at 0.031. On our scale, a distance of 0.008 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Bashkir (Ilishevsky) (0.031), Bashkir (Ianaul) (0.031) and Besermyan (0.042). By the tenth closest (Komi (Zyrian Siberia)) the distance grows to 0.055, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tatar | 0.0077 | Very close |
| 2 | Tatar (Ufa) | 0.0251 | Close |
| 3 | Bashkir (Ilishevsky) | 0.0305 | Close |
| 4 | Bashkir (Ianaul) | 0.0308 | Close |
| 5 | Besermyan | 0.0421 | Close |
| 6 | Komi | 0.0437 | Close |
| 7 | Komi (A) | 0.0469 | Close |
| 8 | Komi (Zyrian) | 0.0505 | Moderate |
| 9 | Bashkir (Karaidelsky) | 0.0546 | Moderate |
| 10 | Komi (Zyrian Siberia) | 0.0547 | Moderate |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Volga Tatar
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Volga Tatar, Hungary High Medieval Arpadian Period Early (East Asian-Mixed Profile) (High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD) comes first, at 0.033, with Russia Bashkortostan High Medieval Chiyalik Nizhne-Khozyatovo next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hungary High Medieval Arpadian Period Early (East Asian-Mixed Profile) | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0325 |
| 2 | Russia Bashkortostan High Medieval Chiyalik Nizhne-Khozyatovo | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0364 |
| 3 | Hungary Early-High Medieval Conqueror-Early Arpadian Period (East Asian-Mixed Profile) | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0437 |
| 4 | Russia Bashkortostan High-Late Medieval Chiyalik Nizhne-Khozyatovo (East Asian-Mixed Profile) | High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD | 0.0462 |
| 5 | Russia Udmurtia Late Medieval Zuevy-Klyuchi | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0503 |
| 6 | Russia Bashkortostan Late Medieval Chiyalik Nizhne-Khozyatovo | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0513 |
| 7 | Russia Udmurtia Early Medieval Nevolino Sukhoy-Log | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0519 |
| 8 | Hungary Late Antiquity Sarmatian/Hun (East Asian-Mixed Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0532 |
| 9 | Hungary Early Medieval Carolingian Period (East Asian-Mixed Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0545 |
| 10 | Russia Yaroslavl High Medieval Viking Age Rurikid Pereslavl-Zalessky | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0547 |
Ancient DNA from Russia
Our ancient DNA database holds 2,938 individuals excavated in present-day Russia, dated from about 208,050 BC to 1918 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1a (370), R1b (317) and N1a (235), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U5 (367), U4 (226) and U2 (150). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Volga Tatar population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Russia
- The Yeniseian and Andronovo Substrates in the Gene Pools of the Indigenous Southern Siberian Populations Analyzed by Q and R1a Y-Haplogroups (2026)
- Ancient genomics study reveals low HLA diversity in eastern hunter-gatherers (2026)
- Comparison of Illumina NovaSeq 6000, GeneMind SURFSeq 5000, Salus Evo, and MGI DNBSEQ-G400 for Ancient DNA Whole-Genome Sequencing (2026)
- Biochip for Determination of 92 Human Y-Chromosome Haplogroups by SNP Markers and Frequency Distribution of These Haplogroups in Slavic Population of European Russia (2026)
- Modern descendants of Kyordyughen warrior (Yakutia, 4200 years before present) in populations of Far East (2026)
- Genetic history of Rus' (2025)
- Paratyphoid Fever and Relapsing Fever in 1812 Napoleon’s Devastated Army (2025)
- Pre-Slavic and Slavic Interaction at Eastern Periphery of Slavic Expansion in Northeastern Europe (Y-Gene Pools of Volga-Oka Region) (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2,938 from Russia.
Compare yourself with Volga Tatar
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Volga Tatar average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Volga Tatar and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
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About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Volga Tatar individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Volga Tatar. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Volga Tatar average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Volga Tatar?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Volga Tatar average is about 37.7% Steppe herders (Yamnaya), 26.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 14.9% Eastern hunter-gatherers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Volga Tatar?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Tatar), the closest modern populations to the Volga Tatar average are Bashkir (Ilishevsky), Bashkir (Ianaul) and Besermyan. The closest ancient matches are Hungary High Medieval Arpadian Period Early (East Asian-Mixed Profile), Russia Bashkortostan High Medieval Chiyalik Nizhne-Khozyatovo and Hungary Early-High Medieval Conqueror-Early Arpadian Period (East Asian-Mixed Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Volga Tatar?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Volga Tatar average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Volga Tatar ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Volga Tatar average closely, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.