800 Kasimovs

Overview

Kestym is a 340-year-old Tatar village in Udmurtia, where most of the residents share the same surname. This is no coincidence: they are descendants of Prince Kasim, the founder of their lineage. Every year, the village hosts a festival that brings together his descendants and attracts visitors from across the region. How do the Kasimovs live in the 21st century? Does sharing the same surname shape their lives? And what lies ahead for this Tatar enclave in the heart of rural Udmurtia?