The periodical press of the Tatar Muslims of the Volga‑Urals region of the Russian Empire, which was published between the two Revolutions of 1905 and 1917, was a public platform that allowed geographically dispersed communities of Muslims in Russia to lead open discussions of various urgent social issues. The “Shura” journal became one such platform that responded to challenges coming from large‑ scale social changes in Russia and in other key regions of the Islamic world (Al‑Nahda in Egypt, the decline and collapse of the Ottoman Empire). The “Shura” provided criticism of what was “backward” in the current state of the Muslim communities and created an image of a “new Muslim” capable of leading a decent life in a changing world.