This article analyzes the main factors of mass media emergence and development in Tatar language. The classification of national journalism stage development is performed. During the turbulent socio-political upheaval in Russia, namely in the early twentieth century, Tatar journalism declared itself fully. During a short period of time, from 1905 to 1917, 17 cities of the Russian Empire published more than 120 newspapers and magazines in Tatar language. They occupied a special place in the development of progressive social thought during the autocratic reaction, struggled systematically against feudal survivals and a backward clergy of that time. However, they all ceased to exist after the famous revolutionary events of 1917. Their place wa...