Mari El

Mari El, officially the Mari El Republic, is a republic of Russia. It is located in the European part of the country, along the northern bank of the Volga River. It is part of the Volga Federal District. The capital and largest city is Yoshkar-Ola.

Mari El was created for the indigenous Mari people, a Finno-Ugric nation who have lived along the Volga and Kama Rivers for a long time. Today, most people in Mari El are ethnic Russians, but there is also a large group of Mari people, as well as smaller groups of Tatars and Chuvash. The official languages are Russian and Mari. The republic is bordered by Nizhny Novgorod Oblast to the west, Kirov Oblast to the north, Tatarstan to the east, and Chuvashia to the south.

Geography

The Mari El Republic is in the eastern part of the East European Plain in Russia. It is along and mostly north of the Volga River. The land in the west is swampy, called the Mari Depression. The east has hills and the highest point, which is 278 metres tall.

The republic has many rivers. The Volga and its smaller rivers are the most important. Most rivers are narrow and shallow and freeze in winter. There are also many lakes and swamps, some large, that can flood in autumn and spring. The climate has cold, snowy winters and warm, rainy summers. Temperatures range from about -20 °C in winter to 20 °C in summer. The land has natural resources like peat, mineral waters, and limestone. About half of the area is covered in forests.

History

The Mari people have lived in this area since at least the 5th century. Their land was later ruled by bigger groups like the Volga Bulgaria, the Golden Horde, and the Khanat of Kazan. In 1552, after Kazan fell, the area became part of Russia under Ivan the Terrible.

After big changes in Russia in 1917, the Mari area became its own region in 1920. It grew into the Mari ASSR in 1936 and became the Mari El Republic in 1990. For a time, it had special agreements with the Russian government, but these ended in 2001.

The name "Mari El" comes from the Mari people’s word for "man" and "land".

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of the Mari El Republic

Politics

The leader of the Mari El Republic is called the head of government. Before 2017, this leader was called the president. In April 2017, Alexander Yevstifeyev became the head of Mari El, but he left in 2022 after one term. Yury Zaitsev then took over as acting head and was officially elected in September 2022.

After 2005, there were problems between different groups of people living in Mari El. Some people felt that their culture and language were not being respected. Reports from groups like the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and the Moscow Helsinki Group talked about difficulties in using the Mari language in public places.

Demographics

The Mari El Republic has about 696,459 people. Most people are Mari, Russians, or Tatars.

People there mainly practice Russian Orthodoxy, the traditional Mari religion, or Islam. Many people do not follow a specific religion. The republic has important universities and schools, but it can be hard to support education in the Mari language.

Economy

Mari El has many important industries. These include making machines, working with metal, cutting timber, working with wood, and producing food. Most of these industries are in the capital city, Yoshkar-Ola, and also in the towns of Kozmodemyansk, Volzhsk, and Zvenigovo.

The republic has some big companies. These are Mariysky Oil Refinery, Mari Pulp and Paper Mill, Shelanger Chemical Plant "Siver", and Marbiopharm.

Transportation

You can travel easily and affordably around Mari El using fifteen train stations, fifty-three bus stations, and many marshrutkas. The republic connects to other parts of Russia through daily trains to and from Moscow and Kazan, flights from Yoshkar-Ola Airport, and a port on the Volga River in Kozmodemyansk. There are also four smaller river ports. The car license plate code for the region is 12.

Communication

Services for phone calls, internet, and cable television are provided by VolgaTelecom.

Culture

Mari El has many museums. Some big ones are the National Museum, the Museum of History, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Yoshkar-Ola. There are also museums in Kozmodemyansk and Yurino.

Yoshkar-Ola has five theaters. These theaters show plays in Russian and Mari languages.

Notable people

Mari El has had many talented people. Ivan Palantai was the first composer from the Mari people. Valentin Kolumb was a well-known poet. Shabdar Osyp was a respected author. Andrei Eshpai was a famous composer and pianist.