JOŠKAR-OLA The postcard-like landscape surprises in the capital of the Republic of Mari. The buildings by the river are in the style of Bruges, Belgium. The city also has a copy of the Amsterdam promenade.
On the other hand, the landscape also features the towers of the Moscow Kremlin and a church that resembles the St. Petersburg Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, the so-called Blood Church.
You can thank or blame the regional manager who is fond of European architecture for the cityscape Leonid Markelov.
Markelov, who was born in Moscow, led the Republic of Mari in an autocratic manner from 2001 to 2017. Now he is in prison for taking a bribe.
Located in central Russia, the Republic of Mari, Mari El, is the titular republic of the Finno-Ugric Mari people.
Markelov’s period was a dark one for the Finnish activists. Several unsolved murders and assaults took place in the Republic.
A young activist from Mari Viktor Novogorsky introduces us to the city.
Many locals reacted negatively to Markelov’s large-scale construction project, but Novogorski sees a positive side to it.
– That is the only plus that the dictator Markelov did, as a kind of gift to the people of Mari, says Novogorski.
In his opinion, the buildings symbolize orientation towards Europe, which is a suitable path for the Mari and other Finno-Ugric peoples.
Markelov apparently thought of himself as some kind of renaissance prince. The leader of the Republic of Florence tells about it Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449–1492) statue in the city center. Initials match: LM
Novogorski points out that, on the other hand, there are catastrophically few statues dedicated to great Mari culture influencers.
We’re going to see the Mari people’s national writer by Sergei Chavain (1888–1937) statue, near which Novogorski and his comrades have organized gatherings and demonstrations.
Chavain died Stalin’s as a victim of terror. The persecutions of 1937 hit Mari’s intellectuals hard.
In the central square of Joškar-Ola, on the other hand, there is a 16th-century tsar Iivana Julman warlord Ivan Nogotkov-Obolensky equestrian statue.
Viktor Novogorski feels the statue is offensive to the people of Mari, a statue of the colonial master to the conquered.
Symbols reflect politics. In Novogorski’s opinion, the people of Mari still have too few representatives in the republic’s parliament, and the leadership of the republic still comes from outside Mariland.
Two organizations, one letter apart
Viktor Novogorski works in the Marij Ušem non-governmental organization, i.e. Mari’s union. It turns out that there is another Mari organization operating in the republic with almost the same name, Mari ushem.
It is headed by the director of the Mari Cultural Center of the Republic of Mari Vasily Petrov.
As the head of a publicly funded institution and an older generation Mari activist, Petrov sees things differently than a young activist. Petrov says that youngsters like Viktor Novogorsk are too hot-headed.
– I don’t understand the people who live in our republic and say that this and that is bad. If something is bad, do something about it, says Petrov.
While Viktor Novogorski talks about the European way, Vasili Petrov emphasizes that Marie’s place is in Russia.
– Our people, the Mari, are an inseparable part of Russia. We don’t want to go anywhere else. We have a big homeland and a small homeland, and it is good for us to live here.
Petrov: Interest in Mari culture is growing
Vasili Petrov was one of the Marilai activists who were abused during the Markelov period.
– Marissa had certain unhealthy moments with Markelov, the former head of the republic. I also fell into that bad process, says Petrov.
Now this kind of persecution no longer exists and Marie’s position has improved, she says.
– We feel that the interest of all residents of the republic in the culture of the Mari people is growing. Language is key.
2021 census by there were 424,000 Mari people in Russia, while according to the 2010 census there were still 547,000 Mari people. In the Republic of Mari itself, there were by 247,000.
There are many factors in the background: urbanization, migration, the low birth rate of the 90s. In mixed marriages, the common language of the family is mostly Russian. If young people do not learn the Mari language, they will no longer be able to consider themselves Mari.
In 2018, a law change was made in Russia, which made the study of minority languages optional also in the national republics of Russia. It is believed to have further reduced language teaching.
Vasili Petrov points out that the last population census was carried out in the conditions of the corona pandemic, and therefore the results are to be doubted: not everyone necessarily accepted the census takers.
He admits that the number of speakers of the Mari language and those who consider themselves Mari has decreased.
Many young people leave the republic in search of better-paid work in large centers such as Moscow and St. Petersburg.
– Of course, there is a very strong merger, because a lot of young people have left, says Petrov. However, he is confident about the future of Mari’s language and culture.
Petrov says that the republic’s ethnic Russians are also enthusiastic about Mari’s culture. Officials and tourist guides also participate in Mari language courses held by the Cultural Center.
– When I walk down the street, Russians greet me as Mari: Poro ketche! Salam liže! Petrov tells.
Official relations with Finland frozen
The Republic of Mari has nurtured relations with the Finno-Ugric peoples, also with Finland, Estonia and Hungary.
Now times are tense in a new way. Finland, Estonia and Hungary are unfriendly countries to the Russian state. Official relations are broken.
Even the May visit of ‘s film crew to the Finno-Ugric Majatul theater festival in the Republic of Mari seemed to raise concerns. A Telegram channel called Mariiski vatnik warned about Finnish provocateurs.
Vasili Petrov, the director of the Marilaisen cultural center, has studied in Estonia and Finland and sometimes switches to Finnish.
He praises the Finns profusely – he says he learned from the Finns to appreciate every person.
– Whether it’s the president or the bomb, it’s not important. The important thing is that a person is a person internally, in his soul, and shows his worth. The Finns taught me that, says Petrov.
Petrov characterizes Finns as the most democratic nation in the world. That is why he wonders why Finland joined NATO without a referendum.
– But that is a matter for the Finns, he states.