The 1st Finno-Ugric Heritage Tourism Forum

The 1st Finno-Ugric Heritage Tourism Forum will be held on 30 July, 11-16, in Mulgimaa (Estonia). The International forum aims to stimulate exchanges and cooperation between Finno-Ugric tourism entrepreneurs, developers and culture carriers in the field of heritage tourism, including in marketing and product development.

Mari Pagans Seek Registration as All-Russian Religious Organization

But Face Major Obstacles

The Centralized Religious Organization of Mari Traditional Religion is seeking recognition as an all-Russian religious group because so many of its adepts live beyond the borders of the republic, but it faces serious obstacles on that path from some Mari pagans, from republic officials and from Moscow.

Roskomnadzor blocks Estonia-based website MariUver

The reason was the posting of news about the action in memory of the Udmurt scientist Albert Razin, who committed self-immolation.

The Mari People’s Congress is fully controlled by the authorities since 2008

Due to the issues with the legitimate representatives of the Finno-Ugric peoples on the VIII World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples and the issues raised by Erzan Inäzor Syreś Boläeń we publish fully addressing of Mari Vasli Nikolajev he made in Facebook group Finno-Ugric People Unite to draw attention to the issues of indigenous people in Russia, from whom the majority are Finno-Ugric peoples, writes WALDEF.

“The Grove” Teaser

Teaser for the film Onaeng (Mari priest) by Andrew Ogorodnikov.

Russia’s Ethnic Mari Voice Concerns Over Efforts To Restrict Traditional Worship

Members of Russia’s Mari minority have voiced concern over what they see as efforts to restrict the practice of their ancient pagan religion, writes RFE/RL.

Alexey Yashmolkin “Melody”

The musical composition is performed by teachers and students at the National Presidential School of Arts of the Republic of Mari El.

Russian delegations, Putin could still attend the Finno-Ugric World Congres

Tõnu Seilenthal, a member of the Consultative Committee of Finno-Ugric Peoples, the coordinating body of the World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, due to take place this summer in Tartu, Estonia, says in an interview with Estonian World that even if the Russian Federation creates an “iron curtain”, the results of the cooperation so far will still support the vitality and continuity of the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia; Seilenthal does not yet rule out that representatives of the Russia’s Finno-Ugric community – and even president Vladimir Putin – will still attend the congress.

Speech by a Mari priest at the UN

Closing ceremony of The 20th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues by priest of Mari Traditional Religion, Albert Ivanovich Rukavishnikov (video recording).

Russia withdraws from the World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples

The Association of the Finno-Ugric Peoples of the Russian Federation announced their representatives will not participate in the next World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, due to take place this June in Estonia; the association called into question the need for congresses in the future and blamed them for “interfering in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation and its peoples”.