Discrimination of Mari ethnic minority in Perm krai (Russia)

The residents of the three Mari villages decided at the general meeting to attempt to preserve the Vasinsko primary school and to give it the status of a school with in-depth study of the native Mari language. In their letter titled «Cry of the Soul», they stated that they would not send their children to a school where people conversed only in Russian and where Mari was not taught.

The authorities ignored the opinion of the indigenous ethnic minority, this is explicit discrimination of ethnic grounds. The Perm Maris were denied their constitutional rights to eplore their own language in depth in school, to have their own national school. They will be forced to transfer their children to a school where Mari is not taught. The Maris themselves are aware of the danger to the preservation of their native (indigenous to Russia) language and culture.

I think Mari organizations such as Mer Kangash and Mari Ushem as well as Finno-Ugric organizations such as as the International Consultative Committee of Finno-Ugric Peoples, the MA Casrén Society in Finland, Fenno-Ugria in Estonia MUST MAKE PEOPLE AWARE of this outrageous DISCRIMINATION OF MARIS in the Perm Krai.

At their own general meeting the Maris of the three villages decided to appeal to turn to international Finno-Ugric movements in hope of support, but where are you, Mari and Finno-Ugric organizations?

The Only Mari School in the Perm Krai Is Being Closed. Residents Are Outraged >>

Source: Perm mari