CIFU XIV in Tartu will take place on August 18–23, 2025

Since 1960 the International Congress for Finno-Ugric Studies (Congressus Internationalis Fenno-Ugristarum, CIFU) has been organized every five years. The last congress was originally scheduled for 2020, but took place two years later, in August 2022 in Vienna, due to the COVID pandemic. At the meeting of the International Committee it was decided that the next congress will take place in Tartu and will return to the original schedule. Thus, CIFU XIV in Tartu will take place on August 18–23, 2025. Tartu also hosted the congress 25 years ago in 2000.

Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2025 Competition Continues

URALIC Centre, in cooperation with Sukukansojen Ystävät ry (Finland) and Finnish-Hungarian Society announced the start of the competition for the title of Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2025. Thematic focus of the year will be the renewal of Finno-Ugric cooperation and civic movement. Winner of the competition will be announced on June 29, 2024, in Kuhmo (Finland), writes URALIC.org.

Erzya Congress Calls for Pursuing Independence from Russia

Declaring that the Erzya nation cannot survive if it remains within the Russian Federation, a congress of the Erzya people meeting in the Estonian city of Otepaa calls for the pursuit of independence of a federative nation state, Erzyan Mastor, in the Middle Volga, one far larger than the Mordvinian Republic of which the Erzya are now a part.

Russian Nationalist Denounces Adding Karelian to Street Signs in Petrozavodsk as Step toward Secession

The city government of Petrozavodsk, the capital of the Karelian Republic, has begun putting up street signs with names in both Russian and Karelian, even though ethnic Russians form 80 percent of the city’s population and even though Karelian is not a state language in the republic.

Hill Mari wedding from matchmaking to post-wedding rutes

Mountain Mari are a sub-ethnic group of the small Finno-Ugric Mari people. Most of the mountain Mari live on the land of their ancestors in the mountainous regions of the Republic of Mari El, located in the center of the European part of Russia. Many interesting and distinctive rituals have survived to this day in the traditional culture of this ancient people, one of which is marriage ceremony.

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.

Komi activist refused to communicate with court in Russian

Komi activist Aleksey Ivanov, in Russia’s Komi Republic, insists on speaking in his native language at his trial.

Unique photo album of Uralic peoples published

The Estonian National Museum has published a unique photo album entitled The Human Face of Nations: Finno-Ugric and Samoyedic People in Old Ethnographic Photographs, most of the pictures in which are seeing publication for the first time. The coffee-table book serves as a useful introduction to an exhibition opening at the museum in February and to the Finno-Ugric World Congress due to be held in Estonia later this year.

Mari Republic Centenary Calling Attention to Chaos

Confusion and Conflict 100 Years Ago

Anniversary celebrations are supposed to unite people, but the anniversaries of the creation of non-Russian republics now are having the opposite effect, not only highlighting tensions between non-Russian and Moscow officials but also between different subgroups of the titular nationalities.

The VIII World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples will be postponed

ANNOUNCEMENT

NGO Fenno-Ugria announces that due to the emergency situation caused by the COVID-19 virus, the VIII World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples will be postponed.