Mari El Flag No Longer Being Flown at Schools in that Middle Volga Republic

One of the most important symbols of the non-Russian republics, their own distinctive flags, is now under attack, so far only in Mari El but supposedly there on orders from Moscow, a report that if true suggests that what has occurred in that Middle Volga republic will soon take place elsewhere.

Kovyzh: Fiddle Music of Mari People

by Tatyana Yamberdova

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Paganism in Russia Becoming Political Because of Ignorance and Inattention of Authorities

Experts Say

The attention that self-proclaimed Shaman Gabyshev has received for his plans to march on Moscow and the victory of the KPRF over United Russia in Mari El, one of the strongholds of traditional religion in the Russian Federation, have sparked concerns in the Russian capital that paganism is energizing the political opposition.

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.

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.

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.

Another Way to Wreck a National Movement in Russia:

Create an Official Double

In some non-Russian republics, officials are trying to destroy the national movement by an open and direct attempt to declare it extremist and thus make illegal, but in others, they are using a more indirect approach by creating spoilers.

Kremlin’s Strategy for Non-Russians: Make Their Languages and Then Their Speakers Unnecessary

Vasily Nikolayev, the founder and moving spirit behind the Estonia-based Mari language website MariUver, says that the greatest threat to his Finno-Ugric nation is not the direct attacks on its language by making its study voluntary but rather the ways in which Moscow works to make the Mari language “unnecessary” to its speakers.