Moderately continental with moderately cold winters and cool summers. The average temperature in January is -13 ° С, in July 19 ° С. Annual precipitation is 450-500 mm. The growing season is about 170 days. There are about 500 rivers and streams in the republic, with a total length of over 7 thousand km. The rivers belong to the Volga basin, flowing along the southern border of the Mari ASSR for 155 km. Left tributaries of the Volga: navigable Vetluga (112 km in the republic) and floating - Rutka, Bolshaya Kokshaga, Malaya Kokshaga, Ilet. The rivers Nemda, Bui, Urzhumka flow to the northeast. Sod-podzolic loamy, sandy loam, sandy soils prevail. On the Mari lowland, there are peat bogs, on the Vyatka Uval - humus-carbonate, and on the right bank of the Volga - gray forest soils. More than 1/2 of the republic's territory is covered with forests, mainly in the west and in the central regions. Valuable conifers predominate: pine (southern part) and fir with spruce (northern part), occupying almost 3/5 of the forests. On the river valleys there are oak and linden forests. The forests have been heavily cut down, but large-scale forest planting works have been carried out in the clearings. Among the animals are the wolf, brown bear, fox, elk, lynx, hares, hare and hare, squirrel, beaver, hedgehog, mole; of birds - upland and waterfowl, etc. There is a Mari nature reserve. Population: Mari (299 thousand people; 1970, census), Russians (321 thousand people), Tatars (40 thousand people), Chuvash (9 thousand people), Ukrainians (5 thousand people) and others. The population of the Mari ASSR was (thousand people) 465 in 1920, 489 in 1926, 581 in 1939, 648 in 1959, 685 in 1970. The average population density is 29.8 people. per km2 (1973). The right bank of the Volga and the northeastern regions are more densely populated. As a result of the success of industrialization, the structure of the population changed: the proportion of the urban population increased from 3% in 1920 to 45% in 1973. Cities (1973, thousand inhabitants): Yoshkar-Ola (188), Volzhsk (47), Kozmodemyansk (16). Historical sketch. The oldest archaeological site on the territory of the Mari ASSR belongs to the Upper Paleolithic, a large number of sites - to the Neolithic. The Bronze Age is characterized by tribal movements. The disintegration of the tribal system and the emergence of class relations began with the early Iron Age (1st millennium BC), tribal alliances emerged. Numerous settlements, settlements and burial grounds date back to this time. In the 5-10 centuries, the formation of the ancient Mari people took place. In the 9-12 centuries, slash farming, hunting, fishing, crafts and trade developed. In the 10-12 centuries, the Mari were under the economic and cultural influence of the Volga-Kama Bulgaria. From the 30s of the 13th century, they fell under the yoke of the Mongol-Tatars, from the 15th century, the Volga Mari were part of the Kazan Khanate, the northwestern - Povetluzh Mari - were part of the northeastern Russian principalities. At the same time, they have their own princelings. In 1551-52, the Mari became part of the Russian state. In the second half of the 16th century, Russian cities were built: Kokshaisk, Kozmodemyansk, Tsarevokokshaisk and others. In the 17th century, possessions of Russian landowners appeared in the region. However, most of the Mari were not employed in corvee, they paid yasak to the tsarist government. The Mari people participated in the peasant wars of the early 17th century under the leadership. I. Bolotnikov, in 1670-71 -. T. Razin, in 1773-75 -. I. Pugacheva. Russian peasants settled on the Mari lands, which became state lands. From the end of the 18th century, the rapid development of handicrafts and rural crafts began. Factories with freelance workers and registered peasants appeared. Trade with the Volga cities in bread, butter, furs, honey, etc. contributed to the transformation of a subsistence economy into a commodity one. The peasants were divided into 3 categories: state (former yasak), economic (former monastery) and private. Significant lands were owned by monasteries and large businessmen. Agriculture was dominated by a three-field system. The growth of the market demand for bread led to the expansion of the landlord economy and an increase in the role of corvee. In the first half of the 19th century, the number of enterprises in which hired labor was used increased in the region. The reforms of the 60s created the conditions for the development of capitalism in agriculture and industry. The differentiation of the peasantry has intensified. In the 80s and early 90s, 2/3 of the peasant farms were poor. The timber processing and sawmill industry was developing, in which at least 17 thousand seasonal workers were employed by the beginning of the 90s. In the second half of the 19th century, enterprises of the factory and manufactory type were founded; a shipyard, 3 glassworks and distilleries were built. In 1913, there were 47 enterprises in the Mari Territory. The first Marxist circle was organized in 1899 by a teacher. I. Kasatkin in Yurino. In 1905, social democratic circles arose in Yurino, Kozmodemyansk, Urzhum, Cheboksary, and others. During the Revolution of 1905-07, Mari workers and peasants participated with the Russians in the revolutionary movement (performances in Yurino, Zvenigovsky backwater and surrounding villages). After the February Revolution of 1917 in April - May, Soviets were created in Yurino, Tsarevokokshaisk, Kozmodemyansk, and others, in which, with the exception of the Yurinsky Soviet, Social Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, bourgeois nationalists, and kulaks predominated. A radical turn in the history of the Mari people was the Great October Socialist Revolution. Soviet power was established on December 23, 1917 (January 5, 1918) in Tsarevokokshaisk (from 1919 - Krasnokokshaisk), on December 31 (January 13, 1918) in Kozmodemyansk, by mid-1918 - everywhere. The struggle for the power of the Soviets was led by the Bolsheviks. ... Krasilnikov,. T. Kochetov and others. In February - April 1918, Bolshevik organizations were created in Kozmodemyansk and Yaransk. In the summer of 1918, counterrevolutionary riots broke out in the region (Stepanovskiy, Tsarevokokshaiskiy, Kozmodemyanskiy, Princess's and others), but they were suppressed by the Red Army together with the Mari workers. In July 1918, a department of mari was created under the People's Commissariat of the RSFSR. On July 20-24, 1920, the 1st All-Russian Conference of Mari Communists was held in Kazan. On November 4, 1920, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR adopted a decree "On the formation of an autonomous region of the Mari people." On November 25, 1920, the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars "On the Autonomous Region of the Mari People" determined the administrative-territorial composition of the region with the center in Krasnokokshaisk (since 1927 - Yoshkar-Ola). On February 20-23, 1921, the 1st Mari regional party conference was held in Krasnokokshaisk, at which the regional committee of the RCP (b) was elected. On June 21-24, 1921, the 1st Congress of the Mari Autonomous Okrug Councils elected a regional Executive Committee. In 1929-32 the Mari Autonomous Okrug was part of the Nizhny Novgorod, in 1932-36 - the Gorky Territories. On December 5, 1936, the Mari Autonomous Okrug was transformed into the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the RSFSR. The extraordinary 11th Congress of Soviets of the Republic on June 21, 1937 approved the Constitution of the Mari ASSR. During the years of the pre-war five-year plans (1929-40), the Mari people, with the support of the Russian and other peoples of the USSR, built mainly socialism. During these years, 45 industrial enterprises were built and put into operation in the republic. Engineers, technicians, skilled workers, as well as experienced party cadres were sent to new buildings and its enterprises from the industrial centers of the country, especially from Gorky. In Moscow, Leningrad, Gorky and other cities, national cadres were trained for the industry and agriculture of the republic. The output of the large-scale industry of the Mari ASSR in 1940 increased 7.4 times as compared with 1913. By 1941, collective farms united 94.2 percent of peasant farms; the construction of railways began (the first of them Zeleny Dol - Yoshkar-Ola was completed in 1928), a cultural revolution was carried out: illiteracy was basically eliminated, ancestral feudal and religious remnants disappeared; the national cadres of the working class and the popular intelligentsia have grown; national literature and art developed. The Mari people were consolidated into a socialist nation. The region from a backward region of Russia turned into an industrial-agrarian republic. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, the working people of the Mari ASSR showed patriotism at the front and in the rear. 44 people from the republic were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union; more than 14 thousand soldiers were awarded orders and medals. The workers evacuated from the western regions of the USSR were housed and employed on the territory of the republic. In the Mari ASSR, enterprises relocated from Moscow, Leningrad, Odessa and other cities were commissioned. A number of research institutions of Leningrad were transferred to Yoshkar-Ola. 22 thousand workers of the republic were awarded the medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45." The Mari ASSR provided assistance to the regions and republics that suffered from the fascist occupation. Timber was sent to the mines of Donbass, to Stalingrad; mechanics and tractor drivers went to Belarus. In 1941-45, the Mari workers supplied the country with about 14 million cubic meters of timber, about 22 million poods of grain, more than 1.5 million poods of meat, etc. In the postwar five-year plans, the economy and culture of the Mari ASSR were further developed. New large enterprises of machine-building, instrument-making and other industries appeared in the republic. The material and cultural standard of living of the people has significantly increased. The rise of the economy and culture was accompanied by a comprehensive expansion of mutual assistance and deepening of ties between the Mari ASSR and the fraternal republics. The culture of the Mari people, national in form, socialist in content, internationalist in spirit and character, flourished. The working people of the republic in a developed socialist society, together with the peoples of the entire Soviet Union, participate in the creation of the material and technical basis of communism. In the Mari ASSR in 1974 there were 19 Heroes of Socialist Labor. For her successes in the development of the national economy of the Mari ASSR, she was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1965, and the Order of the October Revolution in 1970; in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the USSR in 1972 - the Order of Friendship of Peoples. ... ... Khlebnikov,. A. Arkhipov. National economy. During the years of Soviet power, the economy of the Mari ASSR changed radically. As a result of the intensification of agriculture and the rapid pace of industrial development, especially after the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, modern industries and highly profitable collective and state farm agriculture were created. Industry. The gross output of all industry in 1972 increased by a factor of 27 in comparison with 1940. Over 170 industrial enterprises operate in the republic. Data on the production of certain types of industrial products are given in Table 1. Table 1. - Production of certain types of industrial products 1940195019601972 Electricity, million kWh 5095218279 Metal-cutting tools (in wholesale prices of enterprises as of July 1, 1967), million rubles - - - 11, 3 Lumber, thousand m3 3314460937863 Cellulose, thousand tons 28,746,384,1110 Paper, thousand tons 15,231,452,680.8 Cardboard, thousand tons - 14,329,424.4 Building bricks, million pieces 1615136178 Prefabricated reinforced concrete structures and parts, thousand m3- ... 43206 Knitted linen, thousand pieces-848801414 Upper jersey-33701213 Leather footwear, thousand pairs 20369204559 Animal oil, t 45079716994000 Canned food, thousand conventional cans 53032211494071 The leading industry is mechanical engineering and metalworking. Its share in the total volume of industrial production is over 40%. The most important factories: "Electroavtomatika" (produces electronic potentiometers), instrumental (round broaches, taps, cutters), commercial engineering (refrigeration equipment), semiconductor devices (cuprox and selenium rectifiers), "Contact", "Potential" (resistors), forestry mechanical engineering (pavers of road slabs, machines for the construction of timber roads). Most of the enterprises are located in Yoshkar-Ola, as well as in Volzhsk. In 1973, a large industrial unit consisting of three enterprises was being built in Volzhsk: for the production of refrigerating machines, gearboxes, units and assemblies for excavators. The timber industry is based on the forests of the republic and timber fused along the Volga tributaries. Due to the decrease in forest resources, the volume of timber removals since 1950 has decreased by more than 1/2. Logging is widespread in the western regions, and timber processing - along the banks of the Volga and along the railway. At Kozmodemyansk, near the mouth of the Vetluga, there is the largest raft-making raid on the Volga. Wood processing in Volzhsk (pulp and paper and woodworking factories) and nearby has become one of the main industries in the republic. Furniture, wood flour, technological chips for wood-fiber boards, house parts, refrigerators, wood concrete panels, parquet, etc. are produced. In 1972, the republic produced furniture for 12 million rubles (in 1960, for 3 million rubles). In 1973, a hydrolysis-yeast plant was built in Volzhsk (for the use of woodworking waste). The Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic is the largest manufacturer of artificial leather (a plant in Yoshkar-Ola) used in the leather goods, footwear industry and mechanical engineering. In the village of Yurino - felting and leather haberdashery production. Knitting and sewing factories have been established. The factory "Truzhenitsa" has a workshop for artistic embroidery based on folk art. Glass factories operate on local quartz sands in the villages of Krasny Steklovar, Marits and Leninsky. Plants for wall materials, large-panel housing construction, reinforced concrete products, asphalt concrete and others. The food industry is represented by meat-packing plants, bakeries, dairy, butter-cheese, vegetable-drying factories, a confectionery factory, etc. There is a large vitamin plant. Agriculture. About 34% of the territory of the Mari ASSR is used for agricultural land, of which more than 4/5 (645 thousand hectares) are occupied by arable land and less than 1/5 (136 thousand hectares) by hayfields and pastures. Over 5 thousand hectares of productive hayfields and pastures are located on drained lands. By the beginning of 1973, there were 132 collective farms and 39 state farms. The number of tractors (in physical units) in agriculture increased from 1.4 thousand in 1940 to 6.4 thousand in 1972, grain harvesters, respectively, from 0.3 thousand to 2 thousand. All collective and state farms are electrified. The structure of sown areas is shown in Table 2. Table 2. - Structure of sown areas, thousand hectares 19131940195019601972 All sown area448486486549626 Cereals 425384377331331 Potatoes and vegetables637465758 Forage crops24544144224 From cereals they sow rye, buckwheat, wheat, oats. Among industrial crops, sowing of fiber flax is widespread (6.3 thousand hectares in 1972). Potatoes are grown. Due to insufficient natural fodder base, more than 1/3 of the crops are occupied by fodder crops. The main agricultural areas are in the Gornomariysky region and in the north-east of the republic. The gross harvest of grain in 1971 amounted to 530.3 thousand tons (232.3 thousand tons in 1960), 386.4 thousand tons of potatoes (491.7 thousand tons in 1960). The leading branch of agriculture is dairy and beef cattle breeding (see table 3 for data on livestock). A black-and-white breed of cattle is bred, which is distinguished by high productivity. Table 3. - Livestock, thousand (at the beginning of the year) 19161941195119611973 Cattle 130126136169266 including cows 95736895116 Pigs 607971144252 Sheep and goats 288272226224206 Poultry farming is developing (2.4 million heads at the beginning of 1973). Livestock production in 1972: meat (slaughter weight) 49 thousand tons (9 thousand tons in 1940), milk 300 thousand tons (82 thousand tons in 1940), wool 645 tons (367 tons in 1940), 202 million eggs (37 million units in 1940). State purchases of grain crops in 1971 amounted to 76.6 thousand tons, potatoes 73.6 thousand tons (21.2 thousand tons in 1940), vegetables 8.3 thousand tons (1.7 thousand tons in 1940). In 1972, purchases of livestock and poultry (in live weight) amounted to 52 thousand tons (3.6 thousand tons in 1940), milk 128.4 thousand tons (10 thousand tons in 1940), 118.6 million eggs (9.4 million pieces in 1940). In agriculture, high-value livestock complexes and poultry farms are being introduced, which make it possible to transfer livestock breeding to an industrial basis. In 1972, 57 livestock complexes were already in operation. Transport. The operational length of public railways is 148 km (1972). The Zeleny Dol - Tabashino railway line crosses the central part of the republic from south to north. In addition, there are 540.5 km of railway sidings of industrial enterprises. Navigation along the Volga and Vetluga rivers. The length of hard-surfaced motor roads is 1081 km. The main road junction is Yoshkar-Ola. Allied airlines run through Yoshkar-Ola. The Mari ASSR supplies technical paper, semiconductor devices, commercial refrigeration equipment, vitamins, metal-cutting tools, arts, leather, and others to other regions of the USSR; receives fuel and industrial raw materials, light industry products, etc. For the economic map of the Mari ASSR, see the article Volga-Vyatka economic region. Internal differences. Central industrial area with intensive suburban agriculture; the main industrial center is Yoshkar-Ola. Volzhsko-Iletsky industrial region with timber processing (Volzhsk and its surroundings) and ship repair (Zvenigovo); agriculture specializes in dairy and beef cattle breeding and potato growing. North-East Agricultural Region; agro-industrial complexes for processing agricultural raw materials are being created; building materials industry. Western forest region with logging, peat extraction, textile, leather and footwear and felting industries, dairy farming. Gornomariyskiy region (on the right bank of the Volga) with an agrarian-industrial profile, forest roads and the main pier of the Mari ASSR - Kozmodemyanskiy. The well-being of the people is steadily increasing on the basis of the growth of the republic's national income. The volume of retail turnover of state and cooperative trade, including public catering, in 1972 amounted to 396.9 million. rubles and increased in comparison with 1970 (in comparable prices) by 16.9%. In 1972, at the expense of state funds, funds of housing construction cooperatives, and collective farms, residential buildings with a total area of ​​172,300 m2 were built (14% more than in 1970). In addition, 66.1 thousand m2 of total housing area was built by collective farms and the population at their own expense and with the help of a state loan. Social insurance and pension funds are growing. I.K. Orfanov. Healthcare. In 1913, on the territory of the modern Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, there were 13 hospital institutions with a total of 160 beds, 17 feldsher-obstetric points; worked 21 doctors. During the years of socialist construction, trachoma has been completely eliminated, and infectious diseases have been sharply reduced. By January 1, 1973, there were 90 hospital institutions with 8.2 thousand beds in the republic (11.9 beds per thousand inhabitants), outpatient care was provided by 101 medical outpatient clinics and 387 rural feldsher-obstetric stations. There were 51 women's consultation centers and 50 children's polyclinics. There were 1.5 thousand doctors (1 doctor per 449 residents) and more than 6 thousand nurses. There is a medical school. On the territory of the republic there are Klenovogorsk mineral springs, as well as springs in the village of Krasnogorsk, the water of which is used for treatment. Sanatoriums, rest houses. G.F. Tserkovny. Public education and cultural and educational institutions. In the 1914-15 academic year, on the territory now occupied by the Mari ASSR, there were 507 general education schools (including 502 primary schools), in which 26 thousand students studied. There were no higher and secondary specialized educational institutions. In 1972, 20,700 children were educated in 213 kindergartens. In the 1972/73 academic year, 159 thousand students studied in 659 general education schools of all types, in 23 vocational schools 8.6 thousand students, in 13 secondary specialized educational institutions 11.3 thousand students, in 3 universities - Mari University, Mari Polytechnic Institute named after A. M. Gorky and the Mari Pedagogical Institute named after N. K. Krupskaya in Yoshkar-Ola - 12.4 thousand students. As of January 1, 1973, 362 public libraries (4.5 million copies of books and magazines) operated in the republic: 2 museums - the Mari Republican Museum of Local Lore in Yoshkar-Ola and the Gornomariysk Regional Museum of Local Lore in the city of Kozmodemyansk; 623 club establishments, 656 cinema installations; 14 palaces and houses of pioneers, 4 stations for young technicians and young naturalists, 5 children's sports schools, a children's excursion and tourist station. See also the sections Music and Drama Theater. Scientific institutions. In the Mari ASSR at the end of 1972, there were over 10 scientific institutions, including universities, including the Mari scientific research language, literature, history and economics under the Council of Ministers of the Mari ASSR (Yoshkar-Ola), the Mari branch of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Pulp and Paper industry (Volzhsk), Mari State Agricultural Experimental Station, Mari Polytechnic Institute named after A. M. Gorky. In 1972, there were over 1000 scientific workers, including over 250 doctors and candidates of science. Printing, radio broadcasting, television. In 1971, 110 books and brochures were published with a total circulation of 905,000 copies; 9 magazine editions were published (one-time circulation of 191 thousand copies), 29 editions of newspapers (without grassroots and collective farms) in the Mari meadow (meadow-eastern), Mari mountain (mountainous Mari), Russian, Tatar languages ​​with a one-time circulation of 215 thousand copies (annual circulation 42 474 thousands of copies). Republican newspapers: "Mari commune" ("Mari commune", from October 1, 1918, in the Mari meadow language), "Mari truth" (from 1921), "Young communist" (from 1934), "Yamde liy" ("Be ready ", Since 1933, in the Mari meadow language). Magazines: "Onchyko" ("Vperyod", since 1954, in the Mari meadow language) - literary, artistic and socio-political magazine, the satirical magazine "Pachemysh" ("Wasp", in the Mari language since 1957, in Russian since 1958), "Political information" (in the Mari and Russian languages) and others. Republican radio broadcasting is conducted in the Mari and Russian languages ​​for 2 hours 30 minutes a day; Republican television broadcasts daily 3-hour programs, programs of the Central Television and All-Union Radio are broadcast from Moscow. The television center is in Yoshkar-Ola. Literature. Mari fiction arose during the rise of the national liberation movement during the Revolution of 1905-07. During these years, the works of the founders of national literature S.G. Chavain (1888-1942), M.S.Gerasimov-Mikaya (1885-1944), N. S. Mukhin (1890-1943) and others appeared. Since its inception, Mari literature has been nourished by two sources: the oral creativity of the people and the progressive traditions of Russian literature. In 1907-13 in Kazan, the yearbook "The Mari Calendar" was published, in which the works of Mari writers were published in their native language and in translations in Russian. The development of Mari literature began after the Great October Socialist Revolution. In the early years, poetry dominated, imbued with the pathos of the struggle against the oppressors, intervention and counter-revolution, calls for a free life. National drama also emerged, represented by the plays of A.F. Konakov (1887-1922), M. Shketan (Ya.P. Mayorov, 1898-1937), V. Savi (V.A.Mukhin, 1888-1938), N. S. Mukhin, Tynysh Osyp (I. A. Borisov, 1893 - 1971) and others. In the 1920s, Shketan's stories depict the struggle between the new and the old, the victory of the progressive forces in the Mari village (story "Sins of God", 1923). In magazines ("U ilysh" - "New life", published in Moscow in 1922-27, and "U viy" - "New force", published in Yoshkar-Ola in 1926-36), stories are printed on the pages of newspapers. Eleksein (Ya.A. Alekseev, 1893-1965), I. Lombersky (1896-1956),. Oraya (D.F.Bogoslovsky, 1901-50) and others. By the end of the 1920s, the first stories appeared in Mari literature: The Deserters (1929) by Chavain, dedicated to the Civil War, and The Collapse of the World (1928) by Shabdar Wasp (I.A. Shabdarov, 1898-1943). Mari poetry becomes more mature and artistically convincing (collection of poems by Shabdar "Sounds of gusli", 1929). Visible features of a new life are included in the work of young poets M. M. Ivanov (born 1905), Y. Yalkain (Y. Ya. Yalkaev, 1906-43) and others. In the drama Chavaina "Apiary" (1928), which laid the foundation for national drama, elements of folk music choreographic creativity were used. The 30s were marked by the appearance of works of a large genre - stories and novels. The socialist transformation of the countryside is shown in Shketan's novel Erenger (1933). In the novel "The Way of a Woman" (1929-37), Shabdar depicts the path of a Mari woman who, during the years of Soviet power, became a conscious builder of a socialist society. The stories and novels of N. V. Ignatiev (1895-1941), Yalkain, Orai and others constitute a chronicle of the life and struggle of the Mari people for their freedom and happiness. In the novel Elnet (1936), Chavain deeply and truthfully revealed the ideological growth of the Mari intelligentsia, who boldly followed the path of struggle against tsarism and the national bourgeoisie. Chavain's historical drama Akpatyr (1935) is dedicated to the participation of the Mari people in the Peasant War of 1773-75 under the leadership of Yemelyan Pugachev. This work is the pinnacle of the Mari drama of the 30s. Shketan created his best dramas and comedies at this time. In 1930, S. N. Nikolaev began his activity (born in 1908). His musical comedy Salika (1938) has enjoyed unchanging success with the Mari audience for decades. In the pre-war years, Mari poetry was represented by the works of Miklai Kazakov (N. I. Kazakov, born 1918), I. Osmin (I. I. Osmin-Loginov, born 1915), M. Main (M. S. Stepanov, born 1914 ), N. Ilyakov (1913-67), A. Bika (A.I.Bikmurzin, born in 1915) and others. The pathos of the poetry of those years is in the ideas of Soviet patriotism and friendship of peoples. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, poetry sounded with special force. SA Vishnevsky (born 1920) and Kazakov wrote poems and poems that expressed a feeling of ardent love for the Motherland and hatred for the enemy. Poetic sketches about the feats of arms of the soldiers of the Soviet Army are created by the poet Mein; Osmin writes about the toilers of the fields during the war years in his poems and poems. At this time G. Matyukovsky (G. I. Matyukov, born in 1926) and A. Kanyushkov (born in 1925) came to Mari poetry. The leading place in the prose of the war years is occupied by essays by N. Lekine (NS Eremeev, 1907-60), Ilyakov, Orai and others, stories and stories by K. K. Vasin (born 1924), devoted to historical and revolutionary themes. Post-war Mari prose was enriched with Lekine's novels and stories "In the Flames of the Great War" (1948) and "Land of the Ancestors" (books 1-2, 1956-60); Orai's Unfading Star (1950) and Through the Mists (1951); Ilyakov "People and Years" (1957); Eleksein "The Family of Toymaks" (1955); V. M. Ivanov (1923-71) "The Tempest" (1965); Erykan "Cholpan Ivan" (1966) and others. Modern Mari prose is represented by the stories and stories of A. Michurin-Azmekey (A. S. Yatmanov, born in 1912), V. N. Kosorotov (born in 1930); their first novels were written by A. Asaev (A. A. Asylbaev, born in 1912) and A. Yuzykain (A. M. Mikhailov, born in 1929). Vishnevsky, Matyukovsky, Bik, Kanyushkov and others performed with new works. In Mari poetry, the works of M.I. Yakimov (born in 1929) and V. Columbus (born 1935); in 1950, the famous collection of poems by Kazakov, Poetry - Beloved Friend, was published. In 1971 Nikolayev wrote the drama "Commissars", which was shown in theaters of the republic and abroad. The audience's attention is drawn to the dramas of N.M. Arban (born in 1912), A.A. Volkov (born in 1923), K.M. Korshunov (born in 1929), N.F. Rybakov (born in 1932) and others. Russian writers and poets work fruitfully in the republic. AS Krupnyakov (born 1920) wrote the novels "March of Akpars" (1970) and "Lada" (1972). Asylbaev, Vasin, M. A. Georgina (born in 1920), V. Stolyarov (born in 1918), S. Eman (S. I. Ibatov, born in 1910) and others work in literary criticism and criticism. Mari literature, like all the multinational literature of the Soviet Union, is developing as the literature of socialist realism. The works of Mari writers have been translated into Russian and the languages ​​of the peoples of the USSR; they become famous abroad as well. Translations of works by Russian and Russian Soviet writers and writers from other Soviet republics are widely carried out in the republic. In 1934, the Mari branch of the USSR JV was created. S. Eman. Architecture and fine arts. During archaeological excavations in the Yurinsky region, primitive sculptures of animals made of clay and stone were found (mid-2nd millennium BC); since the Bronze Age, metal jewelry appears. Folk architecture is characterized by a log cabin with a U-shaped courtyard, a summer kitchen ("kudo"; a frame without windows with a gable roof) and a storage room (a cage, sometimes two-story, with a gallery-balcony on the 2nd floor). The settlements were built up randomly until the second half of the 19th century, when the street layout was established. In the folk art of the Mari, woodcarving (scoops, ladles with handles in the form of a horse, bear, bird), patterned weaving, birch bark weaving and embossing on birch bark have long been widespread, later - metal decorations, bent and wicker furniture, walking sticks with a burnt pattern ... In the ornament, geometric shapes are often combined with plant and zoomorphic motifs. Particularly interesting is the old embroidery, in which the Communist Party and the Republican Council of Ministers, 1971, architect S. A. Kleimenov; all - in Yoshkar-Ola), buildings of educational institutions, hotels, sports facilities, cinemas and palaces of culture, residential buildings are being built. In 1941, the Mari branch of the Union of Architects of the USSR was created. In the mid-1920s, Russian artists V.K.Timofeev and P.A.Radimov, the Mari A.V. Grigoriev, K.F.Egorov and E.D. Atlashkina laid the foundations for professional fine art. In Kozmodemyansk, State Free Art Workshops were created (1920-23), in Yoshkar-Ola - in 1926 a branch of the AHRR, in 1940 the Mari Artist partnership, in 1961 the Mari branch of the Union of Artists of the RSFSR (since 1968 - the Union of Artists of the Mari ASSR). During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, artists produced posters and worked on thematic paintings. I. Osinovi I. M. Plandin. In the post-war period, I.I.Mamaev, A.S. Pushkov, Z.F. Lavrent'ev, A.I. Butov, S.F. S. Belkov and A. P. Zarubin - portraits of contemporaries, P. T. Gorbuntsov, B. S. Pushkov and N. P. Karpov - landscapes. Works of easel and monumental sculpture are created by F.P. Shaberdin,. A. Dedov and V. M. Kozmin. L. L. Akazeev, A. G. Orlov, I. A. Mikhailin and others work in the field of book and easel graphics in various techniques. The art of theatrical decoration is represented by the work of F.P.Shaberdin and A.A. B.F.Tovarov-Koshkin. Music. Before the Great October Revolution, the musical culture of the Mari was represented only by folk songwriting, mainly monophonic, diverse in genres. Due to the historical and geographical conditions, folk songs are divided into 3 main groups: mountain, meadow and eastern. Typically, songs are pentatonic based. Variable meters are common, especially in lingering songs. For dancers, a clear rhythm and constant timing are common. The most characteristic is the 2-part verse form of songs, consisting of 2 periods. Folk musical instruments include: kusle (gusli), shuvyr (bagpipes), tumyr (drum), shiyaltysh (flute), bundle (various types of birch bark and wooden pipes), kovyzh (2-string violin), shushpyk (whistle). Later, a 3-string violin, a 2-row harmonica appeared. Mainly dance tunes are performed on folk instruments. In 1908, A. K. Aptriev compiled the first collection of Mari folk songs (Collection of Cheremis Songs). The systematic collection of musical folklore begins only after the October Revolution. Many Mari folk songs were recorded and published by V.M. Vasiliev, I.S.Palantai, Ya. A. Eshpai, A.I. Iskandarov, K.A. The development of professional Mari musical culture was facilitated by the creation in Yoshkar-Ola of a technical school of arts (1931), a choir chapel (1933), a choir of the Radio Committee (1944), etc. The founder of Mari professional music I.S. as well as arrangements of folk songs, the organizer of the first professional choir (for the first time he introduced polyphonic choral singing into Mari music). The composers A.I. Iskandarov and N.A.Sidushkin pay great attention to choral creativity. The first Mari instrumental works (suites for a symphony orchestra) were written by the composer and musicologist Ya. A. Eshpai (Ishpaykin), who used the folklore of the peoples of the Volga region in his work. Instrumental music was developed in the works of L. N. Sakharov, K. R. Geist. The first major works for a symphony orchestra were created by K. A. Smirnov (2 symphonies, etc.). The composer A. Ya. Eshpai made a great contribution to the development of Mari music. In a number of his works, the folk Mari melos (symphonic dances, concerts for piano and orchestra, the 3rd symphony) are creatively embodied. A major representative of Mari music is A.B. Luppov, the author of works for a symphony orchestra, the first national ballet, The Forest Legend (1971). He wrote his first national opera. N. Sapaev (Akpatyr, staged in 1963). Composers I.N. Molotov (opera Elpet, 1970), V.P. Kupriyanov (suite for symphony orchestra, 1970), V.P.Danilov (concert for violin and orchestra, 1971 ). Among the Mari performers: conductors - Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR A.I. Iskandarov, N.A. Sidushkin, B.A. Reznikov, Honored Art Worker of the Mari ASSR L.L. F. Tanygin; singers - L. K. Krasnov, People's Artist of the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic V. Ye. Smirnova, Honored Artist of the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic M. A. Mylnikova, L. F. Kovaleva, A. A. Venediktov, V. A. Vorontsov; instrumentalists - People's Artist of the Mari ASSR PS Toidemar, Honored Art Worker of the Mari ASSR AR Sidushkina; performer of national dances, Honored Artist of the RSFSR and People's Artist of the Mari ASSR N.P. Druzhinina. In the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1973), there are the M. Shketan Music and Drama Theater (since 1968), the Choral Society (1958), the Philharmonic Society (1939), the Mari Song and Dance Ensemble (1939), the art sector of the Mari Research Institute of Language, literature, history and economics (1930), the House of Folk Art (1946), the Mari branch of the Union of Composers of the RSFSR (1940); Music school, 22 music schools. L.A. Novoselova. Theatre of Drama. The emergence and development of national theatrical art is closely related to the development of the wealth of folk art, the use of the realistic traditions of Russian theater and drama. In pre-revolutionary times, only one case of a theatrical performance in the Mari language is known (1910). After the Great October Socialist Revolution, amateur theatrical activities developed greatly and paved the way for the creation of a professional theater. In 1919, the Mobile Theater of the Mari People (Yoshkar-Ola) was opened with the play "Because of the Law" by Tynysh Osyp. An important role in the formation of a professional realistic theater was played by the performances of Russian classics, plays by Soviet, including Mari, playwrights S.G. Chavain, M. Shketan. The activity of the Mari studio of musical and dramatic art (organized in 1927) was of great importance; The performance of the Chavaina studio "Apiary" (1928), which used the traditions of folk music and choreographic creativity, laid the foundations of the Mari musical drama and entered the repertoire of the Mari State Theater, created in 1929 (in 1948 it was named after M. Shketan). In 1930, the theater collective took part in the All-Union Olympiad of National Art in Moscow; communication with the masters of the Russian theater, with representatives of other fraternal republics was fruitful for the leaders of the Mari theater. The play "Salika" by SN Nikolaev (1938) became a significant phenomenon of the theatrical culture of the republic. The most notable works of the period of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, the first post-war years and the beginning of the 50s: "Yanlyk Paset" by N. M. Arban (1944), "Young Guard" after A. A. Fadeev (1946), "Romeo and Juliet "by W. Shakespeare (1951)," The Inspector General "by N. V. Gogol (1952). The performances staged in the 30s were resumed on the stage: "The Mari Company" (1951), "Akpatyr" and "Apiary" (both in 1956), "Living Water" (1968) by S. G. Chavain, "Eh, parents ... "M. Shketan (1952, 1970) and others. For the first time in the Mari theater the image of V. I. Lenin was created in the play "Family" by I. F. Popov (1962). In the 60s - early 70s

years, along with Russian and foreign classics, plays are staged by Mari playwrights - M. Shketan, S. G. Chavain, S. Nikolaev, N. Arban, K. M. Korshunov, N. F. Rybakov, A. Volkov, Y. Yivan, P. Esieniei and others, as well as dramatic works of fraternal republics. The staff of the theater was replenished with graduates of the Mari studios of the Leningrad Theater Institute (1954) and GITIS (1965). In Yoshkar-Ola there is also the Republican Russian Drama Theater (founded in 1936) and the Puppet Theater (founded in 1943). Directors N. I. Kalender, N. D. Stanislavsky, G. I. Ioseliani, A. B. Velizhev, E. G. Amantov, I. S. Babenko took an active part in the activities of the Mari theater; and People's Artists of the Mari ASSR T. G. Grigoriev, G. M. Pushkin, A. G. Strausova, A. T. Tikhonova, People's Artist of the Mari ASSR I. I. Rossygin and others. In theaters of the republic (1973): Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR and the Mari ASSR S.I. Ivanov (chief director of the Music and Drama Theater) and G.V. Konstantinov (chief director of the Republican Russian Theater), Honored Artists of the RSFSR and People's Artists of the Mari ASSR N E. Popova, S. I. Kuzminykh, V. N. Privalikhina, M. T. Romanova, I. T. Yakaev, People's Artists of the Mari ASSR V. D. Burlakov, I. S. Matveev, M. M. Mikhailova , honored artists of the Mari ASSR L. A. Bulycheva, L. P. Zhiretskaya, N. A. Konstantinova. A. N. Mikov, I. S. Nikitin, P. P. Repyev, M. N. Sapozhnikova, Honored Art Worker of the Mari ASSR I. K. Emelyanov (chief director of the Puppet Theater) and others. M. A. Georgina. Lit .: Essays on the history of the Mari ASSR. (From ancient times to the Great October Socialist Revolution), Yoshkar-Ola, 1965; Essays on the history of the Mari ASSR (1917-1960), Yoshkar-Ola, 1960; Essays on the history of the Mari organization of the CPSU, Yoshkar-Ola, 1968; To native Ilyich, compilers T.I.Bogomolov, T.A. 1, Yoshkar-Ola, 1963; h. 2, ibid., 1960; Mari writers. Biobibliographic reference book, Yoshkar-Ola, 1958; Kryukova T.A., Mari embroidery, L., 1951; her, Material culture of the Mari of the XIX century, Yoshkar-Ola, 1956; Artists of the Mari ASSR. Album. Author of articles and compiler B. F. Tovarov-Koshkin, L., 1963; Eshpai Y., Music of the Mari people, "Soviet Music", 1946, no. 7; Girshman Ya. M., Mari ASSR, in the book: History of Music of the Peoples of the USSR, v. 1-3, M., 1970-72: Novoselova L., 50 years of Soviet Mari music, "Musical Life", 1970, No. 24; History of the Soviet Drama Theater, vol. 1-6, M., 1966-71.

Distinctive features... Previously, the Republic of Mari El had a different name. In Soviet times, there was first the Mari Autonomous Region, and then the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The Mari, also known as Cheremis, belong to the Finno-Ugric tribes and have been known since the 10th century.

By the will of history, the Mari were caught between two fires - Christian Russia in the west and Muslim Tatars in the east. All this was reflected in the culture of the Mari people, divided into mountain and meadow Mari. In total, there are about 600 thousand Mari, and half of them live in the Republic of Mari El, which means “the country of husbands”.

The economy of the Republic of Mari El is primarily a manufacturing industry. Yoshkar-Ola is the capital of the republic and the largest industrial center. There are metallurgy, chemical and woodworking industries here. Unfortunately, the economy is not developed enough for local residents to boast of high salaries. But the nature in Mari El is worthy of attention, as is the green city of Mari El, spread out in the middle of vast forests.

Geographic location... The Republic of Mari El is one of the regions of the Volga region. There is no need to guess which federal district it belongs to. Of course, to Privolzhsky. Its neighbors are the Nizhny Novgorod region to the west, the Republic of Tatarstan to the southeast, the Kirov region to the north, and the Republic of Chuvashia to the northeast.

The Republic of Mari El is a real river region: 190 rivers with a watercourse length of more than 100 km flow through it. And the largest and most famous of them is the Volga Mother. True, most of the territory of Mari El is located on the left bank of the Volga. And on the right bank there is only one region - Gornomariysky. It is so named because it occupies the northern part of the Volga Upland.

Most of the territory of the republic is covered with forests. The largest protected natural areas are the Mari Chodra National Park, famous for its karst lakes, and the Bolshaya Kokshaga Nature Reserve.

Population. Now the population of the Republic of Mari El is 690 349 people. It is noteworthy that in this national autonomy the number of inhabitants of the indigenous nationality is approximately equal to the number of Russians (45% and 41.76%, respectively), while in many other similar autonomies, Russians make up either the overwhelming majority of the population, or, on the contrary, remain in a proud minority. In third place in terms of the number of Tatars - 5.51%.

It should be noted that although there was a slight decrease in the number compared to 20 years ago, the situation has been quite stable in recent years. There is even a small natural increase in the population, although it is less than 1 person per 1000 inhabitants.

As for religion, almost half of the republic's population are convinced Christians, while Islam is practiced by about 6% of the population.

Crime... The Republic of Mari El is in 61st place in the criminal rating of the regions. Yes, it is mostly quiet and peaceful here, but this does not mean that there are no crimes at all. There are also thefts and murders of businessmen. In general, everything is the same as in other regions, but still somehow quieter.

Unemployment rate. The economic situation in Mari El is rather difficult. There are practically no large industries here. Residents are forced to go into trade in order to somehow survive. In terms of unemployment, the republic is in the bottom third of the rating of regions. In 2012, this figure was 6.49%. The average monthly salary in Mari El is only 15.9 thousand rubles. At the same time, the highest incomes are among employees of the banking sector and in government bodies.

Property value. In Yoshkar-Ola, the average cost per square meter is 40-45 thousand rubles. One-room apartments are offered here at a price of 1 million rubles and more, but the most common figure is 1.6 - 1.8 million rubles for a "one-room apartment". Prices for two-room apartments start at about the same figures, and for “three-ruble notes” - already from 2.4 million rubles. Most of the housing stock was built at the end of the 20th century, and already many houses require, if not major repairs, then at least cosmetic renovation.

Many new buildings in Yoshkar-Ola are made in the "corporate" red color. Photo by Valentina (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/zvenizaton/)

Climate. Although the republic is not located in the far north, the climate here is rather harsh. Long frosty winters and mildly warm summers are the main features of this region, located in the kingdom of the temperate continental climate. In winter, the average temperature is around -19 ° С, and the average summer temperature is + 18 ° С.

The weather in Mari El is very unstable. In the middle of winter, thaws may start out of nowhere, followed by new frosts, and in spring or autumn, frosts may come. In a word, this is far from the best climate for agriculture.

Cities of the Republic of Mari El

Of course, all these advantages turn out to be environmental problems for city residents. In addition, it should be taken into account that the southwestern winds bring here air filled with harmful emissions from industrial enterprises in the north of the Chuvash Republic. Volzhsk is also famous for its hockey team, playing in the championship of the highest level, which in itself is a feat for such a small town.

Kozmodemyansk- the third largest city in the republic (21 thousand people) and the center of the Gornomariysky region. Founded in the 16th century by Russian settlers on the right bank of the Volga. Today Kozmodemyansk is the republic's river gate and its only port on the Volga. In addition to the port, the city has several large enterprises, including the Potential radioelement plant, owned by the Wessen Group.

Located in the center of the East European Plain. The area of ​​the republic is 23 thousand square meters. km, population 755 thousand people, 62% of the population lives in cities (2001). The national composition is dominated by the Mari, Russians, Tatars, Chuvash, and Ukrainians. The republic includes 14 districts, 4 cities, 16 urban-type settlements (2001). The capital is the city of Yoshkar-Ola, large cities: Volzhsk, Kozmodemyansk. It was formed on November 4, 1920 as the Mari Autonomous Region. On December 5, 1936, it was transformed into the Mari ASSR. In 1990, the development of the Republic of Mari-El was adopted, it is part of the Volga Federal District.

The leading industries are mechanical engineering and metalworking (production of metal-cutting tools, instruments, automation equipment, technological equipment for logging and timber rafting). The forestry, woodworking and pulp and paper, light and food industries are also developed. The largest enterprises: Yoshkar-Ola forest machine-building plants, Mariykholodmash, Elektroavtomatika plant, Mari pulp and paper mill (Volzhsk city), Marbiopharm. The main industrial centers are the cities of Yoshkar-Ola, Volzhsk, Kozmodemyansk, Zvenigovo. The leading branch of agriculture is animal husbandry. Various cereals (barley, oats, rye, wheat) and fodder crops are also grown.

The coat of arms of the Republic of Mari El was adopted on September 3, 1992. In the center of the coat of arms there is an image of an element of the Mari national ornament - an ancient symbol of fertility. This symbol is framed by ears, oak and coniferous branches. The wreaths are intertwined with a tricolor national ribbon.

The republic borders in the north with the Kirov and Nizhny Novgorod regions, in the west - with the Nizhny Novgorod region, in the south - with Chuvashia, in the east and southeast - with Tatarstan. In the east of the republic is the Vyatsky Uval (height up to 275 m), the surface of which is dissected by river valleys and ravines. There are karst landforms. In the west - the swampy Mari lowland. The main river of the republic is the Volga with its tributaries Vetluga, Bolshaya and Malaya Kokshaga, Ilet, Rutka. Part of the territory is occupied by the Cheboksary reservoir. The climate is moderately continental. The average temperature in January is -13 ° С, in July +19 ° С. There will be about 450-500 mm of precipitation per year.

Mari Republic. Spill of Bolshaya Kokshagi near Krasnaya Gorka.

The Mari Republic is located in the subtaiga zone. Mixed forests (pine, fir, spruce, birch) occupy over 50% of the territory (mainly in the west and central regions). There are oak and linden forests along the river valleys. In the forests, game animals have survived - wolf, brown bear, fox, elk, lynx, beaver, as well as upland and waterfowl. Natural ecosystems are preserved in the Mari Chadra National Park and the Bolshaya Kokshaga Nature Reserve.

Written sources note the settlement of the Mari in the Volga region since the 10th century. The incorporation of these territories into the Russian state in the middle of the 16th century was the result of the defeat of the Kazan Khanate. In the 18-19 centuries, the first industrial enterprises appeared in the cities, mainly related to logging. After the establishment of Soviet power, in November 1920, the Mari Autonomous Region was formed as part of the RSFSR. In 1936 it was transformed into the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. After the collapse of the USSR in 1992, it was transformed into the Mari Republic (Mari-El).

Mari Republic. Forests.

Mari Republic. Lake Puzhan-Er.

The tourist significance of the Mari Republic is due to the favorable natural conditions, the possibility of hunting and fishing. Mari Chodra National Park is interesting with oak and linden forests. The main areas of amateur tourism are the forests of the Left Bank, the banks of the Vetluga, Sura, Bolshaya and Malaya Kokshaga.

There are few architectural monuments in the Mari Republic, which is associated with the predominance of wooden buildings in cities and villages. Among the examples of Russian stone architecture is a church in the village of Yezhovo (17th century). For the folk architecture of the Mari, log huts with a U-shaped courtyard and a two-storey storeroom with a gallery-balcony are characteristic.

Republic of Mari. The Sheremetev Palace in the village of Yurino. Architect Parland et al.

Local history museums of the republic, including those in Yoshakr-Ola and Kozmodemyansk, tell about the history and culture of the Mari Territory. The branch of the Kozmodemyansky Museum in the village of Yurino is located in the Yurinsky castle, built in the spirit of eclecticism at the end of the 19th century.

Mari Republic. The village of Yurino. Sheremetev Castle.