For the first time, the Mari under the ethnonym Cheremis are mentioned in. Mari people

This category of people can be classified as Finno-Ugric peoples. In another way they are called maras, measure and some other words. The Republic of Mari El is the place of residence of such people. For 2010 there are about 547 thousand people Mari, half of whom live in this republic. In the regions and republics of the Volga region and the Urals, you can also meet representatives of this people. In the interfluve of the Vyatka and Vetluga, the Mari population mainly accumulates. There is a classification of this category of people. They are divided into 3 groups:
- mountain,
- meadow,
- oriental.

Basically, such a division is based on the place of residence. But recently there has been some change: the two groups have merged into one. The combination of meadow and eastern Mari formed a subspecies of meadow-eastern. The language spoken by these people is called Mari or Mountain Mari. Orthodoxy is considered here as a faith. The presence of the Mari traditional religion is a combination of menotheism and polytheism.

Historical reference

In the 5th century, a Gothic historian named Jordanes says in his chronicle that there was an interaction between the Mari and the Goths. The Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate also included these people. Joining the Russian state was quite difficult, this struggle can even be called bloody.

The Subural anthropological type is directly related to the Mari. From classic version In the Ural race, this category of people is distinguished only by a large proportion of the Mongoloid component. The anthropological appearance of this people is attributed to the ancient Ural community.

Features in clothes

For such peoples, there were even traditional clothes. A tunic-shaped cut can be seen in a shirt that is characteristic of this particular people. It is called tuvyr. Pants, yolash, also became an integral part of the image of this nation. Also a mandatory attribute is a caftan, otherwise called shovyr. A waist towel (sols) girded the clothes, sometimes a belt (ÿshtö) was used for this. A felt hat with a brim, a mosquito net or a hat are more typical for Mari men. A wooden platform (ketyrma) was attached to felt boots, bast shoes or leather boots. The presence of belt pendants is most typical for women. The decoration made of beads, cowrie shells, coins and fasteners - all this was used for the original decoration of a unique women's costume, amazed with its beauty. Headwear for women can be classified as follows:

A cone-shaped cap having an occipital lobe;
-magpie,
-sharpan - a head towel with an ochelie.

Religious component

Quite often you can hear that the Mari are pagans, and the last ones in Europe. Journalists in Europe and Russia in connection with this fact have a considerable interest in this nationality. The 19th century was marked by the fact that the beliefs of the Mari were persecuted. The place of prayer was called Chumbylat Kuryk. It was blown up in 1830. But such a measure did not give any results, because the main asset for the Mari was not a stone, but a deity that lived in it.

Mari names

The presence of national names is characteristic of this nationality. Later there was a mixture with the Turkic-Arab and Christian names. For example, Ayvet, Aymurza, Bikbay, Malika. The listed names can be safely attributed to the traditional Mari.

People are responsible enough wedding traditions. The wedding whip Sÿan lupsh is a key attribute of the celebration. The road of life that the newlyweds will need to go through is protected by this amulet. Famous Mari include Vyacheslav Alexandrovich Kislitsyn, who was the 2nd President of Mari El, Valentin Khristoforovich Columbus, who is a poet, and many other personalities. The level of education is quite low among the Mari, as evidenced by the statistics. Directed by Alexei Fedorchenko in 2006, a film was made in which the characters use the Mari language for conversation.

This nation has its own culture, religion and history, many prominent figures in various fields and its own language. Also, many Mari customs are unique today.

Mari

MARI-ev; pl. The people of the Finno-Ugric language group, constituting the main population of the Mari Republic; representatives of this people, the republic.

◁ Mariets, -riyets; m. Mariyka, -and; pl. genus.-riek, dates-riykam; and. Mariysky (see). in Mari adv.

(self-name - Mari, obsolete - Cheremis), the people, the indigenous population of the Mari Republic (324 thousand people) and neighboring regions of the Volga and Urals. In total, there are 644 thousand people in Russia (1995). Mari language. The believing Mari are Orthodox.

MARI (outdated - Cheremis), people in the Russian Federation, the indigenous population of the Mari Republic (312 thousand people), also live in neighboring regions of the Volga and Urals, including Bashkiria (106 thousand people), Tataria (18 8 thousand people), the Kirov region (39 thousand people), the Sverdlovsk region (28 thousand people), as well as in the Tyumen region (11 thousand people), the Siberian Federal District (13 thousand people .), Southern Federal District (13.6 thousand people). In total, there are 604 thousand Maris in the Russian Federation (2002). The Mari are divided into three territorial groups: mountain, meadow (or forest) and eastern. Mountain Mari live mainly on the right bank of the Volga, meadow - on the left, eastern - in Bashkiria and the Sverdlovsk region. The number of mountain Mari in Russia is 18.5 thousand people, the Eastern Mari - 56 thousand people.
According to the anthropological appearance, the Mari belong to the Subural type of the Ural race. In the Mari language, belonging to the Volga-Finnish group of Finno-Ugric languages, mountain, meadow, eastern and northwestern dialects are distinguished. The Russian language is widely spoken among the Mari. Writing - based on the Cyrillic alphabet. After the entry of the Mari lands into the Russian state in the 16th century, the Christianization of the Mari began. However, the eastern and small groups of the Meadow Mari did not accept Christianity; they retained pre-Christian beliefs until the 20th century, especially the cult of ancestors.
The beginning of the formation of the Mari tribes dates back to the turn of the first millennium of our era, this process took place mainly on the right bank of the Volga, partly capturing the left-bank regions. The first written mention of the Cheremis (Mari) is found in the Gothic historian Jordanes (6th century). They are also mentioned in The Tale of Bygone Years. an important role in the development Mari ethnos played close ethno-cultural ties with the Turkic peoples. Significant influence, especially intensified after the entry of the Mari into the Russian state (1551-1552), was exerted by Russian culture. From the end of the 16th century, the resettlement of the Mari in the Cis-Urals began, which intensified in the 17th-18th centuries.
Main traditional occupation- arable farming. Horticulture, breeding of horses, cattle and sheep, hunting, forestry (logging and rafting of timber, tar smoking), beekeeping were of secondary importance; later - apiary beekeeping, fishing. The Mari have developed artistic crafts: embroidery, woodcarving, jewelry.
Traditional clothing: a richly embroidered tunic-shaped shirt, trousers, an open summer caftan, a hemp linen waist towel, a belt. The men wore small-brimmed felt hats and caps. For hunting, work in the forest, a mosquito net was used. Mari shoes - bast shoes with onuchs, leather boots, felt boots. For work in marshy places, wooden platforms were attached to the shoes. The female costume is characterized by an apron and an abundance of jewelry made of beads, sequins, coins, silver clasps, as well as bracelets and rings.
Women's hats are varied - cone-shaped caps with an occipital lobe; borrowed from the Russian magpies, head towels with a headband, high spade-shaped headdresses on a birch bark frame. Women's outerwear - straight and detachable caftans made of black or white cloth and a fur coat. Traditional types of clothing exist among the older generation, are used in wedding rituals.
Mari cuisine - dumplings stuffed with meat or cottage cheese, puff pancakes, cottage cheese pancakes, drinks - beer, buttermilk, strong mead. The families of the Mari are mostly small, but there were also large, undivided families. The woman in the family enjoyed economic and legal independence. At the time of marriage, the parents of the bride were paid a ransom, and they gave a dowry for their daughter.
Converted to Orthodoxy in the 18th century, the Mari retained pagan beliefs. Characteristic are public prayers with sacrifices held in sacred groves before sowing, in summer and after harvesting. Among the Eastern Mari there are Muslims. In folk art, wood carving and embroidery are peculiar. Mari music (harp, drum, trumpets) is distinguished by the richness of forms and melodiousness. Of the folklore genres, songs stand out, among which a special place is occupied by “songs of sadness”, fairy tales, legends.

encyclopedic Dictionary . 2009 .

See what "Mari" are in other dictionaries:

Mari ... Wikipedia

- (the self-name of Mari is obsolete. Cheremis), a nation, the indigenous population of the Mari Republic (324 thousand people) and neighboring regions of the Volga and Urals. In total, there are 644 thousand people in the Russian Federation (1992). The total number is 671 thousand people. Mari language... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (self-names Mari, Mari, Cheremis) people with a total number of 671 thousand people. Main resettlement countries: Russian Federation 644 thousand people, incl. Republic of Mari El 324 thousand people Other countries of resettlement: Kazakhstan 12 thousand people, Ukraine 7 thousand ... ... Modern Encyclopedia

MARI, ev, units. yets, yytsy, husband. Same as Mari (in 1 value). | female Marika, i. | adj. Mari, oh, oh. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

- (self-name Mari, obsolete Cheremis), people in the Russian Federation, the indigenous population of the Mari Republic (324 thousand people) and neighboring regions of the Volga and Urals. In total, there are 644 thousand people in the Russian Federation. Mari Volga language ... ... Russian history

Exist., number of synonyms: 2 mari (3) cheremis (2) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

Mari- (self-names Mari, Mari, Cheremis) people with a total number of 671 thousand people. Main resettlement countries: Russian Federation 644 thousand people, incl. Republic of Mari El 324 thousand people Other countries of resettlement: Kazakhstan 12 thousand people, Ukraine 7 thousand ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Mari- (self-named Mari, obsolete Russian name Cheremis). They are divided into mountain, meadow and east. They live in the Republic Mari El (on the right bank of the Volga and partly on the left mountain, the rest are meadow), in Bashk. (East), as well as in a small number in neighboring rep. and region… … Ural Historical Encyclopedia

Mari Ethnopsychological dictionary

MARI- representatives of one of the Finno-Ugric peoples (see), living in the Volga-Vetluzh-Vyatka interfluve, the Kama and the Urals, and in their national psychology and culture similar to the Chuvash. The Mari are hardworking, hospitable, modest, ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

The Mari, formerly known as Cheremis, were famous for their militancy in the past. Today they are called the last pagans of Europe, because the people managed to carry through the centuries the national religion, which is still practiced by a significant part of it. This fact will surprise even more if you know that the writing of the Mari people appeared only in XVIII century.

Name

The self-name of the Mari people goes back to the word "Mari" or "Mari", which means "man". A number of scientists believe that it may be associated with the name of the ancient Russian people Meri, or Merya, who lived on the territory of modern Central Russia and mentioned in a number of annals.

In ancient times, the mountain and meadow tribes that lived in the Volga-Vyatka interfluve were called Cheremis. The first mention of them in 960 is found in a letter from the Khagan of Khazaria Joseph: he mentioned the "Tsaremis" among the peoples who paid tribute to the Khaganate. Russian chronicles noted the Cheremis much later, only in the 13th century, along with the Mordovians, classifying them among the peoples who lived on the Volga River.
The meaning of the name "Cheremis" has not been fully established. It is known for certain that the part "mis", as well as "mari", means "man". However, what this person was, the opinions of researchers differ. One of the versions refers to the Turkic root "cher", meaning "fight, fight." The word "Janissary" also comes from him. This version looks plausible, since the Mari language is the most Turkic of the entire Finno-Ugric group.

Where live

More than 50% of the Mari live on the territory of the Republic of Mari El, where they make up 41.8% of its population. The Republic is a subject of the Russian Federation and is part of the Volga Federal District. The capital of the region is the city of Yoshkar-Ola.
The main zone of residence of the people is the zone between the Vetluga and Vyatka rivers. However, depending on the place of settlement, linguistic and cultural characteristics There are 4 groups of Mari:

1. Northwestern. They live outside Mari El, on the territory of the Kirov and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Their language differs significantly from the traditional one, but they did not have their own written language until 2005, when the first book was published on national language northwestern Mari.
2. Mountain. In modern times, they are few in number - about 30-50 thousand people. They live in the western part of Mari El, mainly on the southern, partly on the northern banks of the Volga. The cultural differences of the mountain Mari began to take shape as early as X-XI centuries, thanks to close communication with the Chuvashs and Russians. They have their own Mountain Mari language and script.
3. Oriental. A significant group consisting of settlers from the meadow part of the Volga in the Urals and Bashkortostan.
4. Meadow. The largest in number and cultural influence a group living in the Volga-Vyatka interfluve in the Republic of Mari El.

Two recent groups often combined into one because of the maximum similarity of linguistic, historical and cultural factors. They form groups of meadow-eastern Mari with their own meadow-eastern language and writing.

population

The number of Mari, according to the 2010 census, is more than 574 thousand people. Most of them, 290 thousand, live in the Republic of Mari El, which means "the land, the homeland of the Mari." A slightly smaller, but the largest community outside of Mari El is located in Bashkiria - 103 thousand people.

The remaining part of the Mari inhabits mainly the regions of the Volga and the Urals, lives throughout Russia and beyond. A significant part lives in the Chelyabinsk and Tomsk regions, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.
The largest diasporas:

• Kirov region- 29.5 thousand people
• Tatarstan - 18.8 thousand people
• Udmurtia - 8 thousand people
• Sverdlovsk region- 23.8 thousand people
• Perm Territory - 4.1 thousand people
• Kazakhstan - 4 thousand people
• Ukraine - 4 thousand people
• Uzbekistan - 3 thousand people

Language

The meadow-eastern Mari language, which, along with Russian and Mountain Mari, is the state language in the Republic of Mari El, is included in large group Finno-Ugric languages. And also, along with the Udmurt, Komi, Sami, Mordovian languages, it is included in the small Finno-Permian group.
There is no exact data on the origin of the language. It is believed that it was formed in the Volga region before the 10th century on the basis of Finno-Ugric and Turkic dialects. It underwent significant changes during the period when the Mari became part of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khaganate.
Mari writing arose quite late, only in the second half of the 18th century. Because of this, there is no written evidence of the life, life and culture of the Mari throughout their formation and development.
The alphabet was created on the basis of Cyrillic, and the first text in Mari that has survived to this day dates back to 1767. It was created by the Gornomarians who studied in Kazan, and it was dedicated to the arrival of Empress Catherine II. The modern alphabet was created in 1870. Today, a number of national newspapers and magazines are published in the meadow-eastern Mari language, it is studied in schools in Bashkiria and Mari El.

Story

The ancestors of the Mari people began the development of the modern Volga-Vyatka territory at the beginning of the first millennium of a new era. They migrated from the southern and western regions to the East under the pressure of aggressive Slavic and Turkic peoples. This led to the assimilation and partial discrimination of the Permians who originally lived in this territory.

Some of the Mari adhere to the version that the ancestors of the people in the distant past came to the Volga from Ancient Iran. After that, assimilation took place with the Finno-Ugric and Slavic tribes living here, but the originality of the people was partially preserved. This is supported by the studies of philologists, who note that there are Indo-Iranian blotches in the Mari language. This is especially true of ancient prayer texts, which have not changed much over the centuries.
By the 7th-8th centuries, the Pra-Marians moved north, occupying the territory between Vetluga and Vyatka, where they live up to today. During this period, the Turkic and Finno-Ugric tribes had a serious influence on the formation of culture and mentality.
The next stage in the history of the Cheremis dates back to the 10th-14th centuries, when the eastern Slavs turned out to be their closest neighbors from the west, and the Volga Bulgars, Khazars, and then the Tatar-Mongols from the south and east. For a long time, the Mari people were dependent on the Golden Horde, and then on the Kazan Khanate, to whom they paid tribute in furs and honey. Part of the Mari lands was under the influence of Russian princes and, according to the chronicle of the XII century, was also subject to tribute. For centuries, the Cheremis had to maneuver between the Kazan Khanate and the Russian authorities, who tried to attract the people, whose number at that time was up to a million people, to their side.
In the XV century, during the aggressive attempts of Ivan the Terrible to overthrow Kazan, mountain Mari came under the rule of the king, and the meadows supported the khanate. However, in connection with the victory of the Russian troops, in 1523 the lands became part of the Russian State. However, the name of the Cheremis tribe does not mean “warlike” for nothing: the very next year it rebelled and overthrew the temporary rulers until 1546. In the future, bloody "Cheremis wars" flared up twice more in the struggle for national independence, the overthrow of the feudal regime and the elimination of Russian expansion.
For the next 400 years, the life of the people proceeded relatively calmly: having achieved the preservation of national authenticity and the opportunity to practice their own religion, the Mari were engaged in the development of agriculture and crafts, without interfering in the socio-political life of the country. After the revolution, the Mari Autonomy was formed, in 1936 - the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, in 1992 it was given the modern name of the Republic of Mari El.

Appearance

The anthropology of the Mari goes back to the ancient Ural community, which formed the distinctive features of the appearance of the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group as a result of mixing with Caucasians. Genetic studies show that the Mari have genes for haplogroups N, N2a, N3a1, which are also found in Veps, Udmurts, Finns, Komi, Chuvash and Baltics. Autosomal studies have shown kinship with the Kazan Tatars.

The anthropological type of modern Mari is Subural. The Ural race is intermediate between Mongoloid and Caucasoid. The Mari, on the other hand, have more, compared with the traditional form, Mongoloid features.
Distinctive features of appearance are:

• average height;
• yellowish or darker than Caucasian skin color;
• almond-shaped, slightly slanting eyes with outer corners lowered down;
• straight, dense hair of a dark or light brown shade;
• protruding cheekbones.

Cloth

Male and female traditional costumes were similar in configuration, but the female one was decorated more brightly and richly. So, everyday attire consisted of a shirt similar to a tunic, which for women was long, and for men it did not reach the knees. Under it they put on spacious trousers, on top of a caftan.

Underwear was made from homespun fabric, which was made from hemp fibers or woolen threads. Women's costume was complemented by an embroidered apron, sleeves, cuffs and shirt collars were decorated with ornaments. Traditional patterns - horses, solar signs, plants and flowers, birds, ram's horns. In the cold season, frock coats, sheepskin coats and sheepskin coats were worn over it.
Required element costume - a belt or belt winding from a linen piece of matter. Women complemented it with pendants made of coins, beads, shells, chains. Shoes were made of bast or leather, and in swampy areas they were supplied with special wooden platforms.
Men wore tall, narrow-brimmed hats and mosquito nets, as they spent most of their time outside the home: in the field, in the forest, or on the river. Women's hats were famous for their great variety. The magpie was borrowed from the Russians, sharpan was popular, that is, a towel tied around the head, fastened with an ochelie - a narrow strip of fabric embroidered with traditional ornaments. A distinctive element of the bride's wedding dress is a voluminous breast decoration made of coins and metal decorative elements. It was considered a family heirloom and passed down from generation to generation. The weight of such jewelry could reach up to 35 kilograms. Depending on the place of residence, the features of costumes, ornaments and colors could vary significantly.

Men

The Mari had a patriarchal family structure: the man was the main one, but in the event of his death, a woman stood at the head of the family. In general, relations were equal, although all public issues and lay on the shoulders of men. For a long time in the Mari settlements there were remnants of levirate and sororat, which oppressed the rights of women, but most of the people did not adhere to them.

Women

A woman in the Mari family played the role of a guardian hearth. It valued diligence, humility, thrift, good nature, maternal qualities. Since a substantial dowry was offered for the bride, and her role as an au pair was significant, girls married later than boys. It often happened that the bride was 5-7 years older. Guys also tried to marry as early as possible, often at the age of 15-16 years.

Family way

After the wedding, the bride went to live in her husband's house, so Mari had large families. Often families of brothers coexisted in them, older and subsequent generations lived together, the number of which reached 3-4. The head of the household was the eldest woman, the wife of the head of the family. She gave household chores to her children, grandchildren and daughters-in-law, and looked after her material well-being.
Children in the family were considered the highest happiness, a manifestation of the blessing of the Great God, therefore they gave birth many and often. Raised by mothers and older generation: children were not spoiled and were taught to work from childhood, but they never offended. Divorce was considered a disgrace, and permission for it had to be asked from the chief minister of the faith. Couples who expressed this desire were tied back to back in the main village square while they awaited a decision. If the divorce occurred at the request of the woman, her hair was cut off as a sign that she was no longer married.

dwelling

Mari have long lived in typical old Russian log cabins with a gable roof. They consisted of a vestibule and a residential part, in which a kitchen with a stove was separated, benches for overnight stays were nailed to the walls. Bath and hygiene played a special role: before any important business, especially prayer and rituals, it was necessary to wash. This symbolized the purification of the body and thoughts.

Life

The main occupation of the Mari people was arable farming. Field crops - spelled, oats, flax, hemp, buckwheat, oats, barley, rye, turnips. Carrots, hops, cabbage, potatoes, radishes, and onions were planted in vegetable gardens.
Animal husbandry was less common, but poultry, horses, cows and sheep were bred for personal use. But goats and pigs were considered unclean animals. Among men's crafts, wood carving and silver processing for making jewelry stood out.
From ancient times they were engaged in beekeeping, and later beekeeping. Honey was used in cooking, made intoxicating drinks from it, and was also actively exported to neighboring regions. Beekeeping is still widespread today, being a good source of income for the villagers.

culture

Due to the lack of written language, the Mari culture is concentrated in oral folk art: fairy tales, songs and legends, which the older generation teaches children from childhood. An authentic musical instrument is the shuvyr, an analogue of the bagpipe. It was made from the soaked bladder of a cow, supplemented with a ram's horn and a pipe. He imitated natural sounds, along with the drum, accompanied songs and dances.

There was also a special dance-cleansing from evil spirits. Troikas consisting of two guys and a girl took part in it, sometimes all the inhabitants of the settlement took part in the festivities. One of his characteristic elements- tyvyrdyk, or drobushka: fast synchronous movement of the legs in one place.

Religion

Religion has played a special role in the life of the Mari people in all ages. Until now, the traditional religion of the Mari, which is officially registered, has been preserved. It is practiced by about 6% of the Mari, but many people observe the rituals. The people have always been tolerant of other religions, and therefore even now the national religion coexists with Orthodoxy.
traditional religion Mari proclaims faith in the forces of nature, in the unity of all people and everything that exists on earth. Here they believe in a single cosmic god Osh Kugu-Yumo, or the Big White God. According to legend, he instructed the evil spirit Yin to take out a piece of clay from the World Ocean, from which Kugu-Yumo made the earth. Yyn threw his part of the clay on the ground: this is how the mountains turned out. From the same material, Kugu-Yumo created man, and brought him a soul from heaven.

In total, there are about 140 gods and spirits in the pantheon, but only a few are especially revered:

• Ilysh-Shochyn-Ava - an analogue of the Mother of God, the goddess of birth
• Mer Yumo - manages all worldly affairs
• Mlande Ava - goddess of the earth
• Purisho - the god of fate
• Azyren - death itself

Mass ritual prayers take place several times a year in sacred groves: in total there are from 300 to 400 throughout the country. At the same time, services to one or several gods can take place in the grove, each of which is sacrificed in the form of food, money, parts of animals. The altar is made in the form of a flooring of spruce branches, installed near the sacred tree.

Those who came to the grove in large cauldrons cook the food they brought with them: the meat of geese and ducks, as well as special pies from the blood of birds and cereals. After, under the guidance of a kart - an analogue of a shaman or priest, a prayer begins, which lasts up to an hour. The rite ends with the use of the cooked and cleaning the grove.

Traditions

The most complete ancient traditions are preserved in wedding and funeral rites. The wedding always began with a noisy ransom, after which the young people on a cart or sleigh covered with a bearskin went to the map to perform the wedding ceremony. All the way the groom clicked a special whip, driving away evil spirits from future wife: this whip then remained in the family for life. In addition, their hands were tied with a towel, which symbolized a connection for the rest of their lives. Until now, the tradition of baking pancakes for the newly-made husband on the morning after the wedding has been preserved.

Funeral rites are of particular interest. At any time of the year, the deceased was taken to the graveyard on a sleigh, and they put him in winter clothes, supplying him with a set of things. Among them:

• linen towel, on which he will descend into realm of the dead- hence the expression "tablecloth road";
• rosehip branches to drive away dogs and snakes guarding the afterlife;
• nails accumulated during life to cling to rocks and mountains on the way;

Forty days later, a no less terrible custom was performed: a friend of the deceased dressed in his clothes and sat down with the relatives of the deceased at the same table. They took him for the deceased and asked him questions about life in the next world, conveyed greetings, reported news. During common feasts of commemoration, the dead were also remembered: a separate table was laid for them, on which the hostess put a little bit of all the treats that she had prepared for the living.

Famous Mari

One of the most famous Mari is the actor Oleg Taktarov, who played in the films "Wii" and "Predators". All over the world he is also known as the “Russian bear”, the winner of brutal fights without UFC rules, although in fact his roots lead to ancient people mary.

The living embodiment of a real Mari beauty is the "Black Angel" Varda, whose mother was a Mari by nationality. She is known as a singer, dancer, fashion model and the owner of seductive forms.

The special charm of the Mari lies in the gentle nature and mentality based on the acceptance of everything that exists. Tolerance towards others, coupled with the ability to defend their own rights, allowed them to preserve their authenticity and national flavor.

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This Finno-Ugric people believe in spirits, worship trees and beware of Ovda. The story of Mari originated on another planet, where a duck flew in and laid two eggs, from which two brothers appeared - good and evil. This is how life on earth began. The Mari people believe in it. Their rituals are unique, the memory of their ancestors never fades, and the life of this people is imbued with respect for the gods of nature.

It is correct to say marI and not mari - this is very important, not the emphasis - and there will be a story about an ancient ruined city. And ours is about the ancient unusual people of the Mari, who are very careful about all living things, even plants. The grove is a sacred place for them.

History of the Mari people

Legends tell that the history of the Mari began far from earth on another planet. From the constellation of the Nest, a duck flew to the blue planet, laid two eggs, from which two brothers appeared - good and evil. This is how life on earth began. The Mari still call the stars and planets in their own way: Ursa Major - the constellation of the Elk, the Milky Way - the Star Road along which God walks, the Pleiades - the constellation of the Nest.

Sacred groves of the Mari - Kusoto

In autumn, hundreds of Mari come to the big grove. Each family brings a duck or a goose - this is a purlyk, a sacrificial animal for holding all-Mari prayers. Only healthy, beautiful and well-fed birds are selected for the ceremony. The Mari people line up for cards - priests. They check if the bird is suitable for sacrifice, and then they ask her forgiveness and consecrate with the help of smoke. It turns out that this is how the Mari express respect for the spirit of fire, and it burns bad words and thoughts, clearing the space for cosmic energy.

The Mari consider themselves a child of nature, and our religion is such that we pray in the forest, in specially designated places, which we call groves, - says consultant Vladimir Kozlov. - Turning to the tree, we thereby turn to the cosmos and there is a connection between the worshipers and the cosmos. We do not have any churches and other structures where the Mari would pray. In nature, we feel like a part of it, and communication with God passes through the tree and through sacrifices.

Sacred groves were not specially planted, they have existed since ancient times. Groves for prayers were chosen by the ancestors of the Mari. It is believed that in these places there is a very strong energy.

The groves were chosen for a reason, at first they looked at the sun, at the stars and comets, - Arkady Fedorov says.

Sacred groves in Mari are called Kusoto, they are tribal, all-village and all-Mari. In some Kusoto prayers can be held several times a year, while in others - once every 5-7 years. In total, more than 300 sacred groves have been preserved in the Republic of Mari El.

In the sacred groves you can not swear, sing and make noise. huge power kept in these sacred places. The Mari prefer nature, and nature is God. They address nature as a mother: vud ava (mother of water), mlande ava (mother of earth).

The most beautiful and tallest tree in the grove is the main one. It is dedicated to the one supreme God Yumo or his divine assistants. Rituals are held around this tree.

Sacred groves are so important for the Mari that for five centuries they have been fighting for their preservation and defending their right to own faith. First resisted Christianization then Soviet power. In order to divert the attention of the church from the sacred groves, the Mari formally adopted Orthodoxy. The people went to church services, and then secretly performed Mari rites. As a result, there was a mixture of religions - many Christian symbols and traditions entered the Mari faith.

The Sacred Grove is perhaps the only place where women spend more time relaxing than working. They only pluck and butcher the birds. Men do everything else: make fires, install boilers, cook broths and cereals, equip Onapa - this is how the sacred trees are called. Special tabletops are installed next to the tree, which are first covered with spruce branches symbolizing hands, then they are covered with towels and only then gifts are laid out. Near Onapu there are tablets with the names of the gods, the main one is Tun Osh Kugo Yumo - the One Light Great God. Those who come to pray decide which of the deities they present bread, kvass, honey, pancakes. They also hang gift towels and scarves. After the ceremony, the Mari will take some things home, and something will remain hanging in the grove.

Legends about Ovda

... There once lived a obstinate Mari beauty, but she angered the celestials and turned her God into a terrible creature Ovda, with big breasts, which can be thrown over the shoulder, with black hair and feet turned heels forward. The people tried not to meet her, and although Ovda could help a person, but more often she caused damage. She used to curse entire villages.

According to legend, Ovda lived on the outskirts of villages in the forest, ravines. In the old days, residents often met with her, but in the 21st century no one saw a terrible woman. However, in remote places where she lived alone and today they try not to go. Rumor has it that she took refuge in the caves. There is a place that is called Odo-Kuryk (Mount Ovda). In the depths of the forest lie megaliths - huge rectangular boulders. They are very similar to man-made blocks. The stones have even edges, and they are composed in such a way that they form a jagged fence. Megaliths are huge, but it is not so easy to notice them. They seem to be skillfully disguised, but for what? One of the versions of the appearance of megaliths is a man-made defensive structure. Probably, in the old days, the local population defended itself at the expense of this mountain. And this fortress was built by hands in the form of ramparts. The steep descent was followed by an ascent. It was very difficult for the enemies to run along these ramparts, and the locals knew the paths and could hide and shoot from a bow. There is an assumption that the Mari could fight with the Udmurts for the land. But what kind of power did you need to have in order to process the megaliths and install them? Not even a few people can move these boulders. Only mystical beings can move them. According to legend, it was Ovda who could install stones to hide the entrance to her cave, and therefore they say in these places a special energy.

Psychics come to the megaliths, trying to find the entrance to the cave, the source of energy. But the Mari prefer not to disturb Ovda, because her character is like a natural element - unpredictable and uncontrollable.

For the artist Ivan Yamberdov, Ovda is the feminine principle in nature, a powerful energy that came from outer space. Ivan Mikhailovich often rewrites paintings dedicated to Ovda, but each time the result is not copies, but originals, or the composition will change, or the image will suddenly take on a different shape. - It cannot be otherwise, - the author admits, - after all, Ovda is a natural energy that is constantly changing.

Although no one has seen the mystical woman for a long time, the Mari believe in her existence and often healers are called Ovda. After all, whisperers, witches, herbalists, in fact, are conductors of that very unpredictable natural energy. But only healers, unlike ordinary people, know how to manage it and thereby arouse fear and respect among the people.

Mari healers

Each healer chooses the element that is close to him in spirit. The sorceress Valentina Maksimova works with water, and in the bath, according to her, the water element gains additional strength, so that any illness can be treated. Carrying out rituals in the bath, Valentina Ivanovna always remembers that this is the territory of bath spirits and they must be treated with respect. And leave the shelves clean and be sure to thank.

Yuri Yambatov is the most famous healer in the Kuzhenersky district of Mari El. His element is the energy of trees. The entry was made a month in advance. It takes one day a week and only 10 people. First of all, Yuri checks the compatibility of energy fields. If the patient's palm remains motionless, then there is no contact, you will have to work hard to establish it with the help of a sincere conversation. Before starting treatment, Yuri studied the secrets of hypnosis, watched healers, and tested his strength for several years. Of course, he does not reveal the secrets of treatment.

During the session, the healer himself loses a lot of energy. By the end of the day, Yuri simply does not have the strength, it will take a week to restore them. According to Yuri, diseases come to a person from a wrong life, bad thoughts, bad deeds and insults. Therefore, one cannot rely only on healers, a person himself must make efforts and correct his mistakes in order to achieve harmony with nature.

Mari girl outfit

Mariykas love to dress up, so that the costume is multi-layered, and there are more decorations. Thirty-five kilograms of silver - just right. Putting on a suit is like a ritual. The outfit is so complicated that you can't wear it alone. Previously, in every village there were masters in vestments. In the outfit, each element has its own meaning. For example, in a headdress - srapana - a three-layer symbolizing the trinity of the world must be observed. Women's set of silver jewelry could weigh 35 kilograms. It was passed down from generation to generation. The woman bequeathed the jewelry to her daughter, granddaughter, daughter-in-law, or she could leave it to her home. In this case, any woman living in it had the right to wear a kit for the holidays. In the old days, craftswomen competed to see whose costume would retain its appearance until the evening.

Mari wedding

... The mountain Mari have merry weddings: the gates are locked, the bride is locked up, matchmakers are not just allowed in. Girlfriends do not despair - they will still receive their ransom, otherwise the bridegroom will not be seen. At a Mountain Mari wedding, the bride is so hidden that the groom looks for her for a long time, but does not find her - and the wedding will be upset. The mountain Mari live in the Kozmodemyansk region of the Republic of Mari El. They differ from the Meadow Mari in language, clothing and traditions. The Mountain Maris themselves believe that they are more musical than the Meadow Maris.

Whip - very important element at a mountain wedding. It is constantly clicked around the bride. And in the old days they say that the girl got it. It turns out that this is done so that the jealous spirits of her ancestors do not bring damage to the young and the groom's relatives, so that they release the bride in peace to another family.

Mariy bagpipe - shuvyr

... In a jar of porridge, a salted cow's bladder will ferment for two weeks, from which they will then make a magical shuvyr. Already a tube and a horn will be attached to the soft bladder and the Mari bagpipe will turn out. Each element of a shuvyr endows the instrument with its own power. Shuvyrzo during the game understands the voices of animals and birds, and listeners fall into a trance, there are even cases of healing. And the music of shuvyr opens the way to the world of spirits.

Veneration of deceased ancestors among the Mari

Every Thursday, residents of one of the Mari villages invite their dead ancestors to visit. For this, they usually don’t go to the cemetery, souls hear an invitation from afar.

Now there are wooden decks with names on the Mari graves, and in the old days there were no identification marks in the cemeteries. According to Mari beliefs, a person lives well in heaven, but he still yearns for the earth very much. And if in the world of the living no one remembers the soul, then it can become embittered and begin to harm the living. Therefore, deceased relatives are invited to dinner.

Invisible guests are accepted as living, a separate table is set for them. Porridge, pancakes, eggs, salad, vegetables - the hostess must put here a part of each dish that she has prepared. After the meal, treats from this table will be given to pets.

The gathered relatives dine at another table, discuss problems, and ask for help from the souls of their ancestors in solving complex issues.

For dear guests baths are heated in the evenings. Especially for them, a birch broom is steamed and heated. The hosts themselves can take a steam bath with the souls of the dead, but usually they come a little later. Invisible guests are escorted until the village goes to bed. It is believed that in this way souls quickly find their way to their world.

Mari Bear - Mask

Legend has it that in ancient times the bear was a man, a bad person. Strong, well-aimed, but cunning and cruel. His name was the hunter Mask. He killed animals for fun, did not listen to old people, even laughed at God. For this, Yumo turned him into a beast. Mask cried, promised to improve, asked him to return his human form, but Yumo ordered him to walk in a fur skin and keep order in the forest. And if he carries out his service regularly, then in the next life he will again be born a hunter.

Beekeeping in the Mari culture

According to Mari legends, bees were among the last to appear on Earth. They came here not even from the Pleiades constellation, but from another galaxy, otherwise how to explain the unique properties of everything that bees produce - honey, wax, perga, propolis. Alexander Tanygin is the supreme kart, according to the Mari laws, every priest must keep an apiary. Alexander has been dealing with bees since childhood, he studied their habits. As he says himself, he understands them at a glance. Beekeeping is one of the oldest occupations of the Mari. In the old days, people paid taxes with honey, bee bread and wax.

In modern villages, beehives are in almost every yard. Honey is one of the main ways to earn money. From above the hive is closed with old things, this is a heater.

Mari signs associated with bread

Once a year, the Mari take out the museum millstones in order to prepare the bread of the new harvest. The flour for the first loaf is ground by hand. When the hostess kneads the dough, she whispers good wishes to those who get a piece of this loaf. The Mari have many signs associated with bread. Sending household members to long way specially baked bread is placed on the table and not removed until the departed returns.

Bread is an integral part of all rituals. And even if the hostess prefers to buy it in the store, for the holidays she will definitely bake the loaf herself.

Kugeche - Mari Easter

The stove in the Mari house is not for heating, but for cooking. While firewood is burning in the oven, housewives bake multi-layered pancakes. This is an old national Mari dish. The first layer is the usual pancake dough, and the second is porridge, it is placed on a toasted pancake and the pan is again sent closer to the fire. After the pancakes are baked, the coals are removed, and pies with porridge are placed in a hot oven. All these dishes are designed to celebrate Easter, or rather Kugeche. Kugeche is an old Mari holiday dedicated to the renewal of nature and commemoration of the dead. It always coincides with Christian Easter. Homemade candles are an obligatory attribute of the holiday, they are made only by cards with their helpers. Mari believe that wax absorbs the power of nature, and when it melts, it strengthens prayers.

For several centuries, the traditions of the two religions have become so mixed up that in some Mari houses there is a red corner and on holidays home-made candles are lit in front of the icons.

Kugeche is celebrated for several days. Loaf, pancake and cottage cheese symbolize the triplicity of the world. Kvass or beer is usually poured into a special ladle - a symbol of fertility. After prayer, this drink is given to all women to drink. And on Kugech it is supposed to eat a colored egg. The Mari smash it against the wall. At the same time, they try to raise their hand higher. This is done so that the chickens rush in the right place, but if the egg is broken below, then the layers will not know their place. Mari also roll dyed eggs. At the edge of the forest, boards are laid out and eggs are thrown, while making a wish. And the further the egg rolls, the more likely it is to fulfill the plan.

There are two springs in the village of Petyaly near St. Guryev's church. One of them appeared at the beginning of the last century, when the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God was brought here from the Kazan Mother of God hermitage. A font was installed near it. And the second source has been known since time immemorial. Even before the adoption of Christianity, these places were sacred for the Mari. Sacred trees still grow here. So both the baptized Mari and the unbaptized come to the springs. Everyone turns to their God and receives comfort, hope and even healing. In fact, this place has become a symbol of reconciliation of two religions - the ancient Mari and Christian.

Films about the Mari

Marie live in the Russian outback, but the whole world knows about them thanks to the creative union of Denis Osokin and Alexei Fedorchenko. The film "Heavenly Wives of the Meadow Mari" about the fabulous culture of a small people conquered the Rome Film Festival. In 2013, Oleg Irkabaev filmed the first Feature Film about the Mari people "Over the village a couple of swans." Mari through the eyes of Mari - the movie turned out to be kind, poetic and musical, just like the Mari people themselves.

Rites in the Mari sacred grove

... At the beginning of the prayer, the cards light candles. In the old days, only home-made candles were brought to the grove, church candles were forbidden. Now there are no such strict rules, in the grove no one is asked at all what faith he professes. Since a person came here, it means he considers himself a part of nature, and this is the main thing. So during the prayers, you can also see the baptized Mari. The Mari gusli is the only musical instrument allowed to be played in the grove. It is believed that the music of the gusli is the voice of nature itself. Knife strikes on the blade of an ax resemble bell ringing - this is a rite of purification with sound. It is believed that the vibration of the air drives away evil, and nothing prevents a person from being saturated with pure cosmic energy. Those very nominal gifts, together with the tablets, are thrown into the fire, and kvass is poured on top. The Mari believe that the smoke from burnt food is the food of the Gods. Prayer does not last long, after it comes, perhaps, the most pleasant moment - a treat. The Mari put the first selected bones into the bowls, symbolizing the rebirth of all living things. There is almost no meat on them, but it doesn’t matter - the bones are sacred and will transfer this energy to any dish.

No matter how many people come to the grove, there will be enough treats for everyone. The porridge will also be taken home to treat those who could not come here.

In the grove, all the attributes of prayer are very simple, no frills. This is done to emphasize that everyone is equal before God. The most valuable things in this world are the thoughts and deeds of a person. And the sacred grove is open portal cosmic energy, the center of the Universe, so with what attitude will a Mari enter the sacred Grove, it will reward him with such energy.

When everyone has dispersed, the cards with assistants will remain to restore order. They will come here the next day to complete the ceremony. After such great prayers, the sacred grove should rest for five to seven years. No one will come here, no one will disturb Kusomo's peace. The grove will be charged with cosmic energy, which in a few years will be given back to the Mari during prayers in order to strengthen their faith in the one bright God, nature and space.

Origin of the Mari people

The question of the origin of the Mari people is still controversial. For the first time, a scientifically substantiated theory of the ethnogenesis of the Mari was expressed in 1845 by the famous Finnish linguist M. Kastren. He tried to identify the Mari with the annalistic measure. This point of view was supported and developed by T.S. Semenov, I.N. Smirnov, S.K. Kuznetsov, A.A. Spitsyn, D.K. Zelenin, M.N. Yantemir, F.E. Egorov and many others. researchers of the II half of the XIX - I half of the XX centuries. A prominent Soviet archaeologist A.P. Smirnov came up with a new hypothesis in 1949, who came to the conclusion about the Gorodets (close to Mordovian) basis, other archaeologists O.N. Bader and V.F. Gening at the same time defended the thesis about Dyakovo (close to the measure) origin of the Mari. Nevertheless, even then archaeologists were able to convincingly prove that Merya and Mari, although related to each other, are not the same people. In the late 1950s, when the permanent Mari archaeological expedition began to operate, its leaders A.Kh. Khalikov and G.A. Arkhipov developed a theory about the mixed Gorodets-Azelin (Volga-Finnish-Permian) basis of the Mari people. Subsequently, G.A. Arkhipov, developing this hypothesis further, during the discovery and study of new archaeological sites, proved that the Gorodets-Dyakovo (Volga-Finnish) component and the formation of the Mari ethnos, which began in the first half of the 1st millennium AD, prevailed in the mixed basis of the Mari. , as a whole, ended in the 9th - 11th centuries, while even then the Mari ethnos began to divide into two main groups - mountain and meadow Mari (the latter, in comparison with the former, were more strongly influenced by the Azelin (Permo-speaking) tribes). This theory as a whole is now supported by the majority of archaeologists dealing with this problem. The Mari archaeologist V.S. Patrushev put forward a different assumption, according to which the formation of the ethnic foundations of the Mari, as well as the Meri and Murom, took place on the basis of the Akhmylov population. Linguists (I.S. Galkin, D.E. Kazantsev), who rely on the data of the language, believe that the territory of the formation of the Mari people should not be sought in the Vetluzh-Vyatka interfluve, as archaeologists believe, but to the southwest, between the Oka and Sura. Archaeologist T.B. Nikitina, taking into account the data not only of archeology, but also of linguistics, came to the conclusion that the ancestral home of the Mari is located in the Volga part of the Oka-Sura interfluve and in the Povetluzhye, and the movement to the east, to Vyatka, occurred in VIII - XI centuries, during which contact and mixing with the Azelin (Permo-speaking) tribes took place.

The question of the origin of the ethnonyms "Mari" and "Cheremis" also remains complex and unclear. The meaning of the word "Mari", the self-name of the Mari people, many linguists deduce from the Indo-European term "Mar", "Mer" in various sound variations (translated as "man", "husband"). The word "Cheremis" (as the Russians called the Mari, and in a slightly different, but phonetically similar vowel - many other peoples) has big number various interpretations. The first written mention of this ethnonym (in the original "ts-r-mis") is found in a letter from the Khazar Khagan Joseph to the dignitary of the Caliph of Cordoba Hasdai ibn-Shaprut (960s). D.E. Kazantsev, following the historian of the XIX century. G.I. Peretyatkovich came to the conclusion that the name "Cheremis" was given to the Mari by the Mordovian tribes, and in translation this word means "a person living on the sunny side, in the east." According to I.G. Ivanov, “Cheremis” is “a person from the Chera or Chora tribe”, in other words, the name of one of the Mari tribes was subsequently extended by the neighboring peoples to the entire ethnic group. The version of the Mari local historians of the 1920s - early 1930s F.E. Egorov and M.N. Yantemir, who suggested that this ethnonym goes back to the Turkic term "warlike person", is widely popular. F.I.Gordeev, as well as I.S.Galkin, who supported his version, defend the hypothesis of the origin of the word "Cheremis" from the ethnonym "Sarmatian" through the mediation of the Turkic languages. A number of other versions were also expressed. The problem of the etymology of the word "Cheremis" is further complicated by the fact that in the Middle Ages (until the 17th - 18th centuries) not only the Maris, but also their neighbors, the Chuvashs and Udmurts, were called so in a number of cases.

Mari in the 9th - 11th centuries.

In the IX - XI centuries. in general, the formation of the Mari ethnos was completed. At the time in questionMarisettled on a vast territory within the Middle Volga region: south of the Vetluga and Yuga watershed and the Pizhma River; north of the Pyana River, the headwaters of Tsivil; east of the Unzha River, the mouth of the Oka; west of the Ileti and the mouth of the Kilmezi River.

economy Mari was complex (agriculture, cattle breeding, hunting, fishing, gathering, beekeeping, crafts and other activities related to the processing of raw materials at home). Direct evidence of the widespread use of agriculture among Mari no, there are only indirect data indicating the development of slash-and-burn agriculture among them, and there is reason to believe that in the 11th century. began the transition to arable farming.
Mari in the IX - XI centuries. almost all cereals, legumes and industrial crops cultivated in the forest belt of Eastern Europe at the present time were known. Slash-and-burn agriculture was combined with cattle breeding; stall keeping of livestock in combination with free grazing prevailed (mostly the same species of domestic animals and birds were bred as now).
Hunting was a significant help in the economy Mari, while in the IX - XI centuries. fur mining began to be commercial in nature. Hunting tools were bow and arrows, various traps, snares and traps were used.
Mari the population was engaged in fishing (near rivers and lakes), respectively, river navigation developed, while natural conditions (a dense network of rivers, difficult forest and swampy terrain) dictated the priority development of river rather than land routes.
Fishing, as well as gathering (first of all, forest gifts) were focused exclusively on domestic consumption. Significant spread and development in Mari received beekeeping, on the beech trees they even put signs of ownership - “tiste”. Along with furs, honey was the main export item of the Mari.
At Mari there were no cities, only rural crafts were developed. Metallurgy, due to the lack of a local raw material base, developed through the processing of imported semi-finished and finished products. Nevertheless, the blacksmith's craft in the 9th - 11th centuries. at Mari already stood out as a specialty, while non-ferrous metallurgy (mainly blacksmithing and jewelry - the manufacture of copper, bronze, silver jewelry) was predominantly done by women.
The manufacture of clothing, footwear, utensils, and some types of agricultural implements was carried out in each household in its free time from agriculture and animal husbandry. In the first place among the branches of home production were weaving and leatherworking. Linen and hemp were used as raw materials for weaving. The most common leather product was footwear.

In the IX - XI centuries. Mari traded with neighboring peoples- Udmurts, Merei, Vesyu, Mordovians, Muroma, Meshchera and other Finno-Ugric tribes. Trade relations with the Bulgars and Khazars, who were at a relatively high level of development, went beyond the scope of barter, there were elements of commodity-money relations (many Arab dirhams were found in the ancient Mari burials of that time). In the area where they lived Mari, the Bulgars even founded trading posts like the Mari-Lugovsky settlement. The greatest activity of Bulgar merchants falls on the end of the 10th - the beginning of the 11th centuries. Any clear signs of close and regular ties between the Mari and Eastern Slavs in the IX - XI centuries. until discovered, things of Slavic-Russian origin in the Mari archaeological sites of that time are rare.

Based on the totality of available information, it is difficult to judge the nature of contacts Mari in the IX - XI centuries. with their Volga-Finnish neighbors - Merei, Meshchera, Mordvins, Muroma. However, according to numerous folklore works, tensions between Mari developed with the Udmurts: as a result of a number of battles and minor skirmishes, the latter were forced to leave the Vetluzh-Vyatka interfluve, retreating east, to the left bank of the Vyatka. However, among the available archaeological material there are no traces of armed conflicts between Mari and not found by the Udmurts.

Relationship Mari with the Volga Bulgars, apparently, they were not limited only to trade. At least part of the Mari population, bordering on the Volga-Kama Bulgaria, paid tribute to this country (kharaj) - at first as a vassal-intermediary of the Khazar Khagan (it is known that in the 10th century both Bulgars and Mari- ts-r-mis - were subjects of Kagan Joseph, however, the first were in a more privileged position as part of the Khazar Khaganate), then as an independent state and a kind of successor to the kaganate.

Mari and their neighbors in the XII - early XIII centuries.

From the 12th century in some Mari lands, the transition to fallow farming begins. Unified funeral riteMari, cremation disappeared. If earlier in useMarimen often encountered swords and spears, but now they have been replaced everywhere by bows, arrows, axes, knives and other types of light edged weapons. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the new neighborsMarithere were more numerous, better armed and organized peoples (Slavic-Russians, Bulgars), with whom it was possible to fight only by partisan methods.

XII - beginning of the XIII centuries. were marked by a noticeable growth of the Slavic-Russian and the fall of the Bulgar influence on Mari(especially in Povetluzhye). At this time, Russian settlers appeared in the interfluve of the Unzha and Vetluga (Gorodets Radilov, first mentioned in the annals for 1171, settlements and settlements on Uzol, Linda, Vezlom, Vatom), where settlements were still found Mari and eastern measures, as well as in the Upper and Middle Vyatka (the cities of Khlynov, Kotelnich, settlements on Pizhma) - in the Udmurt and Mari lands.
Territory of settlement Mari, compared with the 9th - 11th centuries, did not undergo significant changes, however, its gradual shift to the east continued, which was largely due to the advancement of the Slavic-Russian tribes and the Slavicizing Finno-Ugric peoples from the west (primarily Merya) and, possibly , the ongoing Mari-Udmurt confrontation. The movement of the Meryan tribes to the east took place in small families or groups of them, and the settlers who reached Povetluzhye most likely mixed with related Mari tribes, completely dissolving in this environment.

Under strong Slavic-Russian influence (obviously, through the mediation of the Meryan tribes) was material culture Mari. In particular, according to archaeological research, dishes made on a potter's wheel (Slavic and "Slavic" ceramics) come instead of traditional local hand-made ceramics; under Slavic influence, the appearance of Mari jewelry, household items, and tools has changed. At the same time, among the Mari antiquities of the 12th - early 13th centuries, there are much fewer Bulgar items.

Not later than the beginning of the XII century. the inclusion of the Mari lands into the system of ancient Russian statehood begins. According to The Tale of Bygone Years and The Tale of the Destruction of the Russian Land, the Cheremis (probably these were the western groups of the Mari population) already then paid tribute to the Russian princes. In 1120, after a series of attacks by the Bulgars on the Russian cities in the Volga-Ochia, which took place in the second half of the 11th century, a series of counter-attacks by Vladimir-Suzdal princes and their allies from other Russian principalities began. The Russian-Bulgarian conflict, as is commonly believed, flared up on the basis of collecting tribute from the local population, and in this struggle, the advantage steadily leaned towards the feudal lords of North-Eastern Rus'. Reliable information about direct participation Mari not in the Russian-Bulgarian wars, although the troops of both opposing sides repeatedly passed through the Mari lands.

Mari in the Golden Horde

In 1236 - 1242. Eastern Europe was subjected to a powerful Mongol-Tatar invasion, a significant part of it, including the entire Volga region, was under the rule of the conquerors. At the same time, the BulgarsMari, Mordvins and other peoples of the Middle Volga region were included in the Ulus of Jochi or the Golden Horde, an empire founded by Batu Khan. Written sources do not report a direct invasion of the Mongol-Tatars in the 30s - 40s. 13th century to the area where they livedMari. Most likely, the invasion touched the Mari settlements located near the areas that were most severely devastated (Volga-Kama Bulgaria, Mordovia) - this is the Right Bank of the Volga and the left-bank Mari lands adjacent to Bulgaria.

Mari subordinated to the Golden Horde through the Bulgar feudal lords and the khan's darugs. The main part of the population was divided into administrative-territorial and taxable units - uluses, hundreds and dozens, which were led by centurions and tenants accountable to the khan's administration - representatives local nobility. Mari, like many other peoples subject to the Golden Horde Khan, had to pay yasak, a number of other taxes, carry out various duties, including military service. They mainly supplied furs, honey, and wax. At the same time, the Mari lands were located on the forested northwestern periphery of the empire, far from the steppe zone, it did not differ in a developed economy, therefore, strict military and police control was not established here, and in the most inaccessible and remote area - in Povetluzhye and on the adjacent territory - the power of the khan was only nominal.

This circumstance contributed to the continuation of the Russian colonization of the Mari lands. More Russian settlements appeared on Pizhma and the Middle Vyatka, the development of the Povetluzhye, the Oka-Sura interfluve, and then the Lower Sura began. In Povetluzhye Russian influence was especially strong. Judging by the “Vetluzh Chronicler” and other trans-Volga Russian chronicles of late origin, many local semi-mythical princes (kuguzes) (Kai, Kodzha-Yaraltem, Bai-Boroda, Keldibek) were baptized, were in vassal dependence on the Galician princes, sometimes concluding military alliances with the Golden Horde. Apparently, a similar situation was in Vyatka, where the contacts of the local Mari population with the Vyatka Land and the Golden Horde developed.
The strong influence of both Russians and Bulgars was felt in the Volga region, especially in its mountainous part (in the Malo-Sundyr settlement, Yulyalsky, Noselsky, Krasnoselishchensky settlements). However, here the Russian influence gradually grew, while the Bulgarian-Golden Horde weakened. By the beginning of the XV century. the interfluve of the Volga and Sura actually became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow (before that, Nizhny Novgorod), as early as 1374, the Kurmysh fortress was founded on the Lower Sura. Relations between the Russians and the Mari were complicated: peaceful contacts were combined with periods of wars (mutual raids, campaigns of Russian princes against Bulgaria through the Mari lands from the 70s of the XIV centuries, attacks by the Ushkuyns in the second half of the XIV - early XV centuries, the participation of the Mari in the military actions of the Golden Horde against Rus', for example, in the Battle of Kulikovo).

Mass migrations continued Mari. As a result of the Mongol-Tatar invasion and subsequent raids of the steppe warriors, many Mari, who lived on the right bank of the Volga, moved to the safer left bank. At the end of the XIV - beginning of the XV centuries. the left-bank Mari, who lived in the basin of the Mesha, Kazanka, and Ashit rivers, were forced to move to the more northern regions and to the east, since the Kama Bulgars rushed here, fleeing from the troops of Timur (Tamerlane), then from the Nogai warriors. The eastern direction of the resettlement of the Mari in the XIV - XV centuries. was also due to Russian colonization. Assimilation processes also took place in the zone of contacts of the Mari with Russians and Bulgaro-Tatars.

Economic and socio-political situation of the Mari in the Kazan Khanate

The Kazan Khanate arose during the collapse of the Golden Horde - as a result of the appearance in the 30s - 40s. 15th century in the Middle Volga region of the Golden Horde Khan Ulu-Muhammed, his court and combat-ready troops, which together played the role of a powerful catalyst in consolidating the local population and creating public education, equivalent to the still decentralized Rus'.

Mari were not included in the Kazan Khanate by force; dependence on Kazan arose due to the desire to prevent an armed struggle in order to jointly oppose the Russian state and, in accordance with the established tradition, paying tribute to the Bulgarian and Golden Horde representatives of power. Allied, confederate relations were established between the Mari and the Kazan government. At the same time, there were noticeable differences in the position of the mountain, meadow and northwestern Maris in the khanate.

At the main part Mari the economy was complex, with a developed agricultural basis. Only in the northwestern Mari due to natural conditions (they lived in an area of ​​almost continuous swamps and forests), agriculture played a secondary role compared to forestry and cattle breeding. In general, the main features of the economic life of the Mari of the XV - XVI centuries. have not undergone significant changes compared to the previous time.

Mountain Mari, who lived, like the Chuvashs, the Eastern Mordovians and Sviyazhsk Tatars, on the Mountain side of the Kazan Khanate, were distinguished by their active participation in contacts with the Russian population, the relative weakness of ties with the central regions of the Khanate, from which they were separated by the large river Volga. At the same time, the Mountainous side was under fairly strict military and police control, which was associated with a high level of its economic development, an intermediate position between the Russian lands and Kazan, and the growing influence of Russia in this part of the khanate. In the Right Bank (due to its special strategic position and high economic development), foreign troops invaded more often - not only Russian warriors, but also steppe warriors. The position of the mountain people was complicated by the presence of main water and land roads to Rus' and the Crimea, since the bill of accommodation was very heavy and burdensome.

Meadow Mari unlike the mountain ones, they did not have close and regular contacts with the Russian state, they were more connected with Kazan and the Kazan Tatars in political, economic, cultural terms. According to the level of their economic development, meadow Mari did not yield to the mountains. Moreover, on the eve of the fall of Kazan, the economy of the Left Bank developed in a relatively stable, calm and less harsh military-political situation, so contemporaries (A.M. Kurbsky, author of Kazan History) describe the well-being of the population of the Lugovaya and especially the Arsk side most enthusiastically and colorfully. The amounts of taxes paid by the population of the Gorny and Lugovaya sides also did not differ much. If on the Mountain side the burden of housing service was more strongly felt, then on the Lugovaya side it was the construction one: it was the population of the Left Bank that erected and maintained in proper condition the powerful fortifications of Kazan, Arsk, various prisons, notches.

Northwestern (Vetluga and Kokshay) Mari were relatively weakly drawn into the orbit of the khan's power due to their remoteness from the center and due to the relatively low economic development; at the same time, the Kazan government, fearing Russian military campaigns from the north (from Vyatka) and north-west (from Galich and Ustyug), sought allied relations with the Vetluzh, Kokshai, Pizhan, Yaran Mari leaders, who also saw the benefit in supporting the invaders actions of the Tatars in relation to the outlying Russian lands.

"Military democracy" of the medieval Mari.

In the XV - XVI centuries. Mari, like other peoples of the Kazan Khanate, except for the Tatars, were at a transitional stage in the development of society from primitive to early feudal. On the one hand, individual family property was allocated within the framework of a land-related union (neighboring community), parcel labor flourished, property differentiation grew, and on the other hand, the class structure of society did not acquire its clear outlines.

Mari patriarchal families united in patronymic groups (nasyl, tukym, urlyk), and those - in larger land unions (tiste). Their unity was based not on kinship ties, but on the principle of neighborhood, to a lesser extent - on economic ties, which were expressed in various kinds of mutual "help" ("vyma"), joint ownership of common lands. Land unions were, among other things, unions of mutual military assistance. Perhaps the Tiste were territorially compatible with hundreds and uluses of the period of the Kazan Khanate. Hundreds, uluses, dozens were led by centurions or hundreds of princes (“shÿdövuy”, “puddle”), tenants (“luvuy”). The centurions appropriated for themselves some part of the yasak they collected in favor of the khan's treasury from subordinate ordinary community members, but at the same time they enjoyed authority among them as smart and courageous people as skillful organizers and military leaders. Sotniki and foremen in the 15th - 16th centuries. they had not yet managed to break with primitive democracy, at the same time the power of the representatives of the nobility was increasingly acquiring a hereditary character.

The feudalization of the Mari society accelerated due to the Turkic-Mari synthesis. In relation to the Kazan Khanate, ordinary community members acted as a feudal-dependent population (in fact, they were personally free people and were part of a kind of semi-service estate), and the nobility acted as serving vassals. Among the Mari, representatives of the nobility began to stand out in a special military class - mamichi (imildashi), heroes (batyrs), who probably already had some relation to the feudal hierarchy of the Kazan Khanate; on the lands with the Mari population, feudal estates began to appear - belyaki (administrative tax districts given by Kazan khans as a reward for service with the right to collect yasak from land and various fishing lands that were in the collective use of the Mari population).

The domination of the military-democratic order in the medieval Mari society was the environment where the immanent impulses for raids were laid. Warfare, once fought only to avenge attacks or to expand territory, is now becoming a constant pursuit. The property stratification of ordinary community members, whose economic activity was hampered by insufficiently favorable natural conditions and the low level of development of productive forces, led to the fact that many of them began to turn to a greater extent outside their communities in search of means to meet their material needs and in an effort to raise their status in society. The feudalized nobility, which gravitated toward a further increase in wealth and its socio-political weight, also sought outside the community to find new sources of enrichment and strengthening its power. As a result, solidarity arose between two different layers of community members, between which a “military alliance” was formed with the aim of expansion. Therefore, the power of the Mari "princes", along with the interests of the nobility, still continued to reflect the common tribal interests.

The greatest activity in raids among all groups of the Mari population was shown by the northwestern Mari. This was due to their relatively low level of socio-economic development. Meadow and mountain Mari, busy agricultural labor, took a less active part in military campaigns, besides, the local proto-feudal elite had other, besides military, ways to strengthen their power and further enrichment (primarily by strengthening ties with Kazan)

The accession of the mountain Mari to the Russian state

Entry Marithe composition of the Russian state was a multi-stage process, and the mountainMari. Together with the rest of the population of the Gornaya side, they were interested in peaceful relations with the Russian state, while in the spring of 1545 a series of major campaigns of Russian troops against Kazan began. At the end of 1546, the mountain people (Tugai, Atachik) attempted to establish a military alliance with Russia and, together with political emigrants from among the Kazan feudal lords, sought the overthrow of Khan Safa Giray and the enthronement of the Moscow vassal Shah Ali, in order to thereby prevent new invasions Russian troops and put an end to the despotic pro-Crimean internal politics of the khan. However, Moscow at that time had already set a course for the final annexation of the khanate - Ivan IV was married to the kingdom (this indicates that the Russian sovereign put forward his claim to the Kazan throne and other residences of the Golden Horde kings). Nevertheless, the Moscow government failed to take advantage of the successfully launched rebellion of the Kazan feudal lords led by Prince Kadysh against Safa Giray, and the help offered by the mountain people was rejected by the Russian governors. The mountain side continued to be considered by Moscow as enemy territory even after the winter of 1546/47. (campaigns against Kazan in the winter of 1547/48 and in the winter of 1549/50).

By 1551, Moscow government circles came up with a plan to annex the Kazan Khanate to Russia, which provided for the rejection of the Mountainous Side with its subsequent transformation into a stronghold for capturing the rest of the Khanate. In the summer of 1551, when a powerful military outpost was erected at the mouth of the Sviyaga (Sviyazhsk fortress), the Gornaya side was annexed to the Russian state.

The reasons for the occurrence of mountain Mari and the rest of the population of the Gornaya side in the composition of Russia, apparently, were: 1) the introduction of a large contingent of Russian troops, the construction of the fortress city of Sviyazhsk; 2) the flight to Kazan of the local anti-Moscow group of feudal lords, which could organize resistance; 3) the fatigue of the population of the Gornaya side from the devastating invasions of Russian troops, their desire to establish peaceful relations by restoring the Moscow protectorate; 4) the use by Russian diplomacy of the anti-Crimean and pro-Moscow moods of the mountain people in order to directly include the Mountain side into Russia (the actions of the population of the Mountain side were seriously affected by the arrival of the former Kazan Khan Shah-Ali along with the Russian governors, accompanied by five hundred Tatar feudal lords who entered the Russian service); 5) bribing the local nobility and ordinary militia soldiers, exempting mountain people from taxes for three years; 6) relatively close ties between the peoples of the Gorny side and Russia in the years preceding the accession.

Regarding the nature of the accession of the Mountain side to the Russian state, there was no consensus among historians. One part of the scientists believes that the peoples of the Mountainous side became part of Russia voluntarily, others argue that it was a violent seizure, and others adhere to the version of the peaceful, but forced nature of the annexation. Obviously, in the annexation of the Mountainous Side to the Russian state, both the causes and circumstances of a military, violent, and peaceful, non-violent nature played a role. These factors mutually complemented each other, giving the entry of the mountain Mari and other peoples of the Mountain side into Russia an exceptional originality.

Accession of the left-bank Mari to Russia. Cheremis war 1552 - 1557

In the summer of 1551 - in the spring of 1552. Russian state exerted powerful military and political pressure on Kazan, the implementation of a plan for the gradual elimination of the khanate by establishing a Kazan viceroy was launched. However, in Kazan, anti-Russian sentiment was too strong, probably growing as pressure from Moscow increased. As a result, on March 9, 1552, the citizens of Kazan refused to let the Russian governor and the troops accompanying him into the city, and the whole plan of the bloodless annexation of the khanate to Russia collapsed overnight.

In the spring of 1552, an anti-Moscow uprising broke out on the Mountain side, as a result of which the territorial integrity of the khanate was actually restored. The reasons for the uprising of the mountain people were: the weakening of the Russian military presence on the territory of the Mountain side, the active offensive actions of the left-bank Kazanians in the absence of retaliatory measures from the Russians, the violent nature of the accession of the Mountain side to the Russian state, the departure of Shah Ali outside the khanate, to Kasimov. As a result of large-scale punitive campaigns of the Russian troops, the uprising was suppressed, in June-July 1552 the mountain people again took the oath to the Russian Tsar. So, in the summer of 1552, the mountain Mari finally became part of the Russian state. The results of the uprising convinced the mountain people of the futility of further resistance. The mountain side, being the most vulnerable and at the same time important in the military-strategic terms, part of the Kazan Khanate, could not become a powerful center of the people's liberation struggle. Obviously, such factors as privileges and all kinds of gifts granted by the Moscow government to mountain people in 1551, the experience of multilateral peaceful relations of the local population with the Russians, complex, controversial character relations with Kazan in previous years. Due to these reasons, most of the mountain people during the events of 1552-1557. remained loyal to the power of the Russian sovereign.

During the Kazan war of 1545 - 1552. Crimean and Turkish diplomats were actively working to create an anti-Moscow union of Turkic-Muslim states in order to resist the powerful Russian expansion in the east. However, the unification policy failed due to the pro-Moscow and anti-Crimean positions of many influential Nogai murzas.

In the battle for Kazan in August - October 1552, a huge number of troops participated on both sides, while the number of besiegers exceeded the number of those besieged on initial stage 2 - 2.5 times, and before the decisive assault - 4 - 5 times. In addition, the troops of the Russian state were better trained in military-technical and military-engineering terms; the army of Ivan IV also managed to defeat the Kazan troops in parts. October 2, 1552 Kazan fell.

In the first days after the capture of Kazan, Ivan IV and his entourage took measures to organize the administration of the conquered country. Within 8 days (from October 2 to October 10), the Prikazan meadow Mari and Tatars were sworn in. However, the main part of the left-bank Mari did not show humility, and already in November 1552 the Mari of the Lugovoi side rose to fight for their freedom. The anti-Moscow armed uprisings of the peoples of the Middle Volga region after the fall of Kazan are usually called the Cheremis wars, since the Mari were the most active in them, however, the insurrectionary movement in the Middle Volga region in 1552 - 1557. is, in essence, a continuation of the Kazan war, and the main goal of its participants was the restoration of the Kazan Khanate. People's liberation movement 1552 - 1557 in the Middle Volga region it was caused by the following reasons: 1) upholding one's independence, freedom, the right to live one's own way; 2) the struggle of the local nobility for the restoration of the order that existed in the Kazan Khanate; 3) religious confrontation (the Volga peoples - Muslims and pagans - seriously feared for the future of their religions and culture in general, since immediately after the capture of Kazan, Ivan IV began to destroy mosques, build Orthodox churches in their place, destroy the Muslim clergy and pursue a policy of forced baptism ). The degree of influence of the Turkic-Muslim states on the course of events in the Middle Volga region during this period was negligible, in some cases potential allies even interfered with the rebels.

Resistance movement 1552 - 1557 or the First Cheremis War developed in waves. The first wave - November - December 1552 (separate outbreaks of armed uprisings on the Volga and near Kazan); the second - the winter of 1552/53 - the beginning of 1554. (the most powerful stage, covering the entire Left Bank and part of the Mountain side); the third - July - October 1554 (the beginning of the decline of the resistance movement, a split among the rebels from the Arsk and Coastal sides); the fourth - the end of 1554 - March 1555. (participation in the anti-Moscow armed uprisings only of the left-bank Mari, the beginning of the leadership of the rebels by the centurion from the Lugovaya side Mamich-Berdei); the fifth - the end of 1555 - the summer of 1556. (the rebel movement led by Mamich-Berdei, supported by the Aryan and coastal people - the Tatars and southern Udmurts, the capture of Mamich-Berdei); sixth, last - late 1556 - May 1557 (widespread cessation of resistance). All waves received their impulse on the Lugovaya side, while the left-bank (Lugovye and northwestern) Mari proved to be the most active, uncompromising and consistent participants in the resistance movement.

Kazan Tatars also took an active part in the war of 1552-1557, fighting for the restoration of the sovereignty and independence of their state. But still, their role in the insurgent movement, with the exception of some of its stages, was not the main one. This was due to several factors. First, the Tatars in the XVI century. experienced a period feudal relations, they were class differentiated and they no longer had such solidarity as was observed among the left-bank Mari, who did not know class contradictions (largely because of this, the participation of the lower classes of Tatar society in the anti-Moscow insurrectionary movement was not stable). Secondly, there was a struggle between clans within the class of feudal lords, which was due to the influx of foreign (Horde, Crimean, Siberian, Nogai) nobility and the weakness of the central government in the Kazan Khanate, and this was successfully used by the Russian state, which was able to win over a significant group Tatar feudal lords even before the fall of Kazan. Thirdly, the proximity of the socio-political systems of the Russian state and the Kazan Khanate facilitated the transition of the feudal nobility of the khanate into the feudal hierarchy of the Russian state, while the Mari proto-feudal elite had weak ties with the feudal structure of both states. Fourthly, the settlements of the Tatars, unlike most of the left-bank Mari, were in relative proximity to Kazan, large rivers and other strategically important routes of communication, in an area where there were few natural barriers that could seriously complicate the movement of punitive troops; moreover, these were, as a rule, economically developed areas, attractive for feudal exploitation. Fifthly, as a result of the fall of Kazan in October 1552, perhaps the bulk of the most combat-ready part of the Tatar troops was destroyed, the armed detachments of the left-bank Mari then suffered to a much lesser extent.

The resistance movement was suppressed as a result of large-scale punitive operations by the troops of Ivan IV. In a number of episodes, insurgent actions took the form civil war and class struggle, but the main motive remained the struggle for the liberation of their land. The resistance movement stopped due to several factors: 1) continuous armed clashes with the tsarist troops, which brought innumerable victims and destruction to the local population; 2) mass starvation and plague epidemic that came from the trans-Volga steppes; 3) the left-bank Mari lost the support of their former allies - the Tatars and the southern Udmurts. In May 1557, representatives of almost all groups of meadow and northwestern Mari swore allegiance to the Russian tsar.

Cheremis wars of 1571 - 1574 and 1581 - 1585 Consequences of the accession of the Mari to the Russian state

After the uprising of 1552-1557. the tsarist administration began to establish strict administrative and police control over the peoples of the Middle Volga region, but at first it was possible to do this only on the Gornaya side and in the immediate vicinity of Kazan, while in most of the Lugovaya side the power of the administration was nominal. The dependence of the local left-bank Mari population was expressed only in the fact that they paid a symbolic tribute and put up soldiers from their midst who were sent to the Livonian War (1558 - 1583). Moreover, the meadow and northwestern Mari continued to raid Russian lands, and local leaders actively established contacts with the Crimean Khan in order to conclude an anti-Moscow military alliance. It is no coincidence that the Second Cheremis War of 1571-1574. began immediately after the campaign of the Crimean Khan Davlet Giray, which ended with the capture and burning of Moscow. The reasons for the Second Cheremis War were, on the one hand, the same factors that prompted the Volga peoples to start an anti-Moscow insurgency shortly after the fall of Kazan, on the other hand, the population, which was under the most strict control of the tsarist administration, was dissatisfied with the increase in the volume of duties, abuses and shameless arbitrariness of officials, as well as a streak of setbacks in the protracted Livonian War. Thus, in the second major uprising of the peoples of the Middle Volga region, national liberation and anti-feudal motives intertwined. Another difference between the Second Cheremis War and the First was the relatively active intervention of foreign states - the Crimean and Siberian khanates, the Nogai Horde and even Turkey. In addition, the uprising swept the neighboring regions, which had already become part of Russia by that time - the Lower Volga region and the Urals. With the help of a whole range of measures (peace negotiations with reaching a compromise with representatives of the moderate wing of the rebels, bribery, isolation of the rebels from their foreign allies, punitive campaigns, construction of fortresses (in 1574, Kokshaysk was built at the mouth of the Bolshaya and Malaya Kokshag, the first city on the territory the modern Republic of Mari El)) the government of Ivan IV the Terrible managed to first split the rebel movement, and then suppress it.

The next armed uprising of the peoples of the Volga and Ural regions, which began in 1581, was caused by the same reasons as the previous one. What was new was that strict administrative and police supervision began to spread to the Lugovaya side as well (assigning heads (“watchmen”) to the local population - Russian service people who carried out control, partial disarmament, confiscation of horses). The uprising began in the Urals in the summer of 1581 (the attack of the Tatars, Khanty and Mansi on the possessions of the Stroganovs), then the unrest spread to the left-bank Mari, soon they were joined by the mountain Mari, Kazan Tatars, Udmurts, Chuvashs and Bashkirs. The rebels blocked Kazan, Sviyazhsk and Cheboksary, made long trips deep into Russian territory - to Nizhny Novgorod, Khlynov, Galich. The Russian government was forced to urgently end the Livonian War by signing a truce with the Commonwealth (1582) and Sweden (1583), and throw significant forces into pacifying the Volga population. The main methods of struggle against the rebels were punitive campaigns, the construction of fortresses (Kozmodemyansk was built in 1583, Tsarevokokshaysk in 1584, Tsarevosanchursk in 1585), as well as peace negotiations, during which Ivan IV, and after his death, the actual The ruler of Russia, Boris Godunov, promised amnesty and gifts to those who wanted to stop the resistance. As a result, in the spring of 1585, "they finished off the Tsar and Grand Duke Fyodor Ivanovich of All Rus' with the brow of the Cheremis with a centuries-old peace."

The entry of the Mari people into the Russian state cannot be unambiguously characterized as evil or good. Both negative and positive consequences of entering Mari into the system of Russian statehood, closely intertwined with each other, began to manifest itself in almost all spheres of the development of society. However Mari and other peoples of the Middle Volga region, on the whole, faced the pragmatic, restrained and even mild (compared to Western European) imperial policy of the Russian state.
This was due not only to fierce resistance, but also to an insignificant geographical, historical, cultural and religious distance between the Russians and the peoples of the Volga region, as well as the traditions of multinational symbiosis dating back to the early Middle Ages, the development of which later led to what is usually called the friendship of peoples. The main thing is that, despite all the terrible upheavals, Mari nevertheless, they survived as an ethnic group and became an organic part of the mosaic of the unique Russian super-ethnos.

Materials used - Svechnikov S.K. Methodical manual "History of the Mari people of the IX-XVI centuries"

Yoshkar-Ola: GOU DPO (PC) C "Mari Institute of Education", 2005

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