What did the Mari take when he went to the forest. Legends of the Vyatka region about the religious beliefs of the Mari

Posted Thu, 20/02/2014 - 07:53 by Cap

Mari (Mar. Mari, Mary, Mare, mӓrӹ; earlier: Russian Cheremis, Turk. Chirmysh, Tatar: Marilar listen)) are a Finno-Ugric people in Russia, mainly in the Republic of Mari El. It is home to about half of all Mari, numbering 604 thousand people (2002). The rest of the Mari are scattered in many regions and republics of the Volga region and the Urals.
The main territory of residence is the interfluve of the Volga and Vetluga.
There are three groups of Mari: mountain (they live on the right and partially left bank of the Volga in the west of Mari El and in neighboring regions), meadow (they make up the majority Mari people, occupy the Volga-Vyatka interfluve), eastern (they were formed from immigrants from the meadow side of the Volga to Bashkiria and the Urals) - the last two groups, due to historical and linguistic proximity, are combined into a generalized meadow-eastern Mari. They speak Mari (meadow-eastern Mari) and Mountain Mari languages ​​of the Finno-Ugric group of the Ural family. They profess Orthodoxy. The Mari traditional religion, which is a combination of paganism and monotheism, has also long been widespread.

Mari hut, kudo, Mari's dwelling

Ethnogenesis
In the early Iron Age, the Ananyinskaya archaeological culture(VIII-III centuries BC), the carriers of which were the distant ancestors of the Komi-Zyryans, Komi-Permyaks, Udmurts and Mari. The beginning of the formation of these peoples refers to the first half of the 1st millennium.
The area of ​​formation of the Mari tribes is the right bank of the Volga between the mouths of the Sura and Tsivil and the opposite left bank together with the lower Povetluzhye. The basis of the Mari was the descendants of the Ananyites, who experienced the ethnic and cultural influence of the late Gorodetsky tribes (ancestors of the Mordovians).
From this area, the Mari settled in an easterly direction up to the river. Vyatka and in the south to the river. Kazanka.

______________________MARI HOLIDAY SHORYKYOL

Ancient Mari culture (lugovomar. Akret Mari cultures) is an archaeological culture of the 6th-11th centuries, marking early periods formation and ethnogenesis of the Mari ethnos.
Formed in the middle of the VI-VII centuries. based on the Finnish-speaking West Volga population living between the mouths of the Oka and Vetluga rivers. The main monuments of this time (Junior Akhmylovsky, Bezvodninsky burial grounds, Chortovo, Bogorodskoye, Odoevskoye, Somovskoye I, II, Vasilsurskoe II, Kubashevskoye and other settlements) are located in the Nizhny Novgorod-Mariysky Volga region, the Lower and Middle Povetluzhye, the basins of the Bolshaya and Malaya Kokshaga rivers. In the 8th-11th centuries, judging by the burial grounds (Dubovsky, Veselovsky, Kocherginsky, Cheremisskoye cemetery, Nizhnyaya Strelka, Yumsky, Lopyalsky), fortified settlements (Vasilsurskoye V, Izhevskoye, Yemanaevskoye, etc.), settlements (Galankina Gora, etc.) , the ancient Mari tribes occupied the Middle Volga region between the mouths of the Sura and Kazanka rivers, the Lower and Middle Povetluzhye, the right bank of the Middle Vyatka.
During this period, the final formation of a single culture and the beginning of the consolidation of the Mari people take place. The culture is characterized by a peculiar funeral rite that combines cremation and cremation on the side, sacrificial complexes in the form of jewelry sets placed in birch bark or wrapped in clothes.
A typical abundance of weapons (iron swords, eye axes, spearheads, darts, arrows). There are tools of labor and everyday life (iron axes-Celts, knives, flints, clay flat-bottomed undecorated pot-shaped and jar vessels, whorls, lyachki, copper and iron kettles).
A rich set of jewelry is characteristic (a variety of hryvnias, brooches, plaques, bracelets, temporal rings, earrings, ridge, "noisy", trapezoidal pendants, "whiskered" rings, typesetting belts, head chains, etc.).

map of the settlement of the Mari and Finno-Ugric tribes

Story
The ancestors of the modern Mari between the 5th and 8th centuries interacted with the Goths, later with the Khazars and the Volga Bulgaria. Between the 13th and 15th centuries, the Mari were part of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate. During the hostilities between the Moscow State and the Kazan Khanate, the Mari fought both on the side of the Russians and on the side of the Kazanians. After the conquest of the Kazan Khanate in 1552, the Mari lands that previously depended on it became part of the Russian state. October 4, 1920 was proclaimed autonomous region Mari as part of the RSFSR, December 5, 1936 - ASSR.
Accession to the Muscovite state was extremely bloody. Three uprisings are known - the so-called Cheremis wars of 1552-1557, 1571-1574 and 1581-1585.
The Second Cheremis War had a national liberation and anti-feudal character. The Mari managed to raise neighboring peoples, and even neighboring states. All the peoples of the Volga and Ural regions participated in the war, and there were raids from the Crimean and Siberian khanates, the Nogai Horde and even Turkey. The second Cheremis war began immediately after the campaign of the Crimean Khan Davlet Giray, which ended with the capture and burning of Moscow.

Sernur folklore Mari group

The Malmyzh principality is the largest and most famous Mari proto-feudal formation.
It traces its history from the founders, the Mari princes Altybay, Ursa and Yamshan (1st half-middle of the XIV century), who colonized these places after coming from the Middle Vyatka. The heyday of the principality - during the reign of Prince Boltush (1st quarter of the 16th century). In cooperation with the neighboring principalities of Kityak and Porek, it offered the greatest resistance to the Russian troops during the Cheremis wars.
After the fall of Malmyzh, its inhabitants, under the leadership of Prince Toktaush, Boltush's brother, descended down the Vyatka and founded new settlements of Mari-Malmyzh and Usa (Usola)-Malmyzhka. The descendants of Toktaush still live there. The principality broke up into several independent minor destinies, including Burtek.
In its heyday, it included Pizhmari, Ardayal, Adorim, Postnikov, Burtek (Mari-Malmyzh), Russian and Mari Babino, Satnur, Chetai, Shishiner, Yangulovo, Salauev, Baltasy, Arbor and Siziner. By the 1540s, the regions of Baltasy, Yangulovo, Arbor and Siziner were captured by the Tatars.

Principality of Izhmara (Principality of Pizhany; Lugomar. Izh Mariy kugyzhanysh, Pyzhanyu kugyzhanysh) is one of the largest Mari proto-feudal formations.
Formed by the North-Western Mari on the recaptured as a result of the Mari-Udmurt wars on Udmurt lands in the thirteenth century. The original center was the Izhevsk settlement, when the borders reached the Pizhma River in the north. In the XIV-XV centuries, the Mari were pushed from the north by Russian colonialists. With the fall of the geopolitical counterweight to the influence of Russia of the Kazan Khanate and the advent of the Russian administration, the principality ceased to exist. The northern part became part of the Yaransk district as the Izhmarinskaya volost, the southern part as the Izhmarinskaya volost became part of the Alat road of the Kazan district. Part of the Mari population in the current Pizhansky region still exists to the west of Pizhanka, grouping around the national center of the village of Mari-Oshaevo. Among the local population, a rich folklore of the period of existence of the principality was recorded - in particular, about local princes and the hero Shaev.
It included land in the basins of the Izh, Pizhanka and Shuda rivers, with an area of ​​about 1 thousand km². The capital is Pizhanka (known in Russian written sources only from the moment the church was built, in 1693).

Mari (Mari people)

Ethnogroups
Mountain Mari (Mountain Mari language)
Forest Mari
Meadow-Eastern Mari (Meadow-Eastern Mari (Mari) language)
Meadow Mari
Eastern Mari
Pribelsky Mari
Ural Mari
Kungur, or Sylven, Mari
Upper Ufa, or Krasnoufim, Mari
Northwestern Mari
Kostroma Mari

mountain Mari, Kuryk Mari

The Mountain Mari language is the language of the mountain Mari, a literary language based on the mountain dialect of the Mari language. The number of speakers is 36,822 (2002 census). Distributed in the Gornomariysky, Yurinsky and Kilemarsky districts of Mari El, as well as in the Voskresensky district of the Nizhny Novgorod and Yaransky districts of the Kirov regions. It occupies the western regions of the distribution of the Mari languages.
The Mountain Mari language, along with the Meadow-Eastern Mari and Russian, is one of the state languages Republic of Mari El.
On the mountain Mari language the newspapers "Zhero" and "Yomduli!", the literary magazine "Usem", broadcasts the Gornomariy radio.

Sergei Chavain, founder of Mari literature

Meadow-Eastern Mari - a generalized name ethnic group Mari, including the historically established ethnic groups of meadow and eastern Mari, who speak a single meadow-eastern Mari language with their own regional characteristics, in contrast to the mountain Mari, who speak their mountain Mari language.
Meadow-Eastern Mari make up the majority of the Mari people. The number is, according to some estimates, about 580 thousand people out of more than 700 thousand Mari.
According to the All-Russian census of 2002, 56,119 people (including 52,696 in Mari El) out of 604,298 Maris (or 9% of them) in Russia identified themselves as meadow-eastern Maris, of which as “meadow Maris” (olyk Mari) - 52,410 people, as actually "Meadow-Eastern Mari" - 3,333 people, as "Eastern Mari" (Eastern (Ural) Mari) - 255 people, which speaks in general about an established tradition (commitment) to call themselves as a single name for the people - "Mari".

Eastern (Ural) Mari

Kungur, or Sylven, Mari (mar. Kögyr Mari, Sulii Mari) is an ethnographic group of Mari in the southeastern part of the Perm Territory of Russia. The Kungur Mari are part of the Ural Mari, who in turn are among the Eastern Mari. The group got its name from the former Kungur district of the Perm province, which until the 1780s included the territory where the Mari had settled since the 16th century. In 1678-1679. in the Kungur district, there were already 100 Mari yurts with a male population of 311 people. In the 16th-17th centuries, Mari settlements appeared along the Sylva and Iren rivers. Some of the Mari were then assimilated by more numerous Russians and Tatars (for example, the village of Oshmarina of the Nasad village council of the Kungur region, the former Mari villages along the upper reaches of the Iren, etc.). The Kungur Mari took part in the formation of the Tatars of the Suksun, Kishert and Kungur regions of the region.

The rite of commemoration among the people of the Mari __________________

Mari (Mari people)
Northwestern Mari- An ethnographic group of Mari who traditionally live in the southern regions of the Kirov region, in the northeastern Nizhny Novgorod region: Tonshaevsky, Tonka, Shakhunsky, Voskresensky and Sharangsky. The overwhelming majority were subjected to strong Russification and Christianization. At the same time, Mari sacred groves have been preserved near the village of Bolshaya Yuronga in the Voskresensky district, the village of Bolshiye Ashkaty in Tonshaevsky and some other Mari villages.

on the grave of the Mari hero Akpatyr

The northwestern Maris are supposedly a group of Maris, whom the Russians called Merya from the local self-name Märӹ, in contrast to the self-name of the meadow Maris - Mari, who appeared in the annals as Cheremis - from the Turkic chirmesh.
The northwestern dialect of the Mari language differs significantly from the meadow dialect, which is why the literature in the Mari language published in Yoshkar-Ola is hardly understood by the northwestern Mari.
In the village of Sharanga, Nizhny Novgorod Region, there is a center of Mari culture. In addition, in the regional museums of the northern regions of the Nizhny Novgorod region, tools and household items of the northwestern Mari are widely represented.

in the sacred Mari grove

resettlement
The main part of the Mari lives in the Republic of Mari El (324.4 thousand people). A significant part lives in the Mari territories of Kirovskaya, Nizhny Novgorod regions. The largest Mari diaspora is located in the Republic of Bashkortostan (105 thousand people). The Mari also live compactly in Tatarstan (19.5 thousand people), Udmurtia (9.5 thousand people), Sverdlovsk (28 thousand people) and Perm (5.4 thousand people) regions, Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous region, Chelyabinsk and Tomsk regions. They also live in Kazakhstan (4 thousand in 2009 and 12 thousand in 1989), in Ukraine (4 thousand in 2001 and 7 thousand in 1989), in Uzbekistan (3 thousand in 1989). G.).

Mari (Mari people)

Kirov region
2002: no. share (in district)
Kilmezsky 2 thousand 8%
Kiknursky 4 thousand 20%
Lebyazhsky 1.5 thousand 9%
Malmyzhsky 5 thousand 24%
Pizhansky 4.5 thousand 23%
Sanchursky 1.8 thousand 10%
Tuzhinsky 1.4 thousand 9%
Urzhumsky 7.5 thousand 26%
Number (Kirov region): 2002 - 38,390, 2010 - 29,598.

Anthropological type
The Mari belong to the Subural anthropological type, which differs from the classical variants of the Ural race in a noticeably greater proportion of the Mongoloid component.

Marie hunting at the end of the 19th century

Festive performance by the Mari people ______

Language
The Mari languages ​​belong to the Finno-Volga group of the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic languages.
In Russia, according to the All-Russian Population Census of 2002, 487,855 people speak the Mari languages, including 451,033 people (meadow-eastern Mari) (92.5%) and Mountain Mari - 36,822 people (7.5%). Among the 604,298 Maris in Russia, 464,341 people (76.8%) speak the Mari languages, 587,452 people (97.2%) speak Russian, that is, Mari-Russian bilingualism is widespread. Among the 312,195 Mari in Mari El, 262,976 people (84.2%) speak the Mari languages, including 245,151 people (93.2%) and Mountain Mari (6 ,8 %); Russians - 302,719 people (97.0%, 2002).

Mari funeral rite

The Mari language (or meadow-eastern Mari) is one of the Finno-Ugric languages. Distributed among the Mari, mainly in the Republic of Mari El and Bashkortostan. The old name is "Cheremis language".
It belongs to the Finno-Permian group of these languages ​​(along with the Baltic-Finnish, Sami, Mordovian, Udmurt and Komi languages). In addition to Mari El, it is also distributed in the Vyatka River basin and to the east, to the Urals. In the Mari (meadow-eastern Mari) language, several dialects and dialects are distinguished: meadow, distributed exclusively on the meadow coast (near Yoshkar-Ola); as well as adjacent to the meadow so-called. Eastern (Uralic) dialects (in Bashkortostan, Sverdlovsk region, Udmurtia, etc.); the northwestern dialect of the meadow Mari language is spoken in Nizhny Novgorod and some areas of the Kirov and Kostroma regions. Separately, the Mountain Mari language is distinguished, which is distributed mainly on the mountainous right bank of the Volga (near Kozmodemyansk) and partly on its meadow left bank - in the west of Mari El.
The Meadow-Eastern Mari language, along with Mountain Mari and Russian, is one of the official languages ​​of the Republic of Mari El.

Traditional Mari clothing

The main clothing of the Mari was a tunic-shaped shirt (tuvyr), trousers (yolash), and also a caftan (sovyr), all clothes were girded with a belt towel (solik), and sometimes with a belt (ÿshtö).
Men could wear a felt hat with a brim, a cap and a mosquito net. Leather boots served as shoes, and later - felt boots and bast shoes (borrowed from the Russian costume). To work in swampy areas, wooden platforms (ketyrma) were attached to shoes.
Belt pendants were common among women - jewelry made of beads, cowrie shells, coins, fasteners, etc. There were also three types of women's headdresses: a cone-shaped cap with an occipital lobe; magpie (borrowed from the Russians), sharpan - a head towel with an overcoat. Shurka is similar to the Mordovian and Udmurt headdress.

Public work among the Mari people __________

Mari prayer, Surem holiday

Religion
In addition to Orthodoxy, the Mari have their own pagan traditional religion, which retains a certain role in spiritual culture at the present time. The commitment of the Mari to their traditional faith is of great interest to journalists from Europe and Russia. The Mari are even called "the last pagans of Europe."
In the 19th century, paganism among the Mari was persecuted. For example, in 1830, at the direction of the Minister of the Interior, who received an appeal from the Holy Synod, a place of prayer - Chumbylat Kuryk was blown up, however, interestingly, the destruction of the Chumbylatov stone did not have the proper effect on morals, because the Cheremis worshiped not the stone, but the inhabitant here to the deity.

Mari (Mari people)
Mari traditional religion (Mar. Chimari yula, Mari (marla) faith, Mariy yula, Marla kumaltysh, Oshmariy-Chimariy and other local and historical variants of names) is the folk religion of the Mari, based on Mari mythology, modified under the influence of monotheism. According to some researchers, in recent times, with the exception of rural areas, it has a neo-pagan character. Since the beginning of the 2000s, organizational formation and registration took place as several local and regional centralized religious organizations of the Republic of Mari El that unite them. For the first time, a single confessional name was officially fixed Mari Traditional Religion (mar. Mari Yumyyula)

The holiday of the Mari people _________________

The Mari religion is based on faith in the forces of nature, which a person must honor and respect. Before the spread of monotheistic teachings, the Mari worshiped many gods known as Yumo, while recognizing the supremacy of the Supreme God (Kugu-Yumo). In the 19th century pagan beliefs, under the influence of the monotheistic views of their neighbors, changed and the image of the One God Tÿҥ Osh Poro Kugu Yumo (the One Light Good Great God) was created.
Followers of the Mari traditional religion carry out religious rituals, mass prayers, hold charitable, cultural and educational events. They teach and educate the younger generation, publish and distribute religious literature. Currently, four regional religious organizations are registered.
Prayer meetings and mass prayers are held in accordance with the traditional calendar, always taking into account the position of the moon and sun. Public prayers are held, as a rule, in sacred groves (kasoto). Prayer is led by oneҥ, kart (kart kugyz).
G. Yakovlev points out that the meadow Mari have 140 gods, and the mountain ones have about 70. However, some of these gods probably arose due to a mistranslation.
The main god is Kugu-Yumo - the Supreme God, who lives in heaven, heads all the heavenly and lower gods. According to legend, the wind is his breath, the rainbow is his bow. Also mentioned is Kugurak - "elder" - sometimes also revered as the supreme god:

Mari archer hunting - late 19th century

Of the other gods and spirits of the Mari, one can name:
Purisho is the god of fate, the caster and creator of the future fate of all people.
Azyren - (mar. "death") - according to legend, appeared in the form strong man who approached the dying man with the words: “Your time has come!”. There are many legends and tales about how people tried to outwit him.
Shudyr-Shamych Yumo - god of stars
Tunya Yumo - the god of the universe
Tul on Kugu Yumo - the god of fire (perhaps just an attribute of Kugu-Yumo), also Surt Kugu Yumo - the "god" of the hearth, Saxa Kugu Yumo - the "god" of fertility, Tutyra Kugu Yumo - the "god" of fog and others - rather of everything, these are just attributes of the supreme god.
Tylmache - speaker and lackey of the divine will
Tylze-Yumo - god of the moon
Uzhara-Yumo - the god of the morning dawn
In modern times, prayers are made to the gods:
Poro Osh Kugu Yumo is the supreme, most important god.
Shochynava is the goddess of birth.
Tunyambal Sergalysh.

Many researchers consider Keremet to be the antipode of Kugo-Yumo. It should be noted that the places for sacrifices at Kugo-Yumo and Keremet are separate. Places of worship of deities are called Yumo-oto ("God's island" or "divine grove"):
Mer-oto is a public place of worship where the whole community prays
Tukym-oto is a family and ancestral place of worship

By the nature of prayer, they also differ in:
occasional prayers (for example, for rain)
communal - major holidays (Semyk, Agavairem, Surem, etc.)
private (family) - wedding, birth of children, funerals, etc.

Settlements and dwellings of the Mari people

The Mari have long developed a riverine-ravine type of settlement. Their ancient habitats were located along the banks of large rivers - the Volga, Vetluga, Sura, Vyatka and their tributaries. Early settlements, according to archaeological data, existed in the form of fortified settlements (karman, or) and unfortified settlements (ilem, surt), connected by family ties. The settlements were small, which is typical for the forest zone. Until the middle of the XIX century. the layout of the Mari settlements was dominated by cumulus, disorderly forms, which inherited the early forms of settlement by family-patronymic groups. The transition from cumulus forms to ordinary, street planning of streets took place gradually in the middle - second half of the 19th century.
The interior of the house was simple but functional, wide benches were located along the side walls from the red corner and the table. Shelves for dishes and utensils, crossbars for clothes were hung on the walls, there were several chairs in the house. The living quarters were subdivided into female half where the stove was located, the men's - from the front door to the red corner. Gradually, the interior changed - the number of rooms increased, furniture began to appear in the form of beds, cupboards, mirrors, clocks, stools, chairs, framed photographs.

folklore Mari wedding in Sernur

Mari economy
By the end of the 1st - beginning of the 2nd millennium AD. was complex, but the main thing was agriculture. In the IX-XI centuries. Mari are moving to arable farming. The steam three-field field with manured fallows was established among the Mari peasants in the 18th century. Along with the three-field system of agriculture until the end of the XIX century. slash-and-burn and shifting were preserved. The Mari cultivated cereals (oats, buckwheat, barley, wheat, spelt, millet), legumes (peas, vetch), industrial crops (hemp, flax). Sometimes in the fields, in addition to gardens on the estate, potatoes were planted, hops were bred. Horticulture and horticulture had a consumer character. The traditional set of garden crops included: onions, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, pumpkins, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, beets. Potatoes began to be cultivated in the first half of the 19th century. Tomatoes began to be bred in Soviet times.
Gardening has become widespread since the middle of the 19th century. on the right bank of the Volga among the mountain Mari, where there were favorable climatic conditions. Their horticulture was of commercial importance.

Folk calendar Mari holidays

The initial basis of the festive calendar was the labor practice of people, primarily agricultural, so the calendar rituals of the Mari had an agrarian character. Calendar holidays were closely connected with the cyclical nature and the corresponding stages of agricultural work.
Christianity had a significant impact on the calendar holidays of the Mari. With the introduction of the church calendar, folk holidays were brought closer in time to Orthodox holidays: Shorykyol (New Year, Christmas time) - for Christmas, Kugech (Great Day) - for Easter, Sÿrem (holiday of summer sacrifice) - for Peter's day, Uginda (holiday of new bread) - for Ilyin's day, etc. Despite this, the ancient traditions were not forgotten, they coexisted with the Christian ones, retaining their original meaning and structure. The timing of the arrival of individual holidays continued to be calculated in the old way, using the lunisolar calendar.

Names
From time immemorial, the Mari have had national names. When interacting with the Tatars, Turkic-Arabic names penetrated the Mari, with the adoption of Christianity - Christian ones. Currently, Christian names are used more, and a return to national (Mari) names is also gaining popularity. Name examples: Akchas, Altynbikya, Ayvet, Aimurza, Bikbay, Emysh, Izikay, Kumchas, Kysylvika, Mengylvik, Malika, Nastalche, Pairalche, Shymavika.

Mari holiday Semyk

wedding traditions
One of the main attributes of a wedding is the “Sÿan lupsh” wedding whip, a talisman that protects the “road” of life along which the newlyweds have to go together.

Mari of Bashkortostan
Bashkortostan is the second region of Russia after Mari El in terms of the number of Mari residents. 105,829 Maris live on the territory of Bashkortostan (2002), a third of the Maris of Bashkortostan live in cities.
The resettlement of the Mari to the Urals took place in the 15th-19th centuries and was caused by their forced Christianization in the Middle Volga. The Mari of Bashkortostan for the most part retained traditional pagan beliefs.
Training is available in the Mari language in national schools, in secondary specialized and higher educational institutions in Birsk and Blagoveshchensk. The Mari public association "Mari Ushem" operates in Ufa.

Famous Mari
Abukaev-Emgak, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich - journalist, playwright
Bykov, Vyacheslav Arkadievich - hockey player, coach of the Russian national hockey team
Vasikova, Lidia Petrovna - the first Mari female professor, Doctor of Philology
Vasiliev, Valerian Mikhailovich - linguist, ethnographer, folklorist, writer
Kim Wasin - Writer
Grigoriev, Alexander Vladimirovich - artist
Efimov, Izmail Varsonofievich - artist, king of arms
Efremov, Tikhon Efremovich - educator
Efrush, Georgy Zakharovich - writer
Zotin, Vladislav Maksimovich - 1st President of Mari El
Ivanov, Mikhail Maksimovich - poet
Ignatiev, Nikon Vasilyevich - writer
Iskandarov, Alexey Iskandarovich - composer, choirmaster
Kazakov, Miklai - poet
Kislitsyn, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich - 2nd President of Mari El
Columbus, Valentin Khristoforovich - poet
Konakov, Alexander Fedorovich - playwright
Kyrla, Yivan - poet, film actor, film A ticket to life

Lekain, Nikandr Sergeevich - writer
Luppov, Anatoly Borisovich - composer
Makarova, Nina Vladimirovna - Soviet composer
Mikay, Mikhail Stepanovich - poet and fabulist
Molotov, Ivan N. - composer
Mosolov, Vasily Petrovich - agronomist, academician
Mukhin, Nikolai Semyonovich - poet, translator
Sergei Nikolaevich Nikolaev - playwright
Olyk Ipay - poet
Orai, Dmitry Fedorovich - writer
Palantai, Ivan Stepanovich - composer, folklorist, teacher
Prokhorov, Zinon Filippovich - Guard Lieutenant, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Pet Pershut - poet
Regezh-Gorokhov, Vasily Mikhailovich - writer, translator, People's Artist of the MASSR, Honored Artist of the RSFSR
Savi, Vladimir Alekseevich - writer
Sapaev, Erik Nikitich - composer
Smirnov, Ivan Nikolaevich (historian) - historian, ethnographer
Taktarov, Oleg Nikolaevich - actor, athlete
Toidemar, Pavel S. — musician
Tynysh, Osyp - playwright
Shabdar, Osip - writer
Shadt, Bulat - poet, prose writer, playwright
Shketan, Yakov Pavlovich - writer
Chavain, Sergei Grigorievich - poet and playwright
Cheremisinova, Anastasia Sergeevna - poetess
Chetkarev, Ksenofont Arkhipovich - ethnographer, folklorist, writer, organizer of science
Eleksein, Yakov Alekseevich - prose writer
Elmar, Vasily Sergeevich - poet
Ashkinin, Andrey Karpovich - writer
Eshpay, Andrey Andreevich - film director, screenwriter, producer
Eshpay, Andrey Yakovlevich - Soviet composer
Eshpay, Yakov Andreevich - ethnographer and composer
Yuzykain, Alexander Mikhailovich - writer
Yuksern, Vasily Stepanovich - writer
Yalkayn, Yanysh Yalkaevich - writer, critic, ethnographer
Yamberdov, Ivan Mikhailovich - artist

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Source of information and photo:
Team Nomads.
The peoples of Russia: a picturesque album, St. Petersburg, printing house of the Association "Public Benefit", December 3, 1877, art. 161
MariUver - Independent portal about the Mari, Mari El in four languages: Mari, Russian, Estonian and English
Dictionary of Mari mythology.
Mari // Peoples of Russia. Ch. ed. V. A. Tishkov M.: BRE 1994 p.230
The last pagans of Europe
S. K. Kuznetsov. A trip to the ancient Cheremis shrine, known since the time of Olearius. Ethnographic review. 1905, No. 1, p. 129-157
Wikipedia site.
http://aboutmari.com/
http://www.mariuver.info/
http://www.finnougoria.ru/

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The Mari are a Finno-Ugric people who believe in spirits. Many people are interested in what religion the Mari belong to, but in fact they cannot be defined as Christianity or the Muslim faith, because they have their own idea of ​​God. This people believe in spirits, trees are sacred to them, and Ovda replaces the devil. Their religion implies that our world originated on another planet, where a duck laid two eggs. They hatched good and evil brothers. They are the ones who created life on Earth. The Mari perform unique rituals, respect the gods of nature, and their faith is one of the most unchanged since ancient times.

History of the Mari people

According to legend, the history of this people began on another planet. A duck, living in the constellation of the Nest, flew to Earth and laid several eggs. So this people appeared, judging by their beliefs. It is worth noting that to this day they do not recognize the worldwide names of the constellations, naming the stars in their own way. According to legend, the bird flew from the constellation Pleiades, and, for example, Ursa Major is called Elk.

sacred groves

Kusoto are sacred groves, which are so revered by the Mari. Religion implies that people should bring purlyk to the groves for public prayers. These are sacrificial birds, geese or ducks. To conduct this ceremony, each family must choose the most beautiful and healthy bird, because the Mari priest will check it for suitability for the ceremony. If the bird is fit, then they ask for forgiveness, after which they light it with smoke. Thus, the people express their respect for the spirit of fire, which cleanses the space of negativity.

It is in the forest that all Mari pray. The religion of this people is built on unity with nature, so they believe that by touching the trees and making sacrifices, they create a direct connection with God. The groves themselves were not planted on purpose, they have been there for a long time. According to legend, even the ancient ancestors of this people chose them for prayers, based on how the sun, comets and stars are located. All groves are usually divided into tribal, rural and general. Moreover, in some you can pray several times a year, while in others - only once every seven years. There is a great energy force in Kusoto, the Mari believe. Religion forbids them to swear, make noise or sing while in the forest, because according to their faith, nature is the embodiment of God on Earth.

Fight for Kusoto

For many centuries, they tried to cut down the groves, and the Mari people for many years defended the right to preserve the forest. At first, Christians wanted to destroy them, imposing their faith, then the Soviet government tried to deprive the Mari of sacred places. To conserve forests, the Mari people had to formally accept Orthodox faith. They attended church, defended the service and secretly went into the forest to worship their gods. This led to the fact that many Christian customs became part of the faith of the Mari.

Legends about Ovda

According to legend, once upon a time a stubborn Mari woman lived on Earth, and one day she angered the gods. For this, she was turned into Ovda - a terrible creature with large breasts, black hair and twisted legs. People avoided her, as she often caused damage, cursing entire villages. Although she could help too. In the old days, she was often seen: she lives in caves, on the outskirts of the forest. Until now, the Mari people think so. The religion of this people is built on natural forces, and it is believed that Ovda is the original bearer of divine energy, capable of bringing both good and evil.

There are interesting megaliths in the forest, very similar to blocks of man-made origin. According to legend, it was Ovda who built a defense around her caves so that people would not disturb her. Science suggests that the ancient Mari defended themselves from enemies with their help, but they could not process and install stones on their own. Therefore, this area is very attractive to psychics and magicians, because it is believed that this is a place of powerful power. Sometimes all the peoples living nearby visit it. Despite how close the Mordovians live, the Maris are different from them, and they cannot be attributed to the same group. Many of their legends are similar, but that's all.

Mari bagpipe - shuvyr

Shuvyr is considered a real magical instrument of the Mari. This unique bagpipe is made from a cow's bladder. First, for two weeks it is prepared with porridge and salt, and only then, when the bladder becomes limp, a tube and a horn are attached to it. The Mari believe that each element of the instrument is endowed with a special power. The musician using it can understand what the birds are singing and the animals are talking about. Listening to this folk instrument, people fall into a trance. Sometimes with the help of shuvyra people are healed. The Mari believe that the music of this bagpipe is the key to the gates of the spirit world.

Honoring deceased ancestors

The Mari do not go to cemeteries, they invite the dead to visit every Thursday. Previously, no identifying marks were placed on the graves of the Mari, but now they simply install wooden decks, where they write the names of the deceased. The religion of the Mari in Russia is very similar to the Christian one in that souls live well in heaven, but the living believe that their deceased relatives are very homesick. And if the living do not remember their ancestors, then their souls will become evil and begin to harm people.

Each family sets up a separate table for the dead and sets it up as for the living. Everything that is prepared on the table should also stand for invisible guests. All treats after dinner are given to pets to eat. This ritual also represents an ancestral request for help, the whole family at the table discusses problems and asks for help in finding their solution. After a meal for the dead, a bath is heated, and only after a while the owners themselves go there. It is believed that you can not sleep until all the villagers see their guests.

Mari Bear - Mask

There is a legend that in ancient times a hunter named Mask angered the god Yumo with his behavior. He did not listen to the advice of his elders, he killed animals for fun, and he himself was distinguished by cunning and cruelty. For this, God punished him by turning him into a bear. The hunter repented and asked for mercy, but Yumo ordered him to keep order in the forest. And if he does it regularly, then in the next life he will become a man.

Beekeeping

Mariytsev pays special attention to bees. According to ancient legends, it is believed that these insects were the last to come to Earth, having arrived here from another Galaxy. Mari's laws imply that each kart should have its own apiary, where he will receive propolis, honey, wax and bee bread.

Signs with bread

Every year, the Mari grind some flour by hand to make the first loaf. During its preparation, the hostess should whisper on the dough good wishes for everyone who plans to treat with a treat. Considering what kind of religion the Mari have, it is worth paying special attention to this rich treat. When someone in the family goes on a long journey, they bake special bread. According to legend, it must be put on the table and not removed until the travelers return home. Almost all the rituals of the Mari people are associated with bread, so every housewife, at least for the holidays, bakes it herself.

Kugeche - Mari Easter

Mari people use stoves not for heating, but for cooking. Once a year, pancakes and pies with porridge are baked in every house. This is done on a holiday called Kugeche, it is dedicated to the renewal of nature, and it is also customary to commemorate the dead on it. Every home should have homemade candles made by the cards and their helpers. The wax of these candles is filled with the power of nature and, during melting, enhances the effect of prayers, the Mari believe. It is difficult to answer what faith the religion of this people belongs to, but, for example, Kugeche always coincides in time with Easter, celebrated by Christians. Several centuries erased the boundaries between the faith of the Mari and Christians.

Celebrations usually last for several days. The combination of pancakes, cottage cheese and loaf for the Mari means a symbol of the triplicity of the world. Also on this holiday, every woman should drink beer or kvass from a special fertility ladle. They also eat colored eggs, it is believed that the higher the owner breaks it against the wall, the better the chickens will rush in the right places.

Rites in Kusoto

All people who want to unite with nature gather in the forest. Before the prayer, the cards are lit by homemade candles. You can not sing and make noise in the groves, the harp is the only musical instrument allowed here. Rites of purification with sound are performed, for this they strike with a knife on an ax. The Mari also believe that a breath of wind in the air will cleanse them of evil and allow them to connect with pure cosmic energy. The prayers themselves do not last long. After them, part of the food is sent to the fires so that the gods enjoy the treats. The smoke of campfires is also considered cleansing. And the rest of the food is distributed to people. Some take food home to treat those who couldn't make it.

The Mari people really appreciate nature, so the next day the cards come to the place where the rites are held and clean up everything. After that, no one from five to seven years old can enter the grove. This is necessary so that she restores energy and can saturate people with her during the next prayers. This is the religion that the Mari profess, during its existence it began to resemble other faiths, but still many rituals and legends have remained unchanged since ancient times. This is a very unique and amazing people, devoted to their religious laws.

The distant ancestors of the Mari came to the Middle Volga around the 6th century. These were tribes belonging to the Finno-Ugric language group. In anthropological terms, the Udmurts, Komi-Permyaks, Mordvins, and Saami are closest to the Mari. These peoples belong to the Ural race - transitional between Caucasians and Mongoloids. The Mari among the named peoples are the most Mongoloid, with dark color hair and eyes.


The neighboring peoples called the Mari "Cheremis". The etymology of this name is not clear. The self-name of the Mari - "Mari" - is translated as "man", "man".

The Mari are among the peoples who have never had their own state. Starting from the 8th-9th centuries, they were conquered by the Khazars, the Volga Bulgars, and the Mongols.

In the 15th century, the Mari became part of the Kazan Khanate. From that time on, their devastating raids on the lands of the Russian Volga region began. Prince Kurbsky in his "Tales" noted that "Cheremi people are extremely blood-drinking." Even women took part in these campaigns, who, according to contemporaries, were not inferior to men in courage and courage. The upbringing of the younger generation was also relevant. Sigismund Herberstein in his Notes on Muscovy (XVI century) indicates that the Cheremis are “very experienced archers, and they never let go of the bow; they find such pleasure in it that they do not even give their sons food, unless they first pierce the intended target with an arrow.

The accession of the Mari to the Russian state began in 1551 and ended a year later, after the capture of Kazan. However, for several more years, uprisings of conquered peoples flared in the Middle Volga region - the so-called "Cheremis wars". The Mari were the most active in them.

The formation of the Mari people was completed only in the XVIII century. At the same time, the Mari alphabet was created on the basis of the Russian alphabet.

Before the October Revolution, the Mari were scattered as part of the Kazan, Vyatka, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa and Yekaterinburg provinces. Important role The formation of the Mari Autonomous Region in 1920, which was later transformed into an autonomous republic, played a role in the ethnic consolidation of the Mari. However, today only half of the 670 thousand Mari live in the Republic of Mari El. The rest are scattered outside.

2. Religion, culture

The traditional religion of the Mari is characterized by the idea of ​​the supreme god - Kugu Yumo, who is opposed by the bearer of evil - Keremet. Both deities were sacrificed in special groves. The leaders of the prayers were priests - carts.

The conversion of the Mari to Christianity began immediately after the fall of the Kazan Khanate and acquired a special scope in the 18th-19th centuries. The traditional faith of the Mari people was severely persecuted. By order of the secular and ecclesiastical authorities, sacred groves were cut down, prayers were dispersed, and stubborn pagans were punished. Conversely, those who converted to Christianity were given certain benefits.

As a result, most of the Mari were baptized. However, there are still many adherents of the so-called "Mari faith", which combines Christianity and traditional religion. Paganism remained almost untouched among the Eastern Mari. In the 70s of the 19th century, the Kugu Sorta (“big candle”) sect appeared, which tried to reform the old beliefs.

Adherence to traditional beliefs contributed to the establishment national consciousness mary. Of all the peoples of the Finno-Ugric family, they have preserved their language to the greatest extent, national traditions, culture. At the same time, Mari paganism carries elements of national alienation, self-isolation, which, however, do not have aggressive, hostile tendencies. On the contrary, in the traditional Mari pagan appeals to the Great God, along with a prayer for the happiness and well-being of the Mari people, there is a request to give good life Russians, Tatars and all other peoples.
Supreme moral rule the Mari had a respectful attitude towards any person. “Respect the elders, pity the younger ones,” says a folk proverb. It was considered a holy rule to feed the hungry, to help the one who asks, to provide shelter to the traveler.

The Mari family strictly monitored the behavior of its members. It was considered dishonor for a husband if his son was caught in some bad deed. Mutilation and theft were considered the gravest crimes, and the massacre of the people punished them most severely.

Traditional performances still have a huge impact on the life of the Mari society. If you ask a Mari what is the meaning of life, he will answer something like this: remain optimistic, believe in your happiness and good luck, do good deeds, for the salvation of the soul is in kindness.

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. Enormous power is held 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 tall 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 fought to preserve them and defended their right to their own faith. At first they 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.

Sacred grove - 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 - that's what they call sacred trees. 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 mystical woman no one has seen it for a long time, the Mari believe in its 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 cause 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 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. The bridesmaids do not despair - they will still receive their ransom, otherwise the bridegroom will not see the bride. 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.

The lash is a very important element at a Mountain Mari 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 in the evenings, a bath is heated. 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

The legend says 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 ancient occupations 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 It 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 nice moment- a meal. 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. A sacred grove this is an open portal of 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. 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 a large 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 "Sarmat" through 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 grains, legumes and industrial crops cultivated in the forest belt of Eastern Europe and at the present time. 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 (primarily 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 products 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 obvious signs close and regular ties of the Mari with the Eastern Slavs in the 9th - 11th centuries. not yet 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 tense relationship with 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 the strong Slavic-Russian influence (obviously, through the mediation of the Meryan tribes) was the 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 XII - early XIII centuries, there are much fewer Bulgarian things.

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, "Cheremis" (probably they were western groups Mari population) even 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-Mohammed, his court and combat-ready troops, which together played the role of a powerful catalyst in the consolidation of the local population and the creation of a state entity, 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 economic life Mari 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 due to the high level of its economic development, an intermediate position between the Russian lands and Kazan, the growth of Russian influence 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 to establish 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 estate - 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 socio-economic development. Meadow and mountain Mari, engaged in agricultural labor, took a less active part in military campaigns, in addition, 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 Mountain 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, the complex, contradictory nature of relations with Kazan in previous years, also played a significant role. 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 in their place Orthodox churches, 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 of 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 of a 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 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 (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 distant campaigns 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 fighting 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 themselves 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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