Mordva is a Finno-Ugric people living in the Republic of Mordovia and adjacent regions. The republic, formed in 1930, is part of the Volga Federal District. The capital of Mordovia is the city of Saransk.
The Mordovian people are divided into two subcultural ethnic groups - Erzya and Moksha. Erzya and Moksha are distinguished by their literary languages, traditional way of life and culture. Moksha live in the southern and western parts of Mordovia, Erzi - in the eastern and northeastern. The generally accepted language in the republic is Russian.
Most of the Mordovian people adhere to Orthodoxy, Lutherans, Molokans, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and representatives of pagan religions also live in the republic.
Culture and life of the Mordovian people
Mordovian culture is closely intertwined with Russian culture, but is distinguished by its originality. Spiritual culture is based on folk rituals, consisting of oral and poetic creativity, dances and arts and crafts. Most of the rituals are associated with the seasons, family traditions and religious holidays.
Mordovia celebrates Christmas, Easter, Maslenitsa and Trinity. Since ancient times, Erzi and Moksha have been playing the bagpipe, flute, clarinet, rattle and xylophone. Modern musical culture is represented by several popular musicians, as well as ensembles performing works in national languages.
On the territory of Mordovia there are many ancient monasteries where pilgrims come from all over Russia. There are: the Republican Museum of Local Lore, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Temnikovsky Museum of Local History, the Museum of Military and Labor Feat, as well as about a hundred small museums. The pride of the republic is the Pushkin National Library and the Puppet Theatre.
In 2006, the Volga Center of Finno-Ugric Peoples' Cultures was opened in Mordovia. Large international fairs, festivals and congresses of Finno-Ugric peoples are held in Saransk. In 2012, the millennium of the unity of the Mordovian and Russian peoples was widely celebrated in the republic.
In the old days, the Mordovian people lived as one clan in small settlements on the banks of rivers and along the edges of forests. The houses were located in the middle of large courtyards, surrounded by a high fence. The house consisted of a hut and a vestibule and separate outbuildings. Families numbered 30-40 people.
Since ancient times, the Mordovian people have been successfully engaged in agriculture, beekeeping, fishing, hunting, collecting wild berries and herbs. Folk art is developed everywhere - embroidery, patterned weaving, beading, woodcarving, jewelry making, weaving and spinning.
Traditions and customs of the Mordovian people
The modern traditions of the Mordovian people came from ancient times. They were formed on the unity of man with nature. Many Erzya and Moksha traditions are associated with the creation of a family and the appearance of a child. From the time of paganism, beliefs and customs regarding the burial and veneration of deceased ancestors have been preserved.
The Mordovian people are distinguished by cordiality and hospitality. On big church holidays, Russians came to Mordovian settlements from nearby villages to taste delicious dishes and take part in folk festivals.
The traditional cuisine of the Mordovian people is similar to Russian. Popular dishes are various cereals, cabbage soup, boiled meat, fried liver, sauerkraut, kvass, curdled milk, drinks made from honey, barley, hops and malt.
Since ancient times, Mordovian girls have been engaged in fortune telling. Outdoor games are popular. Much attention is paid to instilling diligence in children, respect for elders, accustoming them to work and instilling ancient family traditions.
Erzya and Moksha. The formation of nationalities
More than 150 different peoples currently live in Russia, each of which is interesting in its own way, original, has its own traditions and customs. One of these peoples is the Mordovians. The origin of this people goes back to the first centuries of our era. Before the arrival of the Slavs, the territory of the Middle Oka was ruled by Finno-Ugric tribes, later called by historians "Old Mordovian". Over the next millennium, these tribes split into two main groups. Some called themselves "Erzya", others - "Moksha", but for many neighboring tribes they still remained one people - the Mordvins. The appearance, way of life, culture and traditions of the Erzya and Moksha also began to differ. Anthropological features, costume decorations, funeral rites have acquired such specific features among the Mordovian peoples for a long time that modern archaeologists, exploring Mordovian archaeological sites, can accurately determine whether certain burials belonged to Erzya or Moksha.
Assimilation of the Mordovians
The formation of these two nationalities has come a long and difficult way.
For a long time they were in contact with the Tatars, Volga Bulgars, Khazars and other numerous neighbors. All this ultimately influenced the origin of the Mordovians. Its culture, traditions, way of life developed under the influence of neighbors. The Mordovians then borrowed a lot from foreign peoples. The appearance of the Mordovian population can say a lot about assimilation with neighboring tribes; interethnic marriages were not only allowed, but also welcomed. In the 11th-12th centuries, Slavic tribes began to settle in central Russia, bringing with them the Christian religion. Soon the territory became part of Russia, and the population underwent Christianization. Assimilation with the Russian population continues to this day. The Russian people and the Mordovians influence each other. The appearance of the Erzya is distinguished by a significant presence of light-skinned gray-eyed blondes and blondes, while among the Mokshans, black-eyed and black-haired men and women with dark or yellowish skin predominate, which indicates their relationship with the Tatars and Chuvashs.
Modern problems of the Mordovians
Now there is a lot of talk about the unification of the ethnic peoples Erzya and Moksha. One territory, one ancestors, and lived all the time side by side. Many of the inhabitants of Mordovia and nearby regions have long called themselves "Mordovians". Appearance and character, culture and traditions are increasingly losing their uniqueness and originality, merging with the features of other nationalities. But there is one thing, one barrier, which the supporters of unification will never be able to overcome. This is the national language. Over the centuries, the Erzya and Moksha languages were formed. They contain the history of the people, the history of their ancestors. When divided into two branches, at some point the common language became almost unrecognizable. Now the Mokshan will not understand a word in Erzya, and the Erzya - in Moksha, but both nationalities are trying with all their might to preserve and pass on to their descendants the features of their national language. Probably, in the presence of such a powerful weapon lies the strength of the unity of the people.
Erzya and Moksha. The formation of nationalities
More than 150 different peoples currently live in Russia, each of which is interesting in its own way, original, has its own traditions and customs. One of these peoples is the Mordovians. The origin of this people goes back to the first centuries of our era. Before the arrival of the Slavs, the territory of the Middle Oka was ruled by Finno-Ugric tribes, later called by historians "Old Mordovian". Over the next millennium, these tribes split into two main groups. Some called themselves "Erzya", others - "Moksha", but for many neighboring tribes they still remained one people - the Mordvins. The appearance, way of life, culture and traditions of the Erzya and Moksha also began to differ. Anthropological features, costume decorations, funeral rites have acquired such specific features among the Mordovian peoples for a long time that modern archaeologists, exploring Mordovian archaeological sites, can accurately determine whether certain burials belonged to Erzya or Moksha.
Assimilation of the Mordovians
The formation of these two nationalities has come a long and difficult way.
For a long time they were in contact with the Tatars, Volga Bulgars, Khazars and other numerous neighbors. All this ultimately influenced the origin of the Mordovians. Its culture, traditions, way of life developed under the influence of neighbors. The Mordovians then borrowed a lot from foreign peoples. The appearance of the Mordovian population can say a lot about assimilation with neighboring tribes; interethnic marriages were not only allowed, but also welcomed. In the 11th-12th centuries, Slavic tribes began to settle in central Russia, bringing with them the Christian religion. Soon the territory became part of Russia, and the population underwent Christianization. Assimilation with the Russian population continues to this day. The Russian people and the Mordovians influence each other. The appearance of the Erzya is distinguished by a significant presence of light-skinned gray-eyed blondes and blondes, while among the Mokshans, black-eyed and black-haired men and women with dark or yellowish skin predominate, which indicates their relationship with the Tatars and Chuvashs.
Modern problems of the Mordovians
Now there is a lot of talk about the unification of the ethnic peoples Erzya and Moksha. One territory, one ancestors, and lived all the time side by side. Many of the inhabitants of Mordovia and nearby regions have long called themselves "Mordovians". Appearance and character, culture and traditions are increasingly losing their uniqueness and originality, merging with the features of other nationalities. But there is one thing, one barrier, which the supporters of unification will never be able to overcome. This is the national language. Over the centuries, the Erzya and Moksha languages were formed. They contain the history of the people, the history of their ancestors. When divided into two branches, at some point the common language became almost unrecognizable. Now the Mokshan will not understand a word in Erzya, and the Erzya - in Moksha, but both nationalities are trying with all their might to preserve and pass on to their descendants the features of their national language. Probably, in the presence of such a powerful weapon lies the strength of the unity of the people.
- numerous Finno-Ugric people, which inhabits the central part of modern Russia. Representatives of this nationality are the indigenous people of central Russia and one of the most ancient aboriginal ethnic groups in Eastern Europe. The total number of representatives of the people is approximately 800 thousand. About 30% of Mordovians live in Mordovia, but the rest is settled in other regions of Russia, especially in the Tambov, Samara, Ryazan, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod and Penza regions. This people arose at the end of the 1st millennium BC. e. - the beginning of the 1st millennium AD e.
Moksha girl, Erzya girl, Mordvinian family
Subgroups of Mordovians (sub-ethnic groups).
The Mordvin people are divided into two subgroups: erzya And moksha. Moksha, for the most part, lives precisely in the west and south of the Mordovians, and Erzya lives in the east. Erzya, in turn, are divided into Shokshan and Teryukhan. And this means that the customs of the Mordovians are very different among different representatives of this culture.
Mordovian language.
To this day, the Mordovian language has not lost its everyday relevance, at least for a third of the population of all of Mordovia, but the majority of the population speaks Russian. The main religion of the population is Orthodoxy, but there are still Molokans, Lutherans And Old Believers.
Where did the term "Mordva" come from?
The term "Mordva" is a conventional designation for two radically different peoples. In fact, the traditions of the Mordovians differ greatly among these two peoples, they speak completely different languages, they are completely different from each other in appearance, and most importantly, they will not even understand each other if they speak their native languages. So we can say that the customs of the Mordovians are extremely diverse. Before the Soviet period, the inhabitants of both nationalities did not identify themselves with the concept of "Mordvin" or "Mordva", moreover, this term was pejorative or offensive in their understanding. Nowadays, of course, everything has changed. This generalization was instilled at the state level during a meeting of the Council of People's Commissars in 1928. Initially, the issue of creating the Erzya-Moksha district was discussed at the meeting, but at that time the term "Mordva" was known to the entire population of Russia and was applied equally to both Erza and Moksha. Therefore, it was much easier to create the Mordovian district and designate all its inhabitants as one nationality - Mordovians, which was done. It was from this time that the modern history of the Mordovians began.
History of the peoples of Mordovia.
Until the Middle Ages
The most ancient references to the Mordovian tribes are still present in ancient, antique records. In those days, these tribes were more than wild. For example, in the records of Herodotus they were referred to only as androphages - cannibals. The bad climate and the low standard of living of these tribes created far from the best conditions for the development of a normal society of that time period. This alignment of events led to the growing anger of the population. In the fifth century A.D. the tribes of the Mordovians encountered in battles with the Scythians and Sarmatians, who forced them out of their usual habitats. Clashes between the Mordovians and Russia began as early as the eleventh century AD. After the founding of Nizhny Novgorod, a large number of successful campaigns of Russian princes against the Mordovian tribes are historically noted. However, a few years after these events, the Erzya land will be completely devastated by Batu. The Erzyans do not recognize dependence on the Golden Horde and retreat to the northern forests, the Moksha tribes, on the contrary, act as part of the Mongol army and make multiple campaigns and raids, which mostly end sadly for them. Retreating to the north, the Erzya fell under the rule of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal Grand Duchy, which led to a split in the community, as part of the Erzya converted to Christianity. This moment can be considered a turning point regarding the formation of the entire culture of Mordovia. Those who in those days refused to accept Christianity go further to the east and try to develop their culture and way of life there. Erzya takes part in the destruction of Nizhny Novgorod and makes raids on the outskirts of the devastated city, but they are defeated on the way home.
Oath to the Moscow prince.
Gradually, the Russian princes still subjugate the Erzya, and after Ivan the Terrible's campaign against Kazan, the Moksha and Erzya noble families swore allegiance to the Moscow prince. Each Mordvin is subject to heavy exactions, which eventually leads to a series of uprisings. Only representatives of the noble families of the Mordovians manage to get away from extortions, and then only those who converted to Christianity. Forced mass baptisms force the population to show the character of the Mordovians, and this periodically leads to targeted riots, but in the end it all ends with the almost complete assimilation of the Mordovians next to the Russian population.
The history of the Mordovians is versatile and outstanding. By studying it, you can better understand the nature of this nation and its values. It is not surprising that the history of Mordovia is of interest to such a huge number of people around the world. After all, penetrating into the events of that ancient time, one can understand how this extraordinary culture of peoples was born. The national costumes of this nation deserve special attention, which, although outwardly similar to Russian ones, have some rather striking differences. Despite the difficult and difficult fate of the Erzya and Moksha tribes, despite the historical compulsion to move from place to place, the traditions of the Mordovians have not sunk into oblivion. Even today, at festivals in Mordovia, you can see traditional jewelry and outfits, hear the old dialect of the local population, and feel the spirit and character of the Mordovians - an amazing and outstanding people.
Faces of Russia. "Living Together, Being Different"
The Faces of Russia multimedia project has existed since 2006, telling about the Russian civilization, the most important feature of which is the ability to live together, remaining different - this motto is especially relevant for the countries of the entire post-Soviet space. From 2006 to 2012, as part of the project, we created 60 documentaries about representatives of various Russian ethnic groups. Also, 2 cycles of radio programs "Music and songs of the peoples of Russia" were created - more than 40 programs. Illustrated almanacs have been released to support the first series of films. Now we are halfway to creating a unique multimedia encyclopedia of the peoples of our country, a picture that will allow the inhabitants of Russia to recognize themselves and leave a picture of what they were like for posterity.
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"Faces of Russia". Mordva. "I am Erzya", 2006
General information
MORDVA,- an exoethnonym related to two related Finno-Ugric peoples of the Volga-Perm subgroup, Moksha and Erzya, living in the Russian Federation, a people in Russia, the indigenous population of Mordovia. The number in Russia is 1072.9 thousand people, including 313.4 thousand people in Mordovia, Bashkiria (31.9 thousand people), Tataria (28.9 thousand people), Chuvashia (18.7 thousand people). people), Samara (116.5 thousand people), Penza (86.4 thousand people), Orenburg (68.9 thousand people), Ulyanovsk (61.6 thousand people), Nizhny Novgorod (36.7 thousand people). people), the Saratov region (23.4 thousand people), in Siberia and the Far East (more than 80 thousand people). They also live in Kazakhstan (30 thousand people), Ukraine (19.3 thousand people), Uzbekistan (11.9 thousand people). The total number of 1150 thousand people.
According to the 2002 population census, the number of Mordovians living in Russia is 845 thousand people. According to the 2010 census, 744,237 people in Russia identified themselves as Mordovians, including 49,624 and 84,407 Moksha and Erzya, respectively. In the Republic of Mordovia itself, 283.9 thousand people called themselves Mordovians, including 47.4 thousand and 79.0 thousand - Moksha and Erzei, respectively. The reason is that many representatives of the older generation are accustomed to the fact that even during the Soviet period, representatives of Moksha and Erzya were allowed to indicate only the name "Mordvin" in the nationality column.
Mordva consists of two sub-ethnic groups - Erzya (self-name) and Moksha (self-name). In Mordovia, Moksha is settled mainly in its western and southern regions, Erzya - in the east.
There are also small ethnographic groups: Tengush Mordva, sometimes referred to as "Shoksha" (in the village of Shoksha), living mainly in the Tengushevsky region of Mordovia, and Karatai Mordva, sometimes referred to as "Karatai" (in the village of Mordovskie Karatai), in the Kamsko-Ustyinsky region of Tatarstan . Being Erzya, the Tengush group of Mordva underwent partial assimilation from the side of Moksha, and the Karatai Mordva, which some researchers consider Moksha, others - Erzya, others - Erzya-Moksha, was strongly influenced by the Tatars.
The cycle of audio lectures "Peoples of Russia" - Mordva
They speak Moksha and Erzya languages of the Finno-Ugric group of the Ural family. In the Erzya language, dialects are distinguished: central, western (Priinsarsky), southeastern (Prisursky), northwestern (Prialatyrsky), Tengushevsky; in Moksha - dialects: central (in the basin of the upper Moksha and the Issa River), southwestern (areas of the upper and middle reaches of the Vada and Windrei), northwestern or western (the region of the lower Vada and Windrei). Dialects in the languages of Mordva, living outside of Mordovia, have not been studied enough. The Russian language is also widespread. Writing on the Russian graphic basis.
Believers are Orthodox. Mordva professes Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, there are also adherents of pre-Christian pagan traditions.
The pre-Christian beliefs of the Mordovians are characterized by polytheism. The deities were female (ava): Vir-ava - the deity of the forest, After all-ava - the deity of water, Tol-ava - the deity of fire, Kudo-ava - the deity of the house and male (atya), they were considered the husbands of female goddesses - Vir-atya , After all, Tol-atya. The supreme god was called Shkai, or Nishke. Prayers were made to the gods, during which sacrifices were made. Prayers were also arranged at the beginning of important economic work - cattle pasture, plowing, sowing. Despite the early Christianization of the Mordovians, many traditional beliefs are still preserved.
The ancestors of the Mordovians - the Finno-Ugric tribes - inhabited the Volga-Oksko-Sura interfluve in the 2nd half of the 1st millennium BC. The ethnonym Mordva (Mordens) was first mentioned in the 6th century. In the process of distinguishing the Erzi and Moksha (from the 6th-7th centuries), the territorial isolation of the ancient Mordovian tribes of the Oka-Sura interfluve and more southern ones living in the upper reaches of the Sura and Moksha rivers played an important role.
For a long time, Mordva was in contact with the Turkic peoples (Volga-Kama Bulgarians, Tatars) and Ancient Russia. Ethnic consolidation was facilitated by market relations and the emergence of early state associations in the 11th-13th centuries (apparently, the annalistic Purgas volost, etc.). Ties with the Russians intensified after the voluntary entry of Mordva into the Russian state at the end of the 15th century. By the middle of the 18th century, Mordva was mostly converted to Orthodoxy. Although Mordva is considered the most Christianized people of the Volga region, it still retains some remnants of paganism in its beliefs, some of which were syncretized with Orthodoxy.
The main traditional occupation of Mordva is arable farming (winter rye, spelled, millet, flax, hemp). Animal husbandry (large and small cattle), beekeeping, and later beekeeping played a significant role. Seasonal crafts were developed, mainly for agricultural work. The industry was represented by semi-handicraft enterprises.
A diversified industry was created in Mordovia, large mechanized grain farms were created in agriculture, and livestock breeding was developed on an industrial basis. Since the 1990s, various forms of rental contracts and farming have become increasingly widespread in agriculture.
The traditional types of Mordovian settlements in the past were villages and villages of street planning. The dwelling is a two- or three-part hut with a Central Russian layout, in Moksha sometimes with a western version of the South Russian one (see the Russian article). The Mordovian village is characterized by intensive renovation of the housing stock.
An important role in the life of the Mordovian village was played by the territorial community, which, on the basis of customary law, regulated many aspects of economic, social, cultural and everyday life. For a long time, the tribal organization was preserved. The clan consisted of patriarchal families, at the head of each was kud-atya (kudo - house, atya - old man), the family was led by Pokshtyan (poksh - big, atya - old man). Each clan had its own cemetery, a sacred grove where prayers were made, a sign of ownership - a brand.
The basis of the traditional women's costume of Mordva is a shirt made of white canvas (panar), richly decorated with embroidery, which was dominated by red, black, blue tones interspersed with yellow and green. The Erzya women had a ritual shirt (pokai), completely covered with embroidery. It was worn by girls on the day of majority and at the wedding. Outer oar clothes - such as a dressing gown made of white canvas (erzya - rutsya, moksha - mouse, plakhon). Mokshan women wore white linen pants (ponkst) ankle-length. Outerwear - a kind of caftan (suman), fur coats. Women's costume was complemented by a lot of jewelry made of metal, beads, coins, shells. A specific breast decoration is a clasp that pins a panar collar (sulgam). In Erzi, it had the shape of an open oval, in Moksha it was trapezoidal. A kind of loincloth adornment of the Erzya women pulagai (pulai, pulaksh, pulokarks), with rich embroidery, braid, woolen tassels, metal plaques. It was first worn on the day of adulthood.
Women's headdresses are diverse: such as magpies, towels, bedspreads, high, on a solid basis. A common headdress for girls was a headband, embroidered or sheathed with beads and braid. Ancient shoes - bast shoes (moksha - karkht; erzya - kart) of oblique weaving. The legs were wrapped in white and black onuchs. Some elements of traditional clothing are preserved, especially in moksha: older women sometimes wear panar, more often as ritual clothing (for weddings, funerals, commemorations). Modified forms of traditional women's clothing continue to exist. Men's folk clothing, the main parts of which were a white shirt and canvas pants, fell into disuse by the 20th century.
Traditional food consisted mainly of agricultural products: sour bread (kshi); pies with various fillings, often with porridge; pancakes from wheat, millet, pea flour, noodles, salma (pieces of dough in the form of balls, boiled in water). Meat dishes (moksha fried meat with onions - shchenyam, erzya fried meat and liver with spices - village woman) were mainly festive and ritual. Drinks - puree (from honey), braga (pose), kvass.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, Mordovians were characterized by large patriarchal families of 30-40 people, then small families began to predominate. Before the spread of Christianity, polygamy existed.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, along with a small individual family, Mordva had a large undivided family of 3-4 generations of male descendants. In Soviet times, the small family spread. Traditionally close relations are maintained between kindred families; they jointly celebrate family holidays, provide mutual assistance in building a house, harvesting, etc. Interethnic marriages are numerous.
The traditional wedding ceremony was accompanied by the lamentations of the bride, the sentences of the bridesmaid and other participants. Specific ceremonies were treating the bride with porridge by her relatives on the eve of the wedding, as well as naming the young woman a daughter-in-law (mazy, pavai, vezhey, etc.) in the husband's family. In a modern wedding, rethought and transformed traditional rituals are organically intertwined with new elements.
Marriage relations of the Mordovians were characterized by age inequality, the girl was given in marriage to a man 10-15 years younger than her. Traditional Mordovian names were created on the basis of words denoting certain character traits or even shades of feelings. Parush - from the word "paro" - good. Vechkas, Vechkan, Vechkovat, Vechkenza - from the word "vechkems" - to love. Teach, Uchvat, Learn, Uchan - from "uchems" - to wait.
Mordovian folk holidays are timed to coincide with the agricultural calendar. Solemn and crowded was the summer holiday Velozks, dedicated to the patroness of the village (Vel-ava). Nowadays, a holiday of a remote or small village is celebrated, and in some places - a holiday of traditional Mordovian cuisine.
Ritual poetry is developed in folklore: calendar and family poetry (lamentations of the bride, "reproachful" and laudatory songs at the wedding); songs - family and everyday, epic (about Lithuania - a girl kidnapped by God, about Tyushta, a cultural hero and leader, protector of the people), historical; fairy tales about heroes, pre-Christian deities, animals. There are lyrical lingering songs, ditties, proverbs, sayings.
In 1990, the cultural and educational society "Mastorava" was established in Saransk, which sets as its task "self-expression and realization of the will of the people."
N.F. Mokshin, T.P. Fedyanovich
EssaysFrom Vidaikin to Chevtaykin
In written sources, the antonym "Mordva" appears early. In the 6th century, the Gothic historian Jordanes wrote about the Mordens people of Eastern Europe. In the tenth century, the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenet mentioned the country of Mordia, which was ten days away from Pechenegia. In Western European sources of the Middle Ages, the Mordovians appear under such names as Mordani, Merdium. Mordvinians are already mentioned in the Dnieper Russian annals in the 12th-13th centuries. The word "Mordva" itself comes from the Iranian-Scythian languages. In Iranian, mard means man. Until the 13th century, the Mordovians settled in the territory between the Oka in the west and the Sura in the east, its northern border passed along the Oka and the Volga, and the southern border along the border of the forest and the steppe. Erzya inhabited the northern part of this region, and Moksha - the southern. The territory of the Mordovians began to be part of the Russian lands, starting from the period of feudal fragmentation, this process ended in 1552 with the fall of the Kazan Khanate. The formation of national statehood among the Mordovians begins in 1925, when national administrative units began to be created in the territories inhabited by the Mordovians - volosts and village councils. In 1928, the Mordovian District was created as part of the Middle Volga Region, which was transformed into an autonomous region in 1930; in 1934, the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic arose, which in 1991 was renamed the Republic of Mordovia. It is located in the basin of the Moksha and Sura rivers on the East European Plain. The number of Mordovians is approaching three hundred thousand people. The total number of Mordovians in Russia is more than 800 thousand, and in the world - 1 million 150 thousand people.
Historically, it so happened that the Mordovian people evolve in the form of two groups: Erzya and Moksha. In today's Mordovia, Erzya lives mainly in areas located to the east of its capital, the city of Saransk, and Moksha to the west. The Erzya language includes five dialects, Moksha - three, literary languages were created on the basis of these dialects. For a significant part of the Mordovians, especially those living outside the Republic of Mordovia, Russian is their native language. The writing of the Mordovian languages was created on the basis of Russian graphics, its first monuments date back to the 17th - 18th centuries. Plowed agriculture has long played a leading role in the traditional economy of the Mordovians. In second place in importance was animal husbandry. A significant role was played by auxiliary activities associated with the use of forests and reservoirs - hunting, fishing, beekeeping. The Mordovian costume is original and colorful. With a significant similarity, Moksha and Erzya sets of clothes stand out, within which there are differences. The composition of women's clothing included a shirt that was worn with a belt, and for Erzi with a complex thigh decoration (pulai, pulagai, pulaksh), which the girl put on for the first time on the day of her majority. Mordovian settlements are diverse.
Already in the Russian chronicles, villages, graveyards, winter houses and firmaments (fortifications-shelters) are mentioned, from the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century cities appeared. For the northern regions of the Mordovians, a nested type of settlement was characteristic, in which the villages were located in groups. The layout of the settlements is random, circular, ordinary, radial and street. The sizes of the settlements were also different - from 150-300 households in the forest zone and up to 1000 households in the southern steppe regions. The buildings are mainly of log construction, preference was given to pine during construction. The main roofing material in the south was straw, in the northern regions tes was used. The dwelling was either two-part - the living part and the canopy, or three-part, when these two rooms were supplemented by a room. The layout of the residential part was mainly of the Central Russian type: the stove was located at the door in one of the corners, the mouth was facing the windows of the front wall, and the front corner was located diagonally from the stove. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Mordovians were characterized by large patriarchal families of 30-40 people, then small families became predominant. Before the spread of Christianity, polygamy existed.
The baptism of the Mordovians began in the process of joining the Russian state and ended mainly by the middle of the 18th century. However, there are also religious beliefs and ideas that date back to the pre-Christian period. The Christian god received from the Mordovians the name of the pre-Christian supreme god. It began to be called: Ine Shkai (Otsyu Shkai).
The name appeared for a reason
Traditional Mordovian names were created on the basis of words denoting certain character traits or even shades of feelings. For example, the names Vechkas, Vechkan, Vechkovat, Vechkenza are derived from the word "vechkems" (to love). Few female Mordovian names have been preserved. The reason for this bias is that official documentation was drawn up by the tsarist authorities, as a rule, for the male population. Therefore, female names have been preserved mainly in folklore: Syrzha, Mazargo, Pae, Atyuta, Kastusha, Senyash, Syumerga, Tsetsa. Modern Mordovian names are not much different from Russian and from common Christian names. They are taken, as a rule, from calendars, but they are adapted and begin to sound Mordovian. For example, Zakhar is pronounced as Zakar, Nikolay - Mikol, Fedor - Quedor, Maria - Mare. It is still not customary for a husband and wife to call each other by name. When addressing each other, spouses usually use the pronoun "tone" (you) or the causative interjection "hey". As for the surnames themselves, the Mordovians gave them to Russian missionary priests, as well as officials and landlords. In such cases, the name of the father or his nickname was taken, and new ones were formed according to the type of Russian surnames (ending in -ov, -ev, -in, -kin, -on, -kov, -enkov). Here is a list of fairly common Mordovian surnames (they are based mainly on pre-Christian names): Valgaev, Vidaikin, Kizhevatov, Kurgashkin, Kochemasov, Lemdyasov, Narvatkin, Nushtaykin, Pinyaev, Parakshin, Rangaev, Suraykin, Syresenkov, Simdyanov, Chengaev, Chevtaykin. Distance from the capital Mordovia Saransk to Moscow by rail - 642 kilometers. Approximately the same as from St. Petersburg to Moscow. And trains, by the way, go both ways.
