Lidiya Batyukova
Head of the Administration of the Head of the Republic of Mari El
Yoshkar-Ola, the capital of the Republic of Mari El (also spelled Mariy El), is known to every fan of the ‘game of cities’ as it is the only city in Russia starting with the letter ‘Y’. Lidiya Batyukova, Head of the Administration of the Head of the Republic of Mari El, told EcoTourism EXPERT what attractions can surprise an experienced traveler in the Republic and its capital.
- The things that surprise travelers coming to Yoshkar-Ola are the towers of the Moscow Kremlin in your city, and some parts of the city resemble European capitals. How can this be explained?
- Indeed, old buildings in the center of Yoshkar-Ola coexist very well with Baroque palaces and half-timbered houses, and it takes five minutes to walk from the Dutch-style buildings to the ones looking like the Moscow Kremlin. Almost every tourist guide has an own story to explain this and these stories deserve attention. One thing is certain - this combination of architectural styles shows the close connection between the history and culture of Europe and Russia.
At various times, Yoshkar-Ola was among the top European-type cities of Russia, the most exotic ones in Russia, and the best places for selfie tourism. The Bruges Embankment is among the main tourism anchors of the capital of Mari El with a lot of sculptures created by architect Andrey Kovalchuk, and the Embankment was a finalist in the All-Russian competition Tourist Space.
The Bruges Embankment is constantly improved, and various events and celebrations are held in this area. The Amsterdam Embankment is also amazing; on the roofs of Dutch Houses, fairy-tale figures are hidden, and finding them is a fascinating quest for both children and adults.
It takes five minutes to get to the Square of Republic and the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Amsterdam Embankment, and tourists should go through the arch of the Tower of the Annunciation that is a small copy of the Spasskaya (Savior) Tower in Moscow. The Cathedral of the Annunciation in Yoshkar-Ola combined the architectural styles of two churches - the St. Basil’s Cathedral (Moscow) and the Church of the Savior on Blood (St. Petersburg). Tourists are greatly surprised to see reduced copies of the Tsar Cannon and the Venetian Doge’s Palace in the center of the capital of Mari El, as well as a puppet theater similar to a fairy-tale Bavarian castle, and a building looking like the Sheremetiev’s Castle located in the urban locality of Yurino.
- It is most likely that enthusiasts are expected to visit the original castle. What else would you recommend the tourists to visit and see in your region?
- I agree, the Sheremetiev Castle in Yurino located on the beautiful bank of the powerful Volga River is a real ‘pearl’ with its crenellated small towers and a stunning winter garden.
The ancient town of Koz’modemyansk is a must-visit, it was founded over 400 years ago by Tsar Ivan the Terrible who returned from his military campaign against the Kazan Khanate; he liked this place and ordered to build a fortress as a tribute to Saints Koz’ma and Demyan.
Koz’modemyansk is also known as a prototype of the town of Vasyuki described by Ilf and Petrov in their novel Twelve Chairs. Every year, the Benderiad, a large festival of satire and humor is held in Koz’modemyansk at the end of July (Ostap Bender, an adventurer, is the main character of the book Twelve Chairs).
As part of the Tourism and Hospitality Industry national project and the development of river tourism, our region is working on improving the transport accessibility of Koz’modemyansk and Yurino. Now, Koz’modemyansk can be visited while traveling by a cruise ship; there are similar agreements with cruise operators to visit Yurino.
- This is a very interesting destination. What other attractions would you like to recommend to tourists who are enthusiasts of ethno- and eco-tourism?
- The Republic of Mari El is a one-of-a-kind region where the representatives of more than 50 nationalities live. As for the Mari people, travelers can get acquainted with the history and culture of two sub-ethnic groups living in the republic: the Mountain and Meadow Mari peoples.
In the Morkinsky District of the Republic of Mari El, there is a village of Shorun’zha (Uncho), one of the most ancient ones in the region, which was the prize winner in the international project The Cultural Capital of the Finno-Ugric World in 2019. The customs, traditions and culture of the Meadow Mari people are carefully preserved in this area. Travelers can also get an idea about one of the main innermost mysteries of the Mari people - the traditional religion of the Mari people. And the culture of the Mountain Mari people is presented in the open-air ethnographic museum of the town of Koz’modemyansk where visitors can get acquainted with interesting local rituals. Of course, we invite all the travelers to take part in our national festivals and enjoy the Mari cuisine and local food.
The forests occupy more than half of the region’s area, so it is natural that ecotourism is also a popular and promising tourism segment for the Republic of Mari El. Ecotourism is already clearly represented by such investment projects as the ZaAzyakovo Ecopark and Ecofarm, the MariLand Trout and Hunting Farm, and the WoodLand Ecopark. These are wonderful places for outdoor activities for tourists of any age. In addition, ZaAzyakovo and MariLand produce their own gastronomic products.
- Local food products are always in demand with tourists. What souvenirs would you like to recommend to bring from Mari El?
- Thanks to the sculpture Yoshka’s Cat, the image of a cat is an unofficial symbol of our capital. That is why a wide variety of Yoshka’s Cats have become, perhaps, the most popular souvenirs from Mari El.
Traditional Mari fabric dolls, clay figurines, various embroideries with national ornaments, and high-quality Mari cheeses, including the Sernur Legend - the source of pride of the region - are also in great demand.
It’s difficult to name all the souvenirs, I would only like to say that the souvenirs designed and manufactured in Mari El annually become winners of the All-Russian Tourist Souvenir competitions. We are glad to invite travelers to come to Mari El and see everything for themselves: we have a lot of things that can be a welcome surprise.
Photos courtesy of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Mari El
