Mari El > Mari people

Mari people

The Mari people are the last people in Europe that have preserved their traditional beliefs in their original form. Only in Mari El, prayers continue in the sacred groves - kyusoto. According to tradition, the grove's location was determined when the kart - the prayer leader - had a dream about it. It is strictly forbidden to cut trees, pick mushrooms and berries, cut grass or let livestock graze in the sacred groves. Traditional Mari prayers end with a meal at which small livestock and poultry are sacrificed, and, at larger gatherings, even horses and bulls.

Music

The kusle is a traditional Mari string instrument. At about 4 kg, it is very light. The body of the instrument is made of birch or maple planks, and the sound board is made of stained spruce or fir planks. In the old days, sheep guts and sinews were used as strings, but they were replaced by steel strings in the twentieth century. The kusle is played by plucking the strings. The musician plays the main melody with the right hand and the accompaniment with the left.

Puch is a type of wind musical instruments. Puch pipes have a straight reed and a cone- shaped bell. They are usually made from a hollowed-out piece of wood (alder or juniper), which is divided in two, fastened and wrapped with birch bark. There are no finger holes on the puch; the sound is produced by the performer's vibrating lips held against the entry of the windway. In Mari culture, there were many instruments of different sizes and functions.

Cuisine

Koman melna are three-layer Mari pancakes made of various types of flour. The first layer is made of rye, the second of oat flour, and the third of oatmeal or cereal. Each layer should be no thicker than 7 mm. The dough is made with milk and sour cream. Koman melna are served with sweet jams, honey, or savory toppings. Koman melna are traditionally baked for welcoming guests, as well as for ceremonies in sacred groves.

Clothes

Traditional Mari clothes, both men's and women's, consist of a shirt, a caftan, trousers, a belt with pendants, a headdress, leather or bast shoes with woolen and canvas wrappers. Women would also wear neck, chest, and belt ornaments (shiydarman), earrings, rings, and bracelets. Traditional wear was made from homemade canvas (vyner) - usually hemp, less often linen, as well as wool broadcloth (yshtyrash), a lighter type of broadcloth called mezhtoresh or ponitka, animal pelts, or wool.

Culture

There are two main types of traditional Mari dance: ritual and everyday. Some notable ritual dances are procession dances and character dances, performed at commemorations, weddings, and holidays. The most popular everyday dances are «Rope» («Kandyra»), «Twelve» («Latkokyte»), «Foure» («Nylyt»), circle or line dances accompanied with singing («muren kushtymashe»), and games «Looking for a Partner» («Par Kychalyne»), «Streame» («Vud Yogene»), etc.

Mari Santa Claus is called Yushto Kugyza. Together with his granddaughter Lumudyr, Yushto Kugyza welcomes children and adults as guests. According to tourist surveys, Yushto Kugyza is one of Russia's top ten most popular "Santas".

Summer Seasons is an open-air festival of opera and ballet, which has been held in Mari El since 2011. Within the framework of the festival, performances are held in various city venues and outdoor locations in the republic. Tens of thousands of spectators attended the memorable premieres of the operas «Boris Godunov», «The Tsar's Bride», and «Akpatyr», the ballets «Giselle» and «Sleeping Beauty» and other performances.