Yoshkar-Ola.

History

The town began in 1584 as a military fortress after the Mari lands were brought into the Russian state, and for centuries it was called Tsarevokokshaysk. In 1919 it was renamed Krasnokokshaysk, and in 1927 it took its present Mari name. In the Soviet era, especially after the Second World War, Yoshkar-Ola grew into the region's industrial and transport hub.

Culture & traditions

The city has five theatres performing in Russian and Mari, including the Republican Puppet Theatre. The largest museums are the National Museum, the Museum of History and the Museum of Fine Arts, and there are museums devoted to poet Nikolay Mukhin and composer Ivan Klyuchnikov-Palantay, called the first Mari composer. The centre's best-known sights are the Bruges Embankment, Main Square, the Annunciation Cathedral and Obolensky-Nogotkov Square. Yoshkar-Ola is also home to Mari State University and Volga State University of Technology.

Practical information

Yoshkar-Ola Airport is 9 km north of the city, with flights to Moscow Vnukovo since 2012. Daily trains run to Moscow, and there are short-distance services to Kazan. The city is on Moscow time. The climate is humid continental, typically −10 to −15 °C in winter and around +25 °C on summer afternoons; late spring to early autumn is the most comfortable time to visit.

What to see

• Bruges Embankment — one of the most recognisable spots in the centre
• Obolensky-Nogotkov Square — one of the central squares
• Annunciation Cathedral — an Orthodox cathedral in the city centre
• National Museum — one of the city's largest museums
• Republican Puppet Theatre — one of the city's five theatres