“Red City” - this is how the name of the capital of Mari El is translated from Mari . Everyone who happened to be here quite recently does not hide their surprise and the impressions that Yoshkar-Ola made on them. The sights here are really unusual, many of them have appeared recently.
From past
The history of Yoshkar-Ola began at that distant time when the Mari land was annexed to Russia after the defeat of the Kazan Khanate by the army of Ivan the Terrible in the middle of the 16th century. The city of Tsarev on the Kokshaga River, or Tsarevokokshaysk, was first mentioned in chronicles in 1584, although, according to archaeologists, people already inhabited these lands in the Mesolithic era.
The city began with a fortress built to protect the land and performing exclusively military functions. He controlled the fortress of the governor, in whose hands concentrated not only the military, but also the administrative, fiscal and judicial authorities. Gradually, merchants, artisans, peasants began to appear here, who usually settled not in the city itself, but occupied the lands around it. So formed a posad, settlements and villages.
Nowadays
Modern Yoshkar-Ola was formed in the period from 1941 to 1990 and continues to be built up to this day. Its appearance has especially changed over the past 10 years after the development program for the city “Capital” was approved.
A renewed city with a rich past and a major center of Finno-Ugric culture - such is the modern Yoshkar-Ola. Sights that must be seen are cultural, historical and architectural monuments that reflect different periods of the region's development. Among them are old manors, churches, historical buildings, squares, as well as numerous sculptural compositions. Theaters and museums play an important role in the cultural life of the capital city of Mari El.
Theaters
The eventful theatrical life of Yoshkar-Ola is represented by all the classical forms of theatrical art.
In 1968, as a result of the transformation of the joint drama theater. Mayorov-Shketan was founded musical and drama theater. In 1994, it was renamed. So there was the Mari State Opera and Ballet Theater. Eric Sapaev, named after the Mari Soviet composer, author of the first national opera. The basis of it was graduates of choreographic schools and conservatories of Moscow, Leningrad, Kazan, Perm, Gorky. Thus began the formation of a young theater and a national performing school. About 50 classical and modern works of ballet, opera and opera, as well as children's performances, were staged on its stage.
Today the repertoire includes the national operas Aldiar by E. Arkhipova, Akpatyr E. Sapaev, and the ballet Forest Legend by composer A. Luppov. The pride of the theater is its choreographic performances: the ballet The Nutcracker and Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev, Don Quixote by Minkus. For 11 years, the theater has hosted the international festival “Winter Nights” with the participation of opera and ballet artists from Russia, Italy, Japan, and America. In 2002, they began to hold the only festival in the world dedicated to the great ballerina Galina Ulanova. The theater successfully tours not only in Russia, but also abroad. These are China, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, South Korea, Central America, Taiwan, Lebanon and other countries. Today, the theater occupies a new building, built not so long ago specifically for him. In terms of equipment, it is considered the best in the Volga region.
Mari National Drama Theater. Shketana, which is the oldest in the republic, began its history with amateur production in November 1919. Since 1929 it is a professional cultural institution, which subsequently became one of the best in Russia. The theater is actively involved in world theater life, while maintaining its national identity. Of the awards he was awarded the "Golden Palm" - a prize of the Association of European Theaters.
In the capital of Mari El, the Academic Russian Drama Theater named after G. Konstantinov operates, which was founded in 1919. Many directors contributed to its development. The most important role belongs to the main director Grigory Konstantinov, who was in this position from 1964 to 1994. On his initiative, the International Association of Russian Theaters was established in 1993, with its headquarters in Yoshkar-Ola. In September 1994, the theater was named after Konstantinov. On the stage of the Russian drama theater performances based on the works of classics and contemporaries. Among the best are Shakespeare's Othello, Tsar Fyodor Ioanovich, A.K. Tolstoy, Rozov, the Capercaillie’s Nest, Ostrovsky's Crazy Money, Gorky's Philistines, Pavlova's Conscience.
In 1991, the Mari Theater of Young Spectators was opened in Yoshkar-Ola, on the basis of the Konstantinov Russian Drama Theater. Now he has in his repertoire 35 productions based on the works of national, Russian, foreign classics and contemporary drama. For all the time, more than 80 performances for children and adults in Mari and Russian languages were staged on its stage. The troupe of the theater constantly goes on tour in Russia and abroad.
Museums
The history, culture, traditions and life of the Mari people are reflected in the collections of museums in Yoshkar-Ola of different directions.
The Museum of the History of Yoshkar-Ola has in its collections archeology, heraldry, ethnography, works of fine and applied art, and photo documents. It is housed in a two-story red brick house, which was built in 1911 in the city center. This house, now declared a historical and architectural monument of republican significance, belonged to the famous local merchant-timber merchant Chulkov. The former merchant's estate consists of the main building, an outbuilding and stone gates, which are decorated with elements of the Art Nouveau style. The permanent exhibition presents the history of Yoshkar-Ola from 1584 to 1917. Visitors will learn about the emergence of the Tsarev fortress city, how it was built, its development, life and traditions of the townspeople, and the fates of famous people. Themed exhibitions are held here every season. Currently, the Museum of the History of Yoshkar-Ola invites you to the photo exhibition “City and Time”. In unique photographs you can see what Yoshkar-Ola was like in different years of the last century. Temporary exhibitions reflect the life of a modern city, introduce enterprises, the history of streets, the works of citizens, charity events.
The Museum of Folk Applied Arts was opened to visitors in 1999 in a building declared the cultural value of the Republic of Mari El.
This carved wooden house was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Before the revolution, it was owned by the contractor of the Zemstvo council Lokhanov. The museum introduces the handicrafts, history and life of the Mari people. In total, about 250 exhibits were collected, including ethnographic objects, samples of fine art and decorative and applied art. Here you can see
national costumes with embroidery, wicker furniture, carved buckets, musical instruments made by craftsmen. The Museum of Folk Art organizes annual festivals and exhibitions.
In 1961, on the anniversary of the first Mari composer, who became the founder of professional national music, the I. S. Klyuchnikov-Palantay Memorial Museum was opened. It is located in a wooden house, where the composer lived in recent years. The exposition is housed in three rooms, which recreate the home furnishings of representatives of the provincial intelligentsia of the early 20th century. Authentic household items, furniture, manuscripts and other things of members of the Palantai family have been preserved here. The museum holds exhibitions, music evenings, lectures, meetings with composers.
Art Museums and Exhibitions
The Museum of Fine Arts of the Mari El Republic, which was established in 1989, operates in several directions. It is located in a building designed by architect V. Babenko in 1980. In addition to works of Mari fine art and applied art, Russian painting, sculpture, graphic art, as well as individual works of Western European painters and graphic artists are represented here. The museum holds public lectures, where you can get acquainted with the history of art, with world art culture, the history of the Mari people. Its funds contain more than 7 thousand storage units. The museum presents paintings by Russian artists of the 19th century (Serov, Shishkin, Makovsky, Egorov). Works of modern Finno-Ugric fine art in the genre of ethnosymbolism and ethnofuturism attract attention. These are paintings by Mari artists - A. Ivanov, S. Evdokimov, V. Bogolyubov, I. Efimov. Along with a permanent exhibition in the museum you can visit themed exhibitions, which are regularly updated.
The National Art Gallery is the main exhibition site of the capital. It was founded in 2007 as a branch of the Museum of Fine Arts. The gallery is located on the main square of Yoshkar-Ola. It has the most modern equipment: climate control, video surveillance and fire extinguishing systems, special lighting, burglar alarms, mobile display equipment. The gallery has an active exhibition activity.
Visitors get acquainted with the work of Mari and Russian artists, masters of fine art of the Volga republics, as well as collections of Russian museums. It hosts world-class exhibitions. Over the years of the gallery, the residents of Mari El have had the opportunity to see the creations of Edgar Degas, Salvador Dali, Ilya Glazunov, Nikas Safronov, Benoit de Stetto. The site displayed collections of the largest Russian museums: the Tretyakov Gallery, the Zlatoust Museum of Arms, the Amber Museum (Kaliningrad). The following exhibitions were held most successfully:
- "Return. From Europe to Russia ”Benoit de Stetto.
- “Faces of Time” - about the culture of the Mari Territory.
- Personal exhibition of artist Nikas Safronov.
- Photo exhibition "Private Collection" by E. Rozhdestvenskaya.
- “Baltic Gold” - from the funds of the Amber Museum in Kaliningrad.
After opening a virtual branch of the State Russian Museum in the gallery, residents of Yoshkar-Ola can get acquainted with masterpieces of fine art from the largest museum in the northern capital at home.
Monuments of history and architecture
Objects of historical, architectural and cultural value are usually located in the historical district of the city. Unfortunately, few pre-revolutionary buildings have survived in Yoshkar-Ola. Among them are merchant houses:
- Chulkov House (late 19th century), which houses the Museum of the History of Yoshkar-Ola.
- The estate of the merchant Pchelin (18th century).
- Karelin House (mid-18th century).
- Bulygin House (mid-19th century).
- Naumov’s house with decorative carvings, along with wooden buildings (19-20th century). This is one of the most beautiful buildings of the old city.
Temples
Unfortunately, almost all 18th-century churches were completely or partially destroyed during the Soviet period. Today in the city there are temples that have been reconstructed or rebuilt. Among them:
- Trinity Church was the first stone building and one of the oldest in the city (1736). Funds for the construction were provided by the merchant Vishnyakov and the peasant Osokin. It was a traditional two-story building, consisting of a large quad with a refectory. The Chetverik was crowned with a five dome, below was the Nikolsky chapel, the multi-tier bell tower stood separately. In the 30s, the church was closed, the bell tower and the upper tier were destroyed. It began to be restored according to a new project in 1995 and completed only in 2008. The new building retained the forms characteristic of church architecture of the 18th century. She became one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. The temple is connected to the bell tower with the help of an arch, and its bizarre-shaped roof is crowned with five gilded domes.
- The Ascension Cathedral was built at the expense of the merchant Pchelin in 1756. It was an octagon on a quad with bypass galleries, a large refectory and a separate bell tower in several tiers. The church closed in 1937, was partially destroyed and rebuilt, then a brewery was placed in it. In 1992, the temple was returned to the faithful and restored. Since 1993, the cathedral has the status of a cathedral.
- The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ with a decor in the style of Moscow Baroque was originally built in 1759. It was a single-colored quadruple with two octaques decreasing in width. The four-tier bell tower was built at the end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th century. The refectory and two chapels (Fedor Stratilat and Pokrovsky) were built at the end of the 19th century. In 1928 the church was closed, the upper octagon and the bell tower were destroyed. Only in 1944 the building was returned to believers, but in 1961 the cathedral was again closed and completely destroyed. Only in 2008 began the construction of a new church, which lasted until 2010. The renovated 18th-century Baroque Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated in 2010.
- The Assumption Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary was founded in 2005 as an Orthodox church. The building in a style close to the New Byzantine was built in 2005-2006.
- The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God of Tikhvin was built in 1774 (on it, in which the George chapel was located (not preserved). The bell tower was located above the refectory. The church was closed in 1929, after which it was partially rebuilt. It was returned to believers in the 90s and reconstructed. Today a park has been set up on the site of the cemetery.
Monuments
In Yoshkar-Ola there are many different monuments, against which the guests, and the residents themselves, like to be photographed. Among the most famous:
- The sculpture "Tree of Life", located in the Park of Culture and Rest, reflects the national flavor of the Mari Territory. The monument, authored by artist Andrei Kovalchuk, was installed in 2008. In the center of the composition is a tree, symbolizing the life and succession of generations, and around it are three musicians from bronze, belonging to different generations, with national instruments in their hands. The old man plays the flute, the man on the harp, the boy on the drum. The three-meter-high monument occupies a good place in the park, where it can be clearly seen from everywhere.
- The monument to Obolensky-Nogotkov - the founder of the city, the first governor - is installed on the square of the same name opposite the government building. The six-meter-high monument is considered a symbol of Yoshkar-Ola and one of its main attractions. Prince Obolensky-Nogotkov is depicted on horseback and with weapons in his hands. The monument was created according to the sketches of the sculptor A. Kovalchuk in 2007.
- A bronze monument was erected on the square near the railway station to the famous Mari Soviet actor and poet. Yivan Kirla is depicted sitting on a trolley, as it was in the movie "A ticket to life", where he played the role of Mustafa - the leader of street children.
- A copy of the Tsar Cannon was made in 2007. This is a half-size copy of the famous original, which was cast from bronze by A. Chokhov in 1586. The Mari cannon, whose weight together with the cores is 12 tons, was made at the Zvenigovsky plant named after Butyakova. According to the masters, she can shoot. For this reason, a core is welded into its trunk.
Unusual Attractions
Many are surprised by modern Yoshkar-Ola. The sights here are incredible, even strange.
One of them is a monument to the hammer, which was installed in 2008 on an alley opposite the office building of a construction company. A four-meter metal hammer weighing two and a half tons hammers a nail into the ground. The author of the idea - the president of this construction company - decided in this way to perpetuate the work of workers and pay them tribute. A little later, next to the hammer, a monument appeared to the worker himself in the clothes of a builder with a brick in his hand.
In front of the entrance of the same building, not far from the monument to the hammer, there are two more original sights - a blue elephant about 1.5 m high and a huge chair.
A rather strange bronze sculpture is in the city center near the main university building. This is a monument to Yoshkin the cat, which was installed in 2011. The authors of the composition are A. Shirnin and S. Yandubaev, the sculpture was cast in Kazan, at the expense of a Moscow businessman. In 2013, near the Yoshkin cat, lounging on a bench, a monument appeared to the Yoshkin cat, the installation of which was timed to coincide with the opening of the cafe of the same name.
New architecture of the capital
Over the past few years, the face of the city has changed dramatically. Construction is underway here, the scale of which is simply amazing. Directly before our eyes, buildings in various European architectural styles have grown. New streets and squares with amazing buildings seem fabulous, toy-like and a bit like scenery.
Unusual sights, without a doubt, include the Bruges embankment, which was named after the city in Belgium. When you get to this street, you involuntarily think that you are in the European city of Bruges. The promenade is completely built up with buildings of the Flemish style typical of medieval Flanders. It is especially beautiful here in the dark when they turn on the backlight.
Guests note that Yoshkar-Ola presented a most ambitious surprise, turning from a boring Soviet autonomy center into an interesting city where you want to return. Many say that architecture is controversial, but almost everyone agrees that it is unusual, memorable, positive.
The tourists are especially surprised by the Annunciation tower with chimes. This is a small copy of the Spasskaya Tower in Moscow. Many guests simply fall into a stupor when a chime of chimes suddenly sounds, moreover the same as in the Russian capital.
Despite the fact that Yoshkar-Ola is compact, its sights are diverse and numerous. Everyone who has visited this wonderful city with glorious traditions will have something to remember and tell friends about.