 Mari women of the Ural region | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Languages | |
| Eastern Mari language |
TheEastern Mari are a subgroup of theMari people, aVolga Finnic ethnic group of Russia. Eastern Mari comprise those Mari living outside of theMari El Republic, east of theVyatka River in theKama andUral regions.[1] They are concentrated inBashkortostan, particularly in theMishkinsky District,Birsky District, and inNeftekamsk. Eastern Mari populations are also found in southernSverdlovsk Oblast and inPerm Krai.[2] They make up between a quarter and a third of the general Mari population. According to academic Seppo Lallukka, Eastern Mari is more of a scholarly category than an ethnically unified subgroup.[3]
TheEastern Mari language variety includes loanwords and influence fromRussian,Tatar, andBashkir.[2]
About two thirds of Eastern Mari live in rural areas, and they are traditionally farmers.[4] Folk religion is an important part of daily life for the Mari of the Ural region,[5] and they preserve many rituals that have been lost among other Mari groups.[6] Similarly toMeadow Mari, Ural Mari have a pronounced emphasis on traditional familial principles compared to neighboring ethnic groups.[7]
Mari in Bashkortostan mainly practice a syncretic combination ofRussian Orthodoxy and traditionalMari religion,[8] although FinnishLutheran missionary efforts have established several Lutheran Mari communities in the republic which incorporate aspects of traditional Mari culture.[9]
