Yoshkar-Ola

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Coordinates: 56°38′N 47°52′E / 56.633, 47.867

Yoshkar-Ola from space

National theatre of the Mari El

Yoshkar-Ola (Mari and Russian: Йошка́р-Ола́) is a city in Russia and is the capital of the Mari El Republic. It has a population of 281,165 (2002 Census), which is slowly increasing as people from neighboring areas move to the city.

Yoshkar-Ola means red city in Mari. The current name is the third to have been given to the city. The city was known as Tsaryovokokshaysk (Russian: Царевококшайск) before 1919 and as Krasnokokshaisk (Russian: Краснококшайск) between the years of 1919 and 1927. These names were derived from the river Small Kokshaga, which runs through the city.

During the Soviet era, especially post-WWII, the city was a regional industrial and transport center and grew to its current size. The collapse of the Soviet Union removed the artificial support for inefficient state enterprises, and led to the shutdown of most manufacturing activity in the area. Much of the city's economic activity was supported by shuttle traders who would transport (often counterfeit) goods from the bustling markets of Moscow to Yoshkar-Ola's bazaars. The sharp decline in living standards led to the emigration of specialized professionals to larger cities in Russia.

A Strategic Rocket Forces base is located nearby.

1 Transportation
2 Education
3 Yoshkar-Ola's Twin Town
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Transportation

Yoshkar-Ola is linked to other cities and regions in Russia by a series of train and bus routes. The local train station is currently served by a daily train to and from the capital Moscow with other short-service trains running to and from Kazan. Moscow and various other nearby towns and regions can also be reached by buses departing from the local bus station. The Yoshkar-Ola Airport is also located 9 km north of the city and handles small airliners.

Destinations within the city limits can be reached through a network of buses, trolleys, and route taxis, or marshrutki (Russian: маршрутки). There are currently seven different bus routes, eleven different trolley routes, and seventeen marshrutki routes. Fare on both buses and trolleys is 8 rubles, while marshrutki cost slightly more at 10 rubles.

[edit] Education

Yoshkar-Ola is home to several institutions of higher education:

Mari State University (Марийский государственный университет)
Mari State Technical University (Марийский государственный технический университет)
Mari State Pedagogical Institute (Марийский государственный педагогический институт)