Welcome to Yoshkar-Ola!
Yoshkar-Ola (Russian: Йошка́р-Ола́ ) is the capital of Mari El in the Volga Region of the Russian Federation. The city was founded in 1584 during the reign of Ivan IV The Terrible as a fortification post with the purpose of controlling the newly annexed Kazan Khanate. In 2018, its population was about 270,000 people.
Yoshkar-Ola (Mari and Russian: Йошкар-Ола) is the capital city of the Mari El Republic, Russia. Yoshkar-Ola means “red city” in Mari and was formerly known as Tsaryovokokshaysk (Царевококшайск) before 1919, as Krasnokokshaysk (Краснококшайск) between 1919 and 1927 (both after the Malaya Kokshaga River, which runs through the city) and Charla (Чарла), by the Mari people.
Yoshkar-Ola was established as a military fortress in 1584, following the Russian conquest of the Mari-inhabited regions of the Volga and its tributaries. It is currently one of the centers of the Mari people (especially of the Meadow Mari subgroup) and the administrative center of the Yoshkar-Ola city district.