A Village School
Russian Life|March/April 2020
Paganism is alive and well here in the Mari El Republic.
Oleg Ponomarev
A Village School

Every year, beginning in October, all across the republic’s boundless expanses, vehicles thread their way to the sacred groves that serve as the Mari people’s temples for their annual ritual. No village is without a grove, and they all have a priest, a kart in the language of the Mari. Preservers of time-honored traditions and held in the highest regard by their fellow villagers, these priests preside over the autumn observances, reciting the ancient prayers and tending to the smoking bonfires to which believers stream to sacrifice geese, rams, or bullocks to their gods.

I’m learning what I need to know from Grigory Serafimovich Ivanov, a local kart. No animal, he tells me, can be slaughtered until the gods give the sign that they are prepared to accept the sacrifice. The kart pours water over a goose, dousing its neck and back, and if the goose stretches to its full height and spreads its wings, that means the gods are ready. The ceremonies usually last from early morning until five or six in the evening (often with an audience of mesmerized children perched on logs).

Grigory then switches the conversation to his family, his home village of Sardayal, and the school of which he is a proud alumnus. Hearing that all this is news to me, he invites me to spend the night with him, so he can take me there the next day. Sardayal sits at the very edge of the republic, he tells me, has been pagan from time immemorial, and has a school that’s over 120 years old.

This story is from the March/April 2020 edition of Russian Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March/April 2020 edition of Russian Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM RUSSIAN LIFEView All
Sidewalk Art
Russian Life

Sidewalk Art

The lamentable state of Russia’s roads and sidewalks has long been fertile ground for memes and jokes. Irkutsk artist Ivan Kravchenko decided to turn the problem into an art project. For over two years he has been patching ruts in city sidewalks with colorful ceramic tiles.

time-read
6 mins  |
March/April 2021
Sputnik V: First Place or Long Shot?
Russian Life

Sputnik V: First Place or Long Shot?

The Russian vaccine seems top-notch, but low public trust and a botched rollout remain formidable barriers to returning to normalcy.

time-read
5 mins  |
March/April 2021
Russian Life

the Valley of the Dead

On the Trail of a Russian Movie Star

time-read
10+ mins  |
March/April 2021
Food & Drink
Russian Life

Food & Drink

Food & Drink

time-read
4 mins  |
March/April 2021
Russian Life

POLAR YOUTH

Misha Smirnov has the day off. There are the traditional eggs for breakfast and the usual darkness out the window.

time-read
9 mins  |
March/April 2021
Russian Chronicles
Russian Life

Russian Chronicles

Russian Chronicles

time-read
10+ mins  |
March/April 2021
Russian Life

A People on the Brink

Over the past century, the ancient people known as the Votes has been exiled twice, has seen its language banned, and has faced the threat of having its villages razed. Today, although teetering on the verge of extinction, it holds fast to one of the last rights it enjoys – the right to bear and to say its own name.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March/April 2021
Tenders of the Vine
Russian Life

Tenders of the Vine

Visiting Russia’s Nascent Wine Region

time-read
10+ mins  |
January/February 2021
Restoring the Future
Russian Life

Restoring the Future

A Small Town Gets a Makeover

time-read
10+ mins  |
January/February 2021
Ascending Anik
Russian Life

Ascending Anik

Here I stand, on the summit of Anik Mountain, drenched to the bone amid zero visibility, driving rain, and a fierce wind.

time-read
10+ mins  |
January/February 2021