Kozmodemyansk

Kozmodemyansk ( _ru. Козьмодемья́нск; Hill _ch. Цӹкмӓ, "Cÿkmä"; Meadow Mari: Чыкма, "Čykma"; Chuvash: Чикме, "Cikme"; Finnish Latinized version of Mari name "Tsykma") is a town in the Mari El Republic, Russia, located at the confluence of the Vetluga and the Volga Rivers at coord|56|20|12|N|46|34|16|E. Kozmodemyansk is the administrative center of Gornomariysky District of Mari El. Population: 22,771 (2002 Census); 24,746 (1989 Census).

History

Though not attested in any document, the town of Kozmodemyansk was likely preceded by a Mari wooden fortress controlling the confluence of the Jul and the Vetluga. It was also an important resting and trading place for the traders from the North which travelled along the river to Volga Bulgaria. The Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria was a serious blow to the region. The town of Kozmodemyansk was founded by Tsar Ivan IV in 1583 after his conquest of Kazan in 1552 and Cheremis Wars in 1553-1557, 1582 and 1592 as a frontier fortress to guard the new border of Muscovy. The town was named after Sts. Cosmas and Damian. For many years there was nothing at the location besides a streltsy fortress, of which a sole tower from 1697 subsists.

As the commerce along the Volga developed, a town gradually grew around the fortress, but the region remained largely populated by the Mari people. The town had a fair specializing in wooden and wicker ware goods produced by local craftsmen. The town was very active during summer, but winters brought halt to river traffic.

In the 19th century Kozmodemyansk was a more important trading place along the Volga than the neighbouring towns of Vasilsursk and Cheboksary. It was a typical halfway "overnight" stop for Volga river steamers between Nizhni Novgorod and Kazan. In the 20th century the town developed industrially. According to the offical Imperial Russian statistics on January 1 / 14, 1913 the population was 5.500 of which more than half Kukuk Maris.In 1918 there was a dispute between Mari and Chuvasian representantives of the Kozmodemjansk in Idel Ural Movement. It was not decided to which proposed state (Mariland or Chuvasia / Chuvasstan) the town, as well as the surrounding country side, should be merged. Few rare mentions which have remained, show that the Volga was to become the border between Chuvasia and Mariland with large cultural and political autonomy (as example taken of the political status and education system of the Grand Duchy of Finland in the Russian Empire), to the Kukuk Mari minority on the south side of Jul in Chuvasia. This according to preserved Papers from Meeting of Representantives of the Minority Peoples on May 15, 1917 and Idel Ural State.

Museums

A local museum was opened in 1919 which now contains paintings by many Mari and Russian artists. A regional museum to preserve artifacts of the Mari culture was opened in 1979. An open-air ethnographic museum opened in 1983. It contains over sixty varied buildings typical of Russian/Mari culture. They house over 2,000 exhibits of artisan craft and tools. Even the variety of fences around the grounds display typical Mari designs.