View source for Yoshkar-Ola

{{Short description|Capital of Mari El, Russia}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox Russian inhabited locality
| en_name                 = Yoshkar-Ola
| ru_name                 = Йошкар-Ола
| loc_name1               = Йошкар-Ола
| loc_lang1               = [[Meadow Mari language|Meadow Mari]]
| loc_name2               = 
| loc_lang2               = 
| loc_name3               = 
| loc_lang3               = 
| loc_name4               = 
| loc_lang4               = 
| other_name              =Charla (Чарла) 
| other_lang              = 
| image_skyline           = <!-- images and maps  -----------> {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| perrow            = 1/2/2/2/2
| total_width       = 250
| image1 = Yoshkar-Ola P8122176 2200.jpg
| image2 = Yoshkar-Ola P8122161 2200.jpg
| image3 = Йошкар-Ола. Кафедральный собор Благовещения Пресвятой Богородицы.jpg
| image4 = Kukolnyi teatr.jpg
| image5 = Площадь Оболенского-Ноготкова.jpg
| footer = From the top to bottom-right, The Brugge Embankment, Main Square, Annunciation Orthodox cathedral, Republican Puppet Theatre, Obolensky-Nogotkov Square}}
| image_caption           = 
| image_map               = 
| map_caption             = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|56|39|N|47|53|E|display=inline,title}}
| image_flag              = Flag of Yoshkar-Ola (Mariy-El).png
| flag_caption            = 
| image_coa               = Coat of Arms of Yoshkar-Ola (Mariy-El).png
| pushpin_map             = Russia Mari El#European Russia#Europe
| coa_caption             = 
| anthem                  = ''Song About Yoshkar-Ola''
| anthem_ref              = <ref name="Anthem">Official website of Yoshkar-Ola. [http://www.i-ola.ru/city/generalinf/gerb.php Symbols of Yoshkar-Ola] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909161252/http://www.i-ola.ru/city/gerb.php }} {{in lang|ru}}</ref>
| holiday                 = August&nbsp;6
| holiday_ref             = <ref name="Holiday">Charter of Yoshkar-Ola, Article&nbsp;6</ref>
<!-- administrative status -->
| federal_subject         = [[Mari El Republic]]
| federal_subject_ref     = <ref name="Ref110" />
| adm_district_jur        = 
| adm_district_jur_ref    = 
| adm_inhabloc_jur        = [[city of federal subject significance|city of republic significance]] of Yoshkar-Ola
| adm_inhabloc_jur_ref    = <ref name="Ref110" />
| adm_citydistrict_type   = 
| adm_selsoviet_jur       = 
| adm_selsoviet_type      = 
| adm_selsoviet_jur_ref   = 
| capital_of              = Mari El Republic
| capital_of_ref          = <ref name="Capital" />
| adm_ctr_of1             = city of republic significance of Yoshkar-Ola 
| adm_ctr_of1_ref         = <ref name="Ref110" /> 
| adm_ctr_of2             = 
| adm_ctr_of2_ref         = 
| inhabloc_cat            = City
| inhabloc_cat_ref        = <ref name="Ref110" />
| inhabloc_type           = 
| inhabloc_type_ref       = 
<!-- municipal status -->
| mun_district_jur        = 
| mun_district_jur_ref    = 
| urban_okrug_jur         = Yoshkar-Ola Urban Okrug
| urban_okrug_jur_ref     = <ref name="Ref242" />
| urban_settlement_jur    = 
| urban_settlement_jur_ref = 
| rural_settlement_jur    = 
| rural_settlement_jur_ref = 
| inter_settlement_territory = 
| inter_settlement_territory_ref = 
| mun_admctr_of1          = Yoshkar-Ola Urban Okrug 
| mun_admctr_of1_ref      = <ref name="Ref242" /> 
| mun_admctr_of2          = 
| mun_admctr_of2_ref      = 
| leader_title            = Head
| leader_title_ref        = <ref name="HeadTitle">Charter of Yoshkar-Ola, Article&nbsp;44</ref>
| leader_name             = [[Yevgeny Maslov (politician)|Yevgeny Maslov]]
| leader_name_ref         = <ref name="Head">Official website of Yoshkar-Ola. [http://www.i-ola.ru/about/officials/ Mayor of the City of Yoshkar-Ola] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205175819/http://i-ola.ru/about/officials/ |date=5 December 2015 }} {{in lang|ru}}</ref>
| representative_body     = City Assembly of Yoshkar-Ola
| representative_body_ref = <ref name="Legis">Charter of Yoshkar-Ola, Article&nbsp;24</ref>
<!-- statistics -->
| elevation_m             = 
| area_km2                = 
| area_km2_ref            = 
| pop_2010census          = 248782
| pop_2010census_rank     = 74th
| pop_2010census_ref      = <ref name="2010Census">{{ru-pop-ref|2010Census}}</ref>
| pop_latest              = 
| pop_latest_date         = 
| pop_latest_ref          = 
| population_demonym      = 
| established_date        = 1584
| established_title       = 
| established_date_ref    = <ref name="GRE">Great Russian Encyclopedia, pp.&nbsp;301–302</ref><ref name="Established">Charter of Yoshkar-Ola, Article&nbsp;1</ref>
| current_cat_date        = 1781
| current_cat_date_ref    = <ref name="GRE" />
| abolished_date          = 
| abolished_date_ref      = 
<!-- misc -->
| postal_codes            = 424000–424008, 424010, 424016, 424019, 424020, 424026, 424028, 424030–424034, 424036–424040, 424045, 424700, 424899, 424950, 424999
| postal_codes_ref        = 
| dialing_codes           = 8362
| dialing_codes_ref       = 
| website                 = http://www.i-ola.ru
}}
'''Yoshkar-Ola''' ([[Mari language|Mari]] and {{langx|ru|Йошкар-Ола}}) is the [[capital city]] of [[Mari El]], [[Russia]]. Yoshkar-Ola means “red city” in [[Meadow Mari language|Mari]] and was formerly known as '''Tsarevokokshaysk''' ({{lang|ru|Царевококшайск}}) before 1919, as '''Krasnokokshaysk''' ({{lang|ru|Краснококшайск}}) between 1919 and 1927 both after the [[Malaya Kokshaga River]] and '''Charla''' ({{lang|mhr|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 one of the centers of the [[Mari people]] (especially of the Meadow Mari subgroup) and the administrative center of the Yoshkar-Ola city district.

==Demographics==
Population: {{ru-census|p2010=248,782|p2002=256,719|p1989=241,601}}

==History==
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2022}}
{{stack|{{Quote box
| title = Historical affiliations
| quote = {{flagicon image|Flag of Oryol ship (variant).svg}} [[Tsardom of Russia]] 1584–1721<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of Russia.svg}} [[Russian Empire]] 1721–1917<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of Russia.svg}} [[Russian Republic (1917–1918)|Russian Republic]] 1917-1918<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of Russia.svg}} [[Russian Republic (1917–1918)|Russian Democratic Federal Republic]] 1918<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1954–1991).svg}} [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] 1918-1922<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Soviet Union.svg}} [[Soviet Union|Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] 1922–1991<br />
{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Russia|Russian Federation]] 1991–present
| align = 
| width = 19em
| bgcolor = GhostWhite
}}
}}
Yoshkar-Ola was established as a military fortress in 1584, following the Russian conquest of the [[Mari El|Mari region]].
Yoshkar-Ola means “red city” in [[Meadow Mari language|Mari]] and before 1919 was known as Tsaryovokokshaysk ({{lang|ru|Царевококшайск}}), between 1919 and 1927 also as Krasnokokshaysk ({{lang|ru|Краснококшайск}})  both after the [[Malaya Kokshaga River]] and is known as Charla ({{lang|mhr|Чарла}}) amongst the Mari people.

During the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] era, especially after [[World War II]], the city was a regional industrial and transport center and grew to its current size.

The [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|collapse of the Soviet Union]] removed support for [[state enterprise]]s, and led to the shutdown of most manufacturing activity in the area.  Much of the city's economic activity was supported by [[shuttle trading|shuttle traders]] who would transport (often [[counterfeit]]) goods from the bustling markets of [[Moscow]] to Yoshkar-Ola's [[bazaar]]s. The sharp decline in living standards led to the emigration of specialized professionals to larger cities in Russia.{{when|date=September 2022}}

==Geography==
The [[Malaya Kokshaga River]] runs through the city.

=== Time zone ===
Yoshkar-Ola is located in the MSK time zone (Moscow time). The offset of the applicable time relative to UTC is +3:00 In accordance with the applicable time and longitude, the average solar noon in Yoshkar-Ola occurs at 11:48.

==Administrative and municipal status==
[[Image:Город Йошкар-Ола Марий Эл 5.jpg|thumb|left|Yoshkar Ola at night]]
Yoshkar-Ola is the [[capital city|capital]] of the [[Mari El Republic]].<ref name="Capital">Constitution of the Mari El Republic, Article&nbsp;16</ref> Within the [[subdivisions of Russia#Administrative divisions|framework of administrative divisions]], it is, together with ten [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|rural localities]], incorporated as the [[city of federal subject significance|city of republic significance]] of Yoshkar-Ola —an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the [[administrative divisions of the Mari El Republic|districts]].<ref name="Ref110">Law #22-Z</ref> As a [[subdivisions of Russia#Municipal divisions|municipal division]], the city of republic significance of Yoshkar-Ola is incorporated as Yoshkar-Ola Urban Okrug.<ref name="Ref242">Law #15-Z</ref>
{{clear left}}

==Transport==
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&nbsp;km north of the city and handles small aircraft [[Moscow]]-bound flights ([[Vnukovo International Airport]]) since April 2012.

Destinations within the city limits can be reached through a network of buses, trolleys, and route taxis, or ''[[marshrutka]]s''.

==Economy==
The 4th Kiev-Zhitomir Rocket Division of the [[27th Guards Missile Army]] of the [[Strategic Rocket Forces]] is located nearby.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ww2.dk/new/rvsn/14md.htm |title=14th Kievsko-Zhitomirskaya order of Kutuzov Missile Division |access-date=7 October 2010 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928095539/http://www.ww2.dk/new/rvsn/14md.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Yoshkar-Ola has a prison colony, which came to international attention in September 2022 as the location of a [[Wagner Group]] video in which [[Yevgeny Prigozhin]] promised convicts they would be released from prison if they served a six-month combat tour in the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|war against Ukraine]].<ref name="nyt">{{Cite news |last=Triebert |first=Christiaan |date=2022-09-16 |title=Video Reveals How Russian Mercenaries Recruit Inmates for Ukraine War |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/world/europe/russia-wagner-ukraine-video.html |access-date=2022-09-19 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Climate==
The climate of Yoshkar-Ola is very similar to that of [[Nizhny Novgorod]] or [[Kirov, Kirov Oblast|Kirov]]. The city is situated in a warm-summer [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfb''). The winters are long and cold with much snow and average January temperatures between {{convert|-10|and|-15|C}}, and a record low of {{convert|-47.3|C}}. On the other hand, the city enjoys very warm summers, marred by only occasional, brief intervals of sultry or rainy conditions with July as the hottest month, when the average high is {{convert|+25|C}}, and temperatures may stay around {{convert|+35|C}} for weeks.{{Weather box
| width = auto
| location = Yoshkar-Ola (1991-2020, extremes 1936-present)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 4.5
| Feb record high C = 7.4
| Mar record high C = 15.8
| Apr record high C = 28.9
| May record high C = 33.4
| Jun record high C = 36.8
| Jul record high C = 38.7
| Aug record high C = 39.1
| Sep record high C = 31.6
| Oct record high C = 23.9
| Nov record high C = 13.0
| Dec record high C = 7.2
| year record high C = 39.1
| Jan high C = -7.3
| Feb high C = -6.3
| Mar high C = 0.4
| Apr high C = 10.3
| May high C = 19.4
| Jun high C = 23.1
| Jul high C = 25.4
| Aug high C = 22.8
| Sep high C = 16.4
| Oct high C = 8.0
| Nov high C = -0.6
| Dec high C = -5.7
| year high C = 8.8
| Jan mean C = -10.5
| Feb mean C = -10.2
| Mar mean C = -3.9
| Apr mean C = 4.9
| May mean C = 12.8
| Jun mean C = 17.0
| Jul mean C = 19.3
| Aug mean C = 16.8
| Sep mean C = 11.1
| Oct mean C = 4.4
| Nov mean C = -3.1
| Dec mean C = -8.4
| year mean C = 4.2
| Jan low C = -13.7
| Feb low C = -13.9
| Mar low C = -7.8
| Apr low C = 0.2
| May low C = 6.7
| Jun low C = 11.3
| Jul low C = 13.5
| Aug low C = 11.5
| Sep low C = 6.8
| Oct low C = 1.4
| Nov low C = -5.4
| Dec low C = -11.2
| year low C = 0.0
| Jan record low C = -46.9
| Feb record low C = -41.7
| Mar record low C = -38.9
| Apr record low C = -21.8
| May record low C = -6.0
| Jun record low C = -2.5
| Jul record low C = 2.0
| Aug record low C = -1.4
| Sep record low C = -7.5
| Oct record low C = -18.9
| Nov record low C = -33.6
| Dec record low C = -47.3
| year record low C = -47.3
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 40
| Feb precipitation mm = 30
| Mar precipitation mm = 32
| Apr precipitation mm = 32
| May precipitation mm = 40
| Jun precipitation mm = 64
| Jul precipitation mm = 76
| Aug precipitation mm = 65
| Sep precipitation mm = 54
| Oct precipitation mm = 57
| Nov precipitation mm = 43
| Dec precipitation mm = 42
| year precipitation mm = 575
|Jan precipitation days = 18.1
|Feb precipitation days = 14.6
|Mar precipitation days = 13.2
|Apr precipitation days = 10.5
|May precipitation days = 12.0
|Jun precipitation days = 13.1
|Jul precipitation days = 12.1
|Aug precipitation days = 11.9
|Sep precipitation days = 13.6
|Oct precipitation days = 15.2
|Nov precipitation days = 15.1
|Dec precipitation days = 17.9
|year precipitation days = 167.5
|Jan sun = 40
|Feb sun = 81
|Mar sun = 138
|Apr sun = 199
|May sun = 271
|Jun sun = 286
|Jul sun = 295
|Aug sun = 239
|Sep sun = 145
|Oct sun = 76
|Nov sun = 34
|Dec sun = 23
|year sun = 
| source 1=Pogoda.ru.net<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/27485.htm|title=Климат Ачинска - Погода и климат}}</ref>
|source 2 = climatebase.ru (precipitation days, sun 1936-2012)<ref name="climatebase">{{cite web|title=Yoshkar-Ola, Russia|url=http://climatebase.ru/station/27485|language=en|publisher=Climatebase.ru|accessdate=January 24, 2013}}</ref>
}}

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1897|1700|1926|4300|1939|27179|1959|88744|1970|166073|1979|201371|1989|241601|2002|256719|2010|248782|2021|281248|footnote=Source: Census Data|percentages=pagr}}According to the [[Russian Census (2021)|2021 Census]], Yoshkar-Ola has a population of 281,248 people, making it the 71st largest city in Russia. The urban area of the city is 291,892 people.

Following the [[Russian Census (2010)|2010 Census]], the ethnic makeup of Yoshkar-Ola is:
{| class="wikitable"
!Ethnicity
!Population
!Percentage
|-
|[[Russians]]
|152,447
|61.28%
|-
|[[Mari people|Mari]]
|58,001
|23.31%
|-
|[[Tatars]]
|10,202
|4.10%
|-
|[[Ukrainians]]
|2,075
|0.83%
|-
|Other
|5,438
|2.2%
|}

==Education==
<gallery perrow="3" widths="200px" heights="145px">
The main building of Mari state technical university.jpg|{{center|The main building of Volga State University of Technology}}
The main building of Mari State University.jpg|{{center|The main building of Mari State University}}
</gallery>
Yoshkar-Ola is home to 88 educational institutions, among them several institutions of higher education, including:
*[http://www.marsu.ru Mari State University]
*[[Volga State University of Technology]] (before 2012, Mari State Technical University)
*[http://mosi.ru/en Interregional Open Social Institute]
There are also 30 schools for primary students aged between 7 and 18 and 52 kindergartens.
Additionally, Yoshkar-Ola has many private educational centers offering different qualifications and trainings in such disciplines as foreign languages, computer science and many others.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Russia}}

Yoshkar-Ola is [[sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Города-побратимы|url=http://www.i-ola.ru/city/generalinf/twin_cities/index.php|website=i-ola.ru|publisher=Yoshkar-Ola|language=ru|access-date=2020-02-04|archive-date=31 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131192634/http://i-ola.ru/city/generalinf/twin_cities/index.php|url-status=live}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Bourges]], France
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Princeton, West Virginia]], United States
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Szombathely]], Hungary

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[http://www.i-ola.ru/ Official website of Yoshkar-Ola] {{in lang|ru}}
*[http://yoshkarola.online.fr/index_en.htm Map of Yoshkar-Ola]
* {{Osmrelation-inline|2635526}}

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{RussiaBasicLawRef|me}}
*{{RussiaBasicLawRef|me|yoshkar-ola}}
*{{RussiaAdmMunRef|me|adm|law}}
*{{RussiaAdmMunRef|me|mun|list0}}
*Большая Российская энциклопедия (''[[Great Russian Encyclopedia]]''): В 30 т. / Председатель науч.-ред. совета Ю. С. Осипов. Отв. ред С. Л. Кравец. Т. 12. Исландия — Канцеляризмы. — М.: Большая Российская энциклопедия, 2008. — 767 с.

{{Mari El Republic}}
{{Russian republics capitals}}
{{List of European capitals by region}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Yoshkar-Ola| ]]
[[Category:Tsaryovokokshaysky Uyezd]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1584]]