Long before being the so-called home of Gérard Depardieu (3 days in Saransk, a Russian passport & a panar tunic and he became the ultimate citizen), the Republic of Mordovia located in the Volga – Ural region is the historical homeland of the Mordvins, the largest Finno – Ugric people in Russia.
Off the beaten track and yet very close to Moscow, discover Mordovia and its welcoming people !
Last updated : 13/02/2024
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General informations
Capital : Saransk
Population : about 800,000
Languages : Moksha, Erzya & Russian
The Mordvin languages, both Moksha and Erzya are considered to be endangered languages by the UNESCO with less than 40,000 speakers who also live outside of Mordovia, in neighboring republics such as Tatarstan, Bashkortostan (Bashkiria) and in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Religions : Orthodox Christianity for the majority, but includes some pagan rites.
Other minorities : There is a small community of Tatars who are Sunni Muslims.
The Mordvins
Who are they?
Finno – Ugric people originated from the territories of the Volga region, they are cousins of Hungarians & Finns. The Mordvins are the largest Finno-Ugric people in Russia, outnumbering Maris, Komis and Udmurt peoples.
One or two Mordvin peoples?
The word “Mordvin” is an exonym in Russian which means Moksha and Erzya together. These people identify themselves distinctly by their respective names. These are also divided into subgroups:
According to researchers and linguists, the Mordvins originated from the regions between the Volga, Oka and Suna rivers. A division was made in the 6th century and had for consequences differences in languages, appearances, national costumes and even in folklore.
The Moksha and the Erzya did not marry each other until their Christianization by the Russians.
The 2 languages are themselves divided into several dialects which are not really intelligible between them to the point of wondering if they are actually truly related. There are many theories and opinions among both Russian and foreign linguists.
National cuisine
Historically speaking, the Mordvins are hunters & fishermen. Their national cuisine is based on that, though beef has replaced hare & other wild game; fish is served in all sort of ways : boiled, dried, fermented, smoked and even raw.
Some must-try Mordvin dishes & drinks :
Others :
Shongaryam, a millet porridge
Manniky, semolina pancakes
Topon orychkat, a tvorog cheese dessert similar to syrniki
Pachat, thick pancakes made with millet flour
Balanda, a summer soup with vegetables & thistle leaves
The best restaurant in Saransk to try Mordvian cuisine is surely Mordovskoe Podvorye.
My personal choice of favorite restaurant in town both for the service and for the best pelminis I’ve eaten in Russia to this day (I’m not even exaggerating) is the “Otmennaya Pelmennaya“. On Yandex Maps it’s showned as permanently closed but check it out, hopefully not.
Where to sleep
Because of the 2018 World Cup, Saransk has now dozens of hotels and hostels, it’s very easy to find where to sleep in the capital, there is accomodation for every budget. Beware of so-called “hostels” though, there are often dormitories for male workers. Cleanliness isn’t great and as a solo female you will feel most uncomfortable (been there, I didn’t stay).
In the rest of Mordovia, like everywhere in Russia, there are hotels and or guesthouses that can be found directly on Zenhotels, the best alternative to Booking.com.
Because my last minute booking & off-season travels, I went to the Olympia hotel, very good value for money and the receptionist was lovely, so I definitely recommend the place.
Transport
It’s very easy to travel to Saransk by train :
Directly from Moscow in less than 10 hours. There are several trains a day, including night trains with an early morning arrival.
There are also trains from Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan. You can book directly on the official site of the Russian national railway company if you have a russian bank card or on Russiantrain.com with a foreign Visa/Mastercard.
You can get around easily by bus and marshrutka (mini buses) between towns and villages. You can find a bus to any village anywhere in Mordovia from Saransk bus station.
Top 3 places to visit in Mordovia
Read & watch to learn more
Forget the Lonely Planet and other travel guides for informations on Mordovia, they say very little or even nothing about the republic and its inhabitants. Here are a few things to watch, read and listen to learn more about the republic :
If you have any recommendations for books or documentaries about Mordovia, feel free to share in the comments!
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