TO THE QUESTION OF FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF MARI TRADITIONAL RELIGION
Since its official registration in 2007, Mari Traditional Religion has had the status of a local religion. The history of its formation and development, specific characteristics and content remain largely unstudied. The article characterizes the main stages in the development of Mari religion and determines its role in history and culture of the Mari. The research is done on the basis of literary and archive sources and the author’s direct ethnographic investigations.