Yoshkar-Ola Travel Forum

Does anyone know anything about this place? Flora, Fauna, Topography, Places of interest? Rivers, weather, climate....?

Mari El Republic within Continental Russia, in the proximity of Volga river.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshkar-Ola

Home of some few infamous girlie scams (just in case it's the reason you are interested):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Mari_El

Otherwise not pretty much OK place - but quite a bit off the beaten track for average American. It is not far from Kozmo-Demiansk, some would consider Kozmo-Demiansk the eastmost city of Golden Ring, but IMHO it is a bit an overstatement. Flora/Fauna: well, the heraldic symbol of the city is a moose, so you got the idea. :-)

It'a a place where I probably won't mind to spend a week or two just for relaxation and walking around.

Few hotel links if you would be interested:

http://hotelyoshkarola.ru/hotel/price.php
http://www.virginia.ru/realty/book_hotel.shtml
http://www.evrikahotel.ru/price.html
http://www.hotelpharaon.ru/

Seems to me not extremely expensive place, at least compared with Moscow :-)

Weather is very continental; rivers, as said - Volga is the nearest major river. And if you know the environment moose really likes, than it is.

"Otherwise not pretty much OK" - sorry, the word "not" slipped in, I was trying to type many things the same time, so it should read "Otherwise pretty much OK place", without "not".

But I feel, it's more of interest for a domestic tourist. Also do not expect many people speaking English there. As usual, much more "easygoing" place than Moscow, so if someone is tired of the pace, here you go.

If this is in regards to a young lady, you might want to type in "Yoshkar-Ola Scams" in your search engine. On Google you get over 30,000 hits. I had a young woman from that city contact me on another site. She never asked for anything, but was listed as contacting 20 or so different people. She used "form letters", and send everyone the same pictures. One of the pictures actually had a wedding photo in the background. There are a lot of women on the lists. Gary

I don't know, never had any issue with mailorder brides, Lugansk-brides or Yoshka Ola-brides. I know they probably exist but somehow not intersted in me, LOL I do not know any person either who fell victim or even was contacted.

I have a feeling, while this unfortunate phenomen certainly does exist, one will land up in trouble only if looking for it. There is a urban legend regarding "East Europan brides" who don't have anything else just dreaming to be "picked up". I can say, it's wrong and the marriage even if successful rarely last long because they tend to have very different ideas about the life. For instance, the life in typical American suburban setting will make East Europeans sick in few years and they often face severe depression.

Also marrying a girl most of the time means also marrying her entire family.

To find out who is serious who is not pretty easy :-) A geniune East European girl will never ask for money. But she will try to pull you in in her social settng and feed you to death :-)
So if you happen to meet a, say, Polish or Armenian or Mordvin girl and she will do her best to introduce you to the mother of the friend of her niece and they will feed you like a goose, you know, "wazzup". If no friends, no food no fun - just asking for monetary help: very untypical, not genuine.

I have met people from all over the world and used the experience to learn more about the people, places and things. I am impressed to have such quality people to respond. Isn't VT Great? I have never had anyone ask for money. Maybe I'm just lucky or maybe I impress others as being hopeless. Most just want someone to practise their English skills and they come from many countries. I learn and they learn. It seems like a good system to me.
I say thank you.
Pancho

You are welcome. I hope you enjoy the trip. Gary

If you are immune to the losers operating the girlie-scams: better for you!
Than it would be a nice stay, but if it is the first time in Russia for you, I would suggest to go a little bit closer to Moscow first, focusing on Golden Ring. Kozmo-Demiansk is a bit off beaten path and it is on the opposite bank of Volga river. You may decide to go to Kozmo-Demiansk, than cross the river and continue to Yoshkar Ola.

Some friends adopted two kids from Ryazan ??? The little known fact is I can not go to several places in that part of the world due to my military career.
The kids are great and ALL of the people I have met online are likewise. If I really needed to go I'm sure they would waive it but I did sign the paper. I really enjoy the stories I hear, cross culture. I seek nothing tangible and to the best of my knowledge, nor do the people I've met.
I could write a book and never been anywhere. Most people I meet are just friendly and 'Down to earth.'
Thanks
Pancho

Unfortunately the combination - Internet +female pen-pal +Yoshkar Ola = scam in 99,9%. No any variants. But it could be not too bad book indeed))))) Could be bestseller, taking into consideration the number of scammed guys;-)

Somehow it did not hit me, I never heared about Y-O girlie-scene until I did not google on it few days ago. Not enough I did not see any spam from Asian or East European "mail-order bride" type business either. Hence I suspect, in order to become a victim, one should look for trouble first.

I have had one of those types of letters here on VT. I was addressed as "My Dear One", and was told she was very, very interested in me because of my "profile"(?). I wasn't "looking for that sort of thing", here on VT. People are not usually "looking for that sort of thing" on dating sites either. That is where many of these contacts are originated. I have no reason to make any of this up. I truly wish at least one of the young ladies would have been sincere. I probably did err by appearing to make it seem that Yoshkar-Ola is the only place that is involved in this type of activity. Such actions also occur with some frequency from parts of Africa, and the Caribbean islands. Gary

Lipsync, I am glad that your internet contacts have been positive ones. That is indeed the case for most contacts that occur. There are nice, interesting, and intelligent people in all parts of the world. Gary

Not all have been positive.....I just don't look twice at the "Alternative." On VT most call some of those slow moving inquisitors who contact others out of context by the term "Trollers." My father always said, "Avoid the APPEARANCE of impropriety." When I traveled Nevada in the mining business I would stop in some 'Houses of ill repute.' Some required an "Investment" to stay while others let drinkers mix with others there 'On Business.' The so called 'Working Girls' were distinguished by intelligence and dare I say it...."an Engaging disposition." With practice one learns to travel in and out of those social circles without stopping to sample every flower, or maybe 'Any Flower.' With practice one can tell the barking dog from the yipping coyote or howling wolf.

Really, she was a girl named Elena living in Moscow but for her holiday she rode a bus twenty four hours East/SouthEast to her birthplace and parents home on or near the Volga in Mari El. She told me the best gift one might present to a Russian, girl or boy, was a book. It would be read and passed on to others. I liked that. I like, also, to learn and read. If she was other than she seemed then she was very clever but then agaib her name was Elena...so who knows?

Ok,ok)))) Just for curiosity - try to Google "Scammer, Mari El, Elena" or copy and google some most expressive phrases)))) There are a lot of nice and sincere girls in Yoshkar Ola, for sure, but scam - is high developed business there in, and statistic is rather negative:-/

"KKK" He might have been looking for the Nukes close by in Mari-El. One never knows to whom one speaks. Smiles all around.

Elena,

Why? Why? I never was a target of these girls. Dunno... sometimes maybe some did try... To be honest, at the time I would become a victim or so, I had a g/f with me and a dark red passport with CCCP written on it. Heck knows, producing both the same time did scare the cute "sincere" girls for good. If they tried English, I usually proposed an easier way to communicate, that scared them even more. I am really unlucky person, never got lasting attention from Voroshilovgrad/Lugansk or Mari girls. Sigh....

But sometimes sins can be excused. :-) Like in this video, about a brunette girl:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RNglC2-rIo

(WATCH FOR THE HILARIOUS ACCENT!!! The relevant stuff is at ca. 3:20)

Elena et al,

I do appreciate your notice and warnings. I also appreciate the apparent schemes and even more appreciate those who would post fair warning. No one is immune to such but it does take the willing being led by the deceptive onto a path of blind ignorance in a conspiracy of wanton disregard for good practice.

Okay, with that said....."Where do I sign up?" Like the old joke says, "Just because they actually ARE out to get you does not mean you are not paranoid."

I truly do value your information input. I had my DNA tested earlier this year and many of my ancestor 'Hits' came from Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Lativa and Siberia. So, I have several reasons to learn about that area of the world.

Thanks again

Last sentence sounds very nice)))) Good luck, our "Russian brother":-D

Thank You........I'll have to get back to you on this one......BRAVO!!??!!??

Hi all, looking for some advise re: travel from Moscow to Oshkar Olar, and accommodation as looking to stay for about a month! What is the safest and what is the cheepest. Many thanks for any advise offered.
regards Stephan

Bonjour je suis Belge et voilka que je reviens de Yoskhar-ola si tu désire me contacter pour des renseignements écrit ,Hotels adresse utiles, lieu a visiter etc.. Petite ville bien sympatique ! je n'ai eu aucun probléme et les taxi sont bon marché
Phil