Authorities of Mordovia intervene in Atyan’ Ezem internal affairs

On July 13, 2019 Rasken’ Ozks, the ancestral prayer of Erzyan people took place in Erzyano-Mokshania (Republic of Mordovia). On the eve of this event Council of Elders (erz. Atyan’ Ezem) chosen chief elder of Erzyan people, Inyazor, by secret ballot. Syres’ Boliayen’, chairman of Erzyan Val society and co-founder of Free Idel-Ural movement, was chosen as new Inyazor; he permanently lives in Ukraine and his candidacy was supported by 12 from 18 elders of the Council.

Free Idel-Ural learned that on July 16 Anatoliy Chushkin, minister of culture, national politics, tourism and archives of Republic of Mordovia, contacted Kshumantsian’ Pyrguzh, continuing to carry out duties of Inyazor, while newly elected Syres’ Boliayen’ will not take his oath of office, and summoned him to the ministry. As Pyrguzh reports, minister Chushkin was extremly displeased by Atyan’ Ezem’s decision to choose Syres’ Boliayen’, who is beyond Kremlin’s control, as new Inyazor. During this conversation Pyrguzh adequate opponed to Chushkin, reminding that republican power does not hear Erzyans and ignores their requests, and also intervenes into internal matters of Erzyan national movement.

“Atyan’ Ezem is council of elders of Erzyan people, not a structural department of Ministry of culture. So it was, so it will be. Officials constantly repeat, that in Republic of Mordivia all conditions are provided for development of Erzyan people and satisfaction of all their cultural necessities. In fact our people are being under powerful assimilatory pressure: Erzyan language is forbidden to teach in schools as obligatory, this privilege was left only for Russian. Erzyans are refused for years into obtaining a land in Saransk to install monument of Inyazor Purgaz. At the same time, we can see that official authorities allocates apartments and land lots all over the republic for Russian orthodox church, and there is no problem with that, no bureaucratic procrastination. If for all these years even one Erzyan gymnasium wasn’t built, even one in all Mordovia, if republican ministers don’t care about Purgaz’s monument, – so where they get time and inspiration to interfere in Erzyan internal business, finding out who voted and for whom”?, – Syres’ Boliayen’, newly elected Inyazor, explained his position.

Free Idel-Ural will carefully monitor course of events surrounding elections of new Inyazor. We hope that officials of Republic of Mordovia will demonstrate the same ardour demanding reports from their ministers, as they want reports from Atyan’ Ezem. For example, how can republican Minister of informatization and communications purchase 4 apartments, 1 house, 1 lot land, 2 cars, 1 snowmobile and plus few million roubles on his modest official salary? Maybe if government of Mordovia will take more active interest into these questions, then there will be money to built Erzyan gymnasium and many other things, useful to our people?