New Erzya magazine is expected to be introduced in Ukraine

Syres’ Boliayen’, chief elder of Erzya people, announced presentation of first Erzya social and political magazine. Edition will be introduced in Kyiv, where the editorial board would sit.

“We named our magazine “ĚRZÄŃ VAL”, that can be translated as “Erzya word”. The mission of our magazine corresponds its name, which is to spread words of truth for Erzya and about Erzya. In other words, to inform our fellow people on activity of Kirdiyiur – system of national representative bodies, to inform international community about Erzya people, about its struggle for cultural, economic and political rights. However, it does not mean that our magazine publishes only documents of Erzya national movement. We try to cure our people from grave illness, namely worldview through somebody else’s eyes. Erzya, as well as representatives of other peoples of Idel-Ural, got used to survive under permanent imperial pressure. We all are trained to match our lives with Moscow. System of national representative bodies is created – oh, what will they say in Moscow? We decided to shift from Cyrillic to Latin alphabet – how Russians can react?

We want our Erzya delegation to participate in VIII World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples – oh wait, what does Tultaev, mayor of Saransk, think about that?

It’s time to understand that we have own interests, that very often conflict with interests of local Russian-appointed officials as well as federal center itself. It’s time to get better and observe all the world by our own eyes, eyes of Erzya. It’s time to declare our rights and interests. “ĚRZÄŃ VAL” magazine is intended to solve exactly these tasks”, – Syres’ Boliayen (Inyazor) explained.

Ozhomason’ Kird’ia, editorial board member, reported that first edition of the magazine was released in 100 copies and will be distributed free of charge. More than half of magazine’s content is in Erzya language, some articles are dubbed in English, few texts are written in Ukrainian and Russian. Design, typography and distribution costs were covered by Secretariate of Inyazor with accumulated donations of Erzya. First edition’s budget amounted to approximately USD800. Editorial board plans to release the magazine twice a year. E-version of “ĚRZÄŃ VAL” will appear in free access on presentation day (June 30, 2020 at 11:00 (Kyiv time, GMT+2), online version of presentation will be available.