The Institute of National Philology and Culture of Finno-Ugric Peoples
The institute was organised in 2006, around the department of ethnic culture at Ogaryov Mordvinian State University. It is one of the republic's leading educational and research centres, concerned with the revival of Finno-Ugric traditions.
The institute is divided into six subdepartments: ethnic culture and theatre art; folk music; ethnic choreography; traditional Mordvinian culture and modern art; cultural srudies; design and advertising culture; and library and information resources. The institute runs courses on Finno-Ugric mythology, history of the national costume, folk dances, popular choral styles of Finno-Ugric peoples, and others.
The institute has a body of 1,030 students who come from the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia and also from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and other countries. The institute's performing groups have won many prizes at international and national festivals and competitions, while instructors have received grants from the government of Mordovia, the European Union (the TEMPUS/TACIS programme), the Sibelius Music Academy, the Institute of World Music (Finland), and others.
A new study and laboratory building of the Institute of National Culture, as well as a Palace of Culture and Art with a combined area of 15,900 square metres, and a hostel with 640 places and a total area of 9,000 sq m have been built under the plan to celebrate the 1000-year unity of the Mordvinian people with peoples of the Russian state (approved by a government executive order of January 15, 2010).
