Yoshkar-Ola
Yoshkar-Ola is the capital of the Mari El Republic in western Russia. In the city center, the National Art Gallery hosts changing exhibits in a Renaissance-style building. The Museum of the History of Yoshkar-Ola displays military artifacts and folk art in a former merchant’s house. The green-domed Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is nearby. The riverside Republican Puppet Theater resembles a medieval castle.