One hundred kilometres from Kazan, we find the small town of Malmyzh. Located in Kirov province, Malmyzh is home to around 7,000 people — ethnic Russians and Tatars, as well as Maris and Udmurts.
Malmyzh is home to three religions: Christianity, Islam and the Mari traditional religion. The town is now in the grip of a religious renaissance of sorts, but from an unlikely source. This historically Christian settlement now has only one functioning Orthodox church, and three mosques — one older temple and two built only recently. All are well-visited.
More unexpected is the conversion of local people to Islam who didn’t have any previous contact with religion, both Tatars and ethnic Russians. As you walk down the street, you see men and women dressed in traditional style: the women in long loose dresses and hijab; the men with skull caps, shortish trousers and long beards.
