Young Karelia

Young Karelia (Nuori Karjala; Russian: Молодая Карелия) is a Karelian youth public organization founded on 17 December 1993 in Petrozavodsk by a group of creative youth led by Nadezhda Kalmykova (Kuznetsova), students of the Faculty of Baltic-Finnic Philology and Culture at Petrozavodsk State University. Its main statutory goal is the preservation of the culture and languages of the indigenous Baltic-Finnic peoples of Karelia: Karelians, Veps, and Finns. The organization was registered on 9 February 1994. In its founding year, Nuori Karjala became an associate member of the Youth Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples (MAFUN). Through this membership, it exchanges experience with colleagues from other Finno-Ugric regions and influences youth policy in the Finno-Ugric world. Members have participated in all World Congresses of Finno-Ugric Peoples. The organization's members are predominantly young people—residents of Petrozavodsk and districts of Karelia, representatives of Karelian communities: students, graduates of Karelian universities, working youth, and all those interested in the culture of the Baltic-Finnic peoples of Karelia. Activists work in national media, cultural centers, executive authorities, universities, and scientific institutions, engage in private entrepreneurship, and participate in the public life of the Republic of Karelia. In 2012, the State Duma introduced the concept of "foreign agent" into the law on non-commercial organizations. In May 2015, the Karelian department of the Ministry of Justice conducted an unscheduled documentary inspection of Nuori Karjala's activities. In June 2015, the Russian Ministry of Justice forcibly included the organization in the register of foreign agents. Organizations in the register must report to the Ministry of Justice every three months, including providing passport data and registration addresses of all members. Due to this requirement, the number of Nuori Karjala members decreased from 300 to 10 people. Additionally, when publishing materials online and in media, the "foreign agent" status must be indicated; evasion is punishable by a fine. However, Nuori Karjala disagreed with the Ministry of Justice's decision, stating that the organization does not engage in political activity and does not receive money from abroad. A lawsuit was filed in the Petrozavodsk City Court against the Russian Ministry of Justice and the Karelian department. During the trial, it emerged that the unscheduled inspection was conducted based on an anonymous complaint. On 27 August 2015, Nuori Karjala decided to cease the activities of the youth organization. The decision was related to the fact that "Young Karelia" "can no longer tolerate the necessity of bearing a stigma that does not correspond to its activities." In September 2015, the Petrozavodsk City Court confirmed the legality of including the organization in the register of public associations performing the functions of a "foreign agent." In connection with this decision, the organization's Council began the liquidation procedure of the regional youth public organization "Nuori Karjala." On 20 December 2015, the first meeting of the board of the new organization Nuori Karjala took place. At the meeting, a new chairman and secretary were elected, and the charter of the new organization was adopted with a new name: "Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples and Public Diplomacy 'Nuori Karjala' ('Young Karelia')," abbreviated as KROO "Center 'Nuori Karjala'." On 21 January 2016, the new organization Nuori Karjala was registered by the Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Karelia. Board members include Alexey Tsykarev (chairman), Natalya Antonova (secretary), and Natalya Kibroeva.

Young Karelia (Nuori Karjala) was created on 17 December 1993 (registered 9 February 1994) by a group of creative youth from Petrozavodsk led by Nadezhda Kalmykova (Kuznetsova) — students of the Faculty of Baltic-Finnic Philology and Culture at Petrozavodsk State University. The main statutory goal of the organization was the preservation of the culture and languages of the indigenous Baltic-Finnic peoples of Karelia: Karelians, Veps, and Finns. In its founding year, Nuori Karjala became an associate member of the Youth Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples (MAFUN). Through membership in this international organization, Young Karelia exchanges experience with colleagues from other Finno-Ugric regions and influences the formation of youth policy in the Finno-Ugric world. Members of the organization participated in the work of all World Congresses of Finno-Ugric Peoples. Members are predominantly young people — residents of Petrozavodsk and districts of Karelia, representatives of Karelian communities: students, graduates of Karelian universities, working youth, and all those interested in the culture of the Baltic-Finnic peoples of Karelia. Activists work in national media, cultural centers, executive authorities, universities, and scientific institutions, engage in private entrepreneurship, and participate in the public life of the Republic of Karelia. In 2012, the State Duma adopted amendments to the law "On Non-Commercial Organizations," introducing the concept of "foreign agent." It was assumed that such status would be assigned to non-commercial organizations conducting political activities and receiving foreign funding. In May 2015, the Karelian department of the Ministry of Justice conducted an unscheduled documentary inspection of Nuori Karjala's activities. In June 2015, the Russian Ministry of Justice forcibly included the organization in the register of foreign agents. Organizations in the register must report to the Ministry of Justice every three months. One provision requires indicating passport data and registration addresses of all members. Because of this norm, the number of Nuori Karjala members decreased from 300 to 10 people. Additionally, when publishing materials online and in media, the "foreign agent" status must be indicated. Evasion of this requirement is punishable by a fine. However, Nuori Karjala disagreed with the Ministry of Justice's decision, stating that the organization does not conduct any political activity and does not receive money from abroad. A lawsuit was filed in the Petrozavodsk City Court against the Russian Ministry of Justice and the Karelian department of the Ministry of Justice. During the trial, it emerged that the unscheduled inspection was conducted based on an anonymous complaint. On 27 August 2015, Nuori Karjala decided to cease the activities of the youth organization. The decision was related to the fact that "Young Karelia" "can no longer tolerate the necessity of bearing a stigma that does not correspond to its activities." In September 2015, the Petrozavodsk City Court confirmed the legality of including the organization in the register of public associations performing the functions of a "foreign agent." In connection with this decision, the Council of the organization began the liquidation procedure of the regional youth public organization "Nuori Karjala." On 20 December 2015, the first meeting of the board of the new organization Nuori Karjala took place. At the meeting, a new chairman and secretary were elected, the charter of the new organization was adopted, and a new name was chosen: "Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples and Public Diplomacy 'Nuori Karjala' ('Young Karelia')," abbreviated as KROO "Center 'Nuori Karjala'." On 21 January 2016, the new organization Nuori Karjala was registered by the Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Karelia. Board members of Nuori Karjala: Tsykarev Alexey Vasilievich — chairman; Antonova Natalya Nikolaevna — secretary; Kibroeva Natalya Alexandrovna. Nuori Karjala is an initiator of cultural, educational, and creative events in Petrozavodsk and districts of the Republic of Karelia: ethno-folk marathons, festive and musical evenings, competitions, sports contests, ethno-cultural summer camps. Ethno-cultural and ethno-educational projects are among the priority areas of the organization's activities. Regional projects include: the Council of Representatives of Karelians, Veps, and Finns of the Republic of Karelia under the Head of the Republic of Karelia; the Council of Authorized Representatives of the Congress of Karelians of the Republic of Karelia; the Advisory Council for Interaction with National Public Associations and National-Cultural Autonomies under the Ministry of the Republic of Karelia for National Policy and Relations with Religious Associations; the Youth Coordination Council under the Ministry of the Republic of Karelia for National Policy and Relations with Religious Associations; the youth puppet theater "Čičiliušku"; printed Baltic-Finnic word in native language; youth pop group "Anna tulla"; development of professional book publishing of indigenous Finno-Ugric peoples; evenings of Karelian culture "Ropivo," "FU," "Lembi" with the participation of national musical groups "Sattuma," "D'airot," "Santtu Karhu & Talvisovat," "Anna tulla," "Karjala"; publishing activities (the organization released music and cultural-educational discs "Onnen tähti" ("Star of Happiness"), "Živatad vepsläižiden elos" ("Animals in the Life of Veps") and a calendar in the Karelian language); online courses in Karelian and Veps languages; release of a new rap album in Karelian "Carelication"; holding a competition for the best literary work; Karelian language courses in St. Petersburg. International projects include: the International Consultative Committee of Finno-Ugric Peoples (ICCFU); the Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples (AFUN); the Youth Association of Finno-...

• Organization created in Petrozavodsk.

• Organization officially registered.

• Became associate member of MAFUN.

• Unscheduled documentary inspection by Karelian Ministry of Justice.

• Forcibly included in the register of foreign agents.

• Decision to cease activities of the youth organization.

• Petrozavodsk City Court confirmed legality of foreign agent status.

• First meeting of the board of the new organization; new charter and name adopted.

• New organization registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Karelia.

A grassroots cultural and educational organization dedicated to preserving the languages and cultures of the Baltic-Finnic peoples of Karelia.

• Music and cultural-educational discs "Onnen tähti" ("Star of Happiness")

• Music and cultural-educational discs "Živatad vepsläižiden elos" ("Animals in the Life of Veps")

• Calendar in the Karelian language

• Rap album in Karelian "Carelication"

• Online courses in Karelian and Veps languages

• Karelian language courses in St. Petersburg

1. 1Young Karelia - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Молодая Карелия - Wikipedia (Russian)ru.wikipedia.org