Yoshkar-Ola (; ) is the
capital city of the
Mari El Republic,
Russia. Population:
Names
Yoshkar-Ola means
red city in
Mari. The current name is the third to have been given to the city. The city was known as
Tsaryovokokshaysk before 1919 and as
Krasnokokshaysk between 1919 and 1927. These names were derived from the name of the
Malaya Kokshaga River, which runs through the city. The city's old Mari name was Charla .