News

The International Finno-Ugric Student Conference (IFUSCO) took place at the University of Helsinki from 11–15 May. This is an annual event that brings together students, activists, and young researchers interested in Uralic languages and peoples. This year marked the 41st time that IFUSCO was organised, with approximately 140 participants, most of whom attended in person.

The Estonian National Museum (ENM) has opened an exhibition titled “The Peoples of the Northern Forests” at the Finnish Hunting Museum in Riihimäki, Finland. Opening …

The Russian Federation celebrated Mordvin Language Day on 16 April 2026. A dictation contest featuring quotes from Putin was held, and a drive to collect humanitarian aid for the “Mordovia” tank battalion was launched.

The Karelian Cultural Society celebrated its 120th anniversary in Helsinki on 10-12 April 2026. The celebrations included a reception at the town hall, a Karelian disco and the Society's annual meeting.

On 12 April, the 18th issue of Alkukoti ("Homeland"), a Finnish-language magazine introducing Finno-Ugric peoples, their languages, and cultures, was presented at the M.A. Castrén Society’s premises in Helsinki.

The Tartu branch of the Finnish Institute has move to Tampere House at the beginning of this year, turning the building into a broader centre for Finnish culture. At the beginning of 2026, the Ainola Centre has begun operating there.

Before the New Year, on 17 December, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow ruled to place Daria Egereva, a representative of the Selkup people and …

After six years of work, village signs in the Izhorian language using Latin letters were installed in the Leningrad Oblast. Half a hundred village signs were placed in the territory of the Vistina (Вистино) village council, with the Izhorian language alongside Russian. The signs were placed not only in the current Izhorian villages, but also in places where Izhorians used to live more densely.

On 27 October 2025, a memorial plaque in Hungarian and Estonian was unveiled on the wall of the main entrance of the Eötvös Károly Library in Veszprém, Hungary, in memory of Estonian poet, guardian of Finno-Ugric unity, and freedom fighter Enn Uibo (1912, Vana-Kariste – 1965 Dubravlag, Mordvin SSR).

Since 2007, the board of the Kindred Peoples' Programme has awarded a literature prize to recognise authors and translators of works of literature in the native languages of stateless kindred peoples who have helped to preserve and promote indigenous literature.

In 2025, the Science Awards of Kindred Peoples’ Programme were presented to Saami scholar Berit-Ellen Juuso and Komi researcher Maria Fedina.

Academic work Patrick O’Rourke is a Finnougrist who focuses primarily on the Livonian language. In his bachelor’s thesis, he compared the North Estonian Häädemeeste dialect …