Karelian politician proposed increasing subsidies for the Veps
Olga Shmaenik, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia, spoke at the “Dialogue Among Parliamentarians” forum in Salekhard. There, she proposed an increase in subsidies for the Veps people. One of the forum’s sessions was titled “The Well-Being of Russia’s Indigenous Peoples: Sharing Experiences”, where Olga Shmaenik spoke. There are 2,471 Veps living in the Republic of Karelia, and in previous years, the Republic of Karelia received 15.7 million rubles (174,000 euros) from the federal budget for the economic and social development of the Veps, Shmaenik confirmed. These funds supported, for example, the creation of ethnoparks, the traditional economy of Veps villages, as well as the installation of bilingual village signs, Veps language courses for adults, and traditional Veps celebrations such as Elonpu or Fishermen’s Day. In the last couple of years, however, this funding has decreased. A proposal to increase support for the Veps people was included in the forum’s resolution.
Olga Shmaenik also noted that the Veps people receive support from the local budget, which enables the publication of the Veps-language newspaper Kodima, the literary almanac Verez tullei, and the children’s magazine Kipinä. News in the Veps language is also published on the OmaMedia portal. Veps language courses are held, and the language is also taught in schools: in the 2025–2026 school year, 314 children studied Veps across four schools, and an additional 63 preschoolers received Veps language instruction.
Olga Shmaenik
Olga Shmaenik was born on 7 October 1970, in the village of Šoutjärv (Sheltozero), which is the largest and most important cultural center of the Veps people in Karelia. She has told journalists the following about herself: “I was born in the village of Sheltozero, went to school and kindergarten there, and later worked at the local school for ten years./…/. My mother and grandmother were born in the village, and I also gave birth to my son there. I had a wonderful grandmother—a fairy-tale grandmother. She knew a great many Veps fairy tales, songs, and jokes. I feel that it was from my grandmother that I inherited my optimism and open-minded attitude toward people. Yes, we are Veps, but unlike my mother and grandmother, I unfortunately don’t speak the Veps language, though I do understand it.”
