The Merya people (; also Merä) were an ancient Finno-Ugric people who lived in the regions of modern Russian cities of Rostov, Kostroma, Jaroslavl and Vladimir. They were an old and important culture which's shown in the numerous archaeological finds in those areas. There's an opinion that Merja's a west branch of Mari people since Merya's Russian transcription of the existing self-name of west Maris Мäрӹ (Märӛ). All Merya toponimy's translated on base… (More on Merya)