city and capital of Mari El republic, western Russia, on the Malaya (little) Kokshaga River. Yoshkar-Ola was founded in 1578, and in 1584 the fortress of Tsaryovokokshaysk was built there by Tsar Boris Godunov. Its remoteness from lines of communication prevented any development.

In 1919 the city, renamed Krasnokokshaysk, became capital of the then Mari autonomous oblast, to be renamed Yoshkar-Ola in 1927. The building of a railway to Zelenodolsk on the Volga River in 1927 fostered industries, especially light engineering. The city has teacher-training and forestry institutes. Pop. (1991 est.) 274,600.