A 4 meter tall bronze soldier appeared in downtown Yoshkar Ola. Monument to the folklorist, gusli musician and the World War I veteran Alexander Kotomkin-Savinsky has been solemnly unveiled next to the Russian Drama Theater in Yoshkar Ola.

The bronze monument, standing on granite coated pedestal rises up in the park, in front of the Chapel of all Saints of the Russian Land. It is about 4 meter tall. Kotomkin-Savinsky is wearing the uniform of Russian military. The project authors are sculptors from Yoshkar Ola. Alexander Efimovich Kotomkin, also known under Kotomkin-Savinsky pseudonym, was born in Savino village and lived in Tsarevokokshaysk. He was a Mari folklorist, gusli player, warrior and a poet. He got education in his hometown, later he joined military and after that lived a remarkable life. Alexander Kotomkin started writing verses at the age of 15. For 79 years of his life he created 15 volumes of poetry and memoirs.