▁modern ▁rev ival ▁of ▁the ▁eth nic ▁religion ▁of ▁the ▁M ord v ins ▁( Er zy a ▁and ▁M ok sha ), ▁pe op les ▁of ▁Vol ga ▁Finn ic ▁eth nic ▁stock ▁dwell ing ▁in ▁the ▁republic ▁of ▁M ord ov ia ▁within ▁Russia , ▁or ▁in ▁border ing ▁lands ▁of ▁Russia . ▁The ▁religion ▁is ▁often ▁called ▁M ast or ava ▁( M ord vin ▁for : ▁" M other ▁Earth "), ▁from ▁the ▁hom onymous ▁ep ic ▁poem ▁or ▁the ▁mother ▁god dess ▁of ▁the ▁M ord vin ▁p ant he on . ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁origin ating ▁god ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁M ord vin ▁tradition ▁is ▁In esh k ip az . ▁ ▁The ▁M ord v ins ▁have ▁been ▁almost ▁fully ▁Christian ised ▁since ▁the ▁times ▁of ▁K ie van ▁Rus ', ▁although ▁P agan ▁custom s ▁were ▁preserved ▁in ▁the ▁fol kl ore ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁villages ▁completely ▁preserved ▁the ▁native ▁faith ▁at ▁least ▁until ▁further ▁mission ary ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁The ▁Ne op agan ▁rev ival ▁was ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁alongside ▁that ▁of ▁many ▁other ▁native ▁relig ions ▁in ▁Russia , ▁as ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁br ink ▁of ▁dissol ution . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁scholar ▁Victor ▁Sch n ire l mann , ▁ 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁M ord v ins ▁ad here ▁to ▁the