Introduction. The study of the process of formation of printing and publishing is one of the urgent tasks of regional historiography. Consideration of this issue within a single area is of interest not only to identify the features of local features of this process, but also to better understand the general patterns of development of the entire printing sphere of the Mari El Republic. The purposeof this article is to study the process of origin and formation of printing and publishing in the Mari Territory at the beginning of the XX century. The article attempts to define the role of printing in the culturaldevelopment of the Mari Autonomous Region (MAR). Materials and methods. The primary research materials were archival documents of the State Archive of the Republic of Mari El (SA RME), newspaper publications, as well as scientific papers and articles ofresearchers on this issue. The basis of the work is mainly historical-genetic, historical-systemic and problem-historical methods, which made it possible to trace the origin of the first printed publications in the Mari Territory, the stages of their development, as well as to analyze the cause-effect relationships and patterns of historical development. Research results, discussions. In the course of the study, the authors identified and analyzed the stages of the Mari printing development, as well as a set of problems that hinder their further evolution. Conclusion. In thecourse of the formation and development of the Mari printing,despite a number of problems, the leadership of the MARsolved the following problems: the first and second state printing houses were put into operation, the publication of literature and periodicals in the Mari and Russian languages was launched, and the Mari Regional Publishing House was established. The fulfillment of these tasks made it possible to provide the population of the Mari Autonomous Region with literature and periodicals, which gave a strong impetus to the cultural and social developmentof the region.