Every second or third year, a symposium on the questions related to the minority languages in the Volga-Kama region is arranged.
In addition to Turku, the symposium has been organised in the capital cities of the republics in the Volga-Kama region. The first symposium was held in Turku (1993), and since then, the symposium has been organised in the following locations:
- 2018: Cheboksary (Chuvashia)
- 2016: Izhevsk (Udmurtia)
- 2013: Saransk (Mordovia)
- 2011: Yoshkar-Ola (Mari El)
- 2008: Kazan (Tatarstan)
- 2006: Cheboksary (Chuvasia)
- 2003: Izhevsk (Udmurtia)
- 2001: Turku
- 1998: Saransk (Mordovia)
- 1996: Yoshkar-Ola (Mari El)
The key and recurring themes of the symposiums have been the changes in the minority languages and in their use, the influence of languages on one another, and questions related to the development of literary languages.
The international organising committee of the symposium series is chaired by the head of the Research Unit for Volgaic Languages. However, the practical organisation of the symposiums is the responsibility of the local organising committee, which varies according to the location of the symposium.