Russification in the Soviet and Post‐Soviet Era

Abstract

Russification is a form of linguistic imperialism, referring to both official and covert ethnic and language policies which were implemented by the Russian authorities during the time of the tsarist empire and the Soviet Union, and continue to be implemented by the contemporary Russian Federation. The term comprises two different notions, one applied for domestic, the other for international purposes. The domestic application denotes forcible imposition of the Russian language and culture at the expense of the native language. Russia is a multiethnic country, and Moscow‐encouraged immigration of Russian speakers into non‐Russian areas together with the creation of a Russian language‐medium environment aims at a subtractive language shift from non‐Russian to Russian and absorption of a Russian mind‐set. The international aspect refers to both legitimate Russian language and culture promotion and the associated positive attitudes toward Russian; but it also involves the imposition of unequal relations between Russia and the post‐Soviet countries with regard to the economy and energy—raw materials, oil and gas—and security threats and overt military actions of various kind (in Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova [Transnistria], etc.). These are traded for concessions concerning national policies and for a privileged position for the Russian language and its speakers—the “co‐countrymen” ( so‐otechestvenniki ) policy.

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