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Armenia

Decision to reduce Russian classes in schools leads to debate in Armenia

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

A July decision by the Armenian Government to reduce mandatory Russian classes in schools has led to debate in the country, after a report by Sputnik Armenia suggested Armenia may intend to phase out compulsory Russian from schools entirely. On Friday, the Russian state-owned news agency published a report about the decision citing anonymous teachers and education specialists. The report was misinterpreted by some online who thought the government was completely removing Russian language fro

A book in Svan, a Mingrelian–Georgian dictionary, and a collection of Laz texts. Photo: Dominik K Cagara/OC Media.

Analysis

Analysis | Lost in the census: Mingrelian and Svan languages face extinction in Georgia

by David Sichinava

•4 min read

Georgia is home to 11 languages on the brink of extinction — including Mingrelian and Svan. Despite survey data suggesting there are hundreds of thousands of native speakers of these languages, fears of nationalism are holding back efforts to save them. On 21 February, Georgia celebrates International Mother Tongue Day, a day established by UNESCO to promote ‘linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism’. Georgia is home to at least 11 languages on the brink of extinction, according

Adygea

School director sues Circassian-language teacher in Kabardino-Balkaria

by OC Media

•4 min read

A school director in the Russian Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria is suing one of her former employees after she spoke out against the lack of Circassian language lessons in the school. On 18 March, Nalchik City Court again heard testimony regarding a suit brought by the director of the city’s Gymnasium No 14, Rimma Zhamborova, against former Circassian language teacher Maryan Bagova and Kabardino-Balkaria’s Human Rights Centre. Zhamborova filed a lawsuit against Bagova and the Human Rights

Adygea

How Russian state pressure on regional languages is sparking civic activism in the North Caucasus

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•9 min read

New legislation that makes studying minority languages voluntary in Russian schools comes as signs of decreasing usage emerge. According to the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, a bill on the voluntary study of national languages that was passed by parliament this April will have a detrimental effect on inter-ethnic relations in Russia. The Kremlin’s position on the question still remains unknown. Meanwhile, civic activists across the national

Azerbaijan

Two States, One Nation: the mixed blessings of Turkish influence in Azerbaijan

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•6 min read

For better or worse, Turkish culture exerts a considerable influence on modern Azerbaijani youth culture. While for many films, television, music, and literature from Turkey offer a window into the wider world, some worry it is supplanting Azerbaijan’s own culture. ‘Abi, give me a beer’, leaning on his elbow, a young man addresses the bartender in a Turkish manner: ‘abi’ means ‘elder brother’ or ‘friend’. He has a carefully trimmed beard, and on his wrists are bracelets of wood and leather

Adygea

Vulnerable and divided: the uncertain state of the Circassian language

by Madina Aliyeva

•6 min read

On 14 March, the Circassian people celebrate the Day of Circassian Language and Writing. Circassian, a native language of the North Caucasus, faces many serious challenges, including a lack of official support, a divided literary standard, a decreasing interest in learning it in educational institutions, and a diminishing presence at home. It was on this day in 1853 that the first Circassian language textbook, by famous Adygea educator Umar Bersey, was published in Tbilisi. Circassian

Azerbaijan

A nation divided by language: Azerbaijan’s Russian legacy

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•8 min read

Almost three decades after independence, Russian language still plays a large role in Azerbaijan. Many of the country’s schools and universities are divided: into the Azerbaijani-medium Azsector, and a Russian-language sector. But the divide goes far beyond the language: graduates of the Russian sector often see themselves as the elites of society, more progressive, more open-minded, and more cultured. In turn, they are portrayed as aloof, unpatriotic, and not ‘real’ Azerbaijanis. After