Preventive measure – this is how, in the first run, we may characterize Russia’s ban on dairy imports from Kyrgyzstan. We happened to learn about that decision after a declaration made by Mr. Kanybek Osmonaliyev, Chair of National Commission of Kyrgyzstan for State Language and Language Policy, by which declaration the Republic is now ready to commence the work regarding the transition the Kyrgyz language from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet.
Milk for Hazards
On the 21st of April, the Russian Agency for Control of Quality of Agricultural Products substantiated their decision by the fact that Kyrgyzstan did not ensure the effective control and assurance of the quality of their dairy products. The Agency, however, abstained from specifying what particular omissions were made by the Kyrgyz dairy farmers.
Despite lack of explanations, political observers found that act, as Russia’s response to actions aimed at impingement of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan. Some public activists share common opinion that Russia uses the above mentioned Agency as a tool to project its influence on post-Soviet Republics, that implement policies that bother Kremlin.
Earlier, similar bans were dropped on Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – Russian prohibited exports of own agricultural products to said countries in the times when their relations with Russia were far from being good. All those countries were well aware of the fact, that those bans, n fact, were sanctions.
The motivation is rather clear – Moscow fears alienation of Turkic-speaking peoples and their steps towards the restoration of their national identities.
When Kazakhstan made similar attempts several years back, Moscow did not welcome that at all.
In Russia, the whole world and “his dog” expressed their opinion about that – even Russian clergy. In 2017, Illarion, the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk and Head of Synodical Department of Church’s External Relations said that “Kazakhstan’s transition to the Latin alphabet will be to the detriment of not only Russian speakers, but Kazakhs, as well”. He, however, stated a disclaimer, saying that transition to the Latin alphabet was at the sole discretion of Kazakhstan, but, still, availed himself of an opportunity to enumerate some negative implications from said transition, referring to the times when the command of the Russian language was “a portal to the external world” for Central Asians.
It probably is true, that in the past the command of the Russian was a part of social adaptation and unification of alien peoples into one formation, but it also makes no sense to deny that the new socio-cultural trends motivate those peoples to want to adapt to the new reality.
Alphabetic Anabasis
In the times of the USSR, alphabetic reforms were something that today may be called coerced. First of all, USSR obliged Kazakhs and other Central Asians abandon the Arabic ligature in favor of the Latin alphabet and then forced them to abandon the Latin for the Cyrillic.
Bolsheviks, as finished atheists, thought that the Arabic ligature was directly tied to Islam and could prevent its users from full dive into the sea of the “righteous Soviet ideology”.
In 1929, Soviet regime produced a uniform Turkic alphabet based on the Latin script and Central Asians had to adapt themselves to it for some 11 years. After 1940, they had to adapt again – to the Cyrillic. That is why, for decades, Soviet regime would call millions illiterate, proving it by the narrative, that the Soviet Cyrillic reforms were enlightenment for “retarded masses”. Experts say, that because of that the Kazakh language was not properly developed and deeply enrooted in the Soviet Kazakhstan at the time of the collapse of the USSR.
We must add, that Soviet regime took steps towards establishing the Cyrillic alphabet not only in Kazakhstan and Central Asia with their Turkic-speaking peoples, but also in the countries of the Baltic Sea region, which nations today use the Latin alphabet.
In the 60-s of the 19th century, Russia made attempts to introduce the Cyrillic alphabet for the Lithuanian language. Lithuanians’ reaction to that was more than negative and soon, Russians had to cancel that initiative, saying that Cyril And Methodious’s alphabet did not have characters capable of depicting sounds characteristic to the Lithuanian language. For the same considerations, the Russian Tzar chose not to mess with the Latvian and Estonian languages.
Slowly, But Surely
There are other considerations that justify the transition to the Latin. Turkiye, despite it took 30 years, did perform the transition of the Turkish language to the Latin alphabet.
In August 1989, the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic coped with that, as well. They cancelled Cyrillic and adopted the Romanian version of the Latin alphabet.
Authorities of Uzbekistan found a compromise. Older generation use the Cyrillic alphabet, because they have problems with adaptation, while youngsters resort to the Latin.
A special public poll in Uzbekistan in 2014 showed that 65.1% of those aged 20-29 used Latin, while only 18.1% of the same age category used Cyrillic. In the age category above 40, 57.8% used Latin, while 32.6% used Cyrillic. Among Uzbek residents above 60, 45.2% preferred Latin, while only 32.7% used Cyrillic.
Result is Just One?
Despite the shimmering enthusiasm of Kazakh public servants to perform the transition to Latin, our country is not abandoning that initiative. Experts are sure, that the reform will take some time, but it is inevitable. The reasons for that are understandable.
First – Kazakhstan maintains multi-vector policy, which policy helps Kazakhstan to telegraphically integrate into the global community. Transition to the Latin alphabet could make Kazakh language a part of not only Kazakh, but global cultural legacy. Fans of Kazakh celebrities, such as Dimash Kudaibergen love and learn his songs and that, pretty much, is because there are ways to transcribe the lyrics into the Latin alphabet.
Well, Dimash is not the only example. Despite the fact that Kazakhstan and Central Asia still have close relations with Russia, that does not constitute obstacles on the way of formation of their individual views, values and culture.
The remaining questions is – what is the future of the Russian language?
Judging by present assessments, nobody hastens to abandon the Russian language. Considering how many ethnic groups domicile in Kazakhstan, the Russian language still confidently holds its role of the language of inter-ethnical communication.
