Re: well-written article about Tony Blair

On Jun 24, 12:21 pm, MTRP? <Mir.Topol...@xxxxxx> wrote:
LOL. Unlike US Amerikkkunts the Russkies (= imperial winners) easily
could, but had no desire to exterminate local imperial losers a/o
languages. That's why Latvian and Lithuanians are still alive
(nowadays kicking EU ass) along with their hmm ... dialects.

This being Jonin s (also St-Jean : Fête Nationale du Québec) I'm in an
exceptionally generous mood and for the third time today I am replying
to someone who doesn't deserve a reply. To address you in vernacular
you understand, I have to say "LOL" to your delusion that it was for
lack of trying that the russkies failed to exterminate the Balts.
They were trying very hard. The reason for their failure, as you know
full well to be true, was sheer incompetence. Too much of the potato
stuff. And I'm not referring to kugelis.

Below is an article from LITUANUS. Does it sound like the russkies
are not trying very hard to exterminate the non-russians (or at least
their languages) ?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LITUANUS - LITHUANIAN QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Volume 23, No.1 - Spring 1977
ISSN 0024-5089 Copyright © 1977 LITUANUS Foundation, Inc.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

ON THE THREAT OF LINGUISTIC ASSIMILATION

From the Lithuanian Samizdat

INTRODUCTION

Among the Lithuanian samizdat publications, Au?ra (The Dawn)
represents a moderate current of the national dissent, is closely
allied with the Catholic movement and its publication Lietuvos
Katalik Ba?ny ios Kronika (Chronicle of the Catholic Church in
Lithuania). Au?ra considers itself a modern continuation of the first
Lithuanian newspaper Au?ra, published at the end of the nineteenth
century. The first Au?ra was a major landmark in the Lithuanian
national movement, which led to the reestablishment of a national
state in 1918. The samizdat Au?ra, four issues of which have appeared
during 1975 and 1976, seeks national emancipation through education,
moral regeneration, and passive resistance to the policies of
denationalisation.

The second issue of Au?ra (February 16, 1976) contains two articles,
which express concern that the Soviet push for bilingualism is merely
a first step toward the erosion of national identity and complete
russification. Language is a fundamental element of national identity
and cultural life. What happens when another tongue, in this instance
the Russian language, begins to push out the native language from
public and cultural life? The two articles, which are translated
below, appear to be a response to the intensified regime pressure to
use increasingly the Russian language not only in governmental, but
also in scientific-cultural sphere. The articles are slightly
abbreviated. Explanatory notes were added by the editor.

THE SPIRIT OF THE MURAVYOV ERA

It appears that the significance of the native language in the life of
a nation is clear, requiring no lengthy substantiation - especially
now, at a time when the last empires are crumbling and nations rise
for a free life. Regrettably, we need only consider several issues of
the Lithuanian Tarybinis Mokytojas to feel the icy cold of the
Atsakcheyev and Muravyov era* - an era which trampled under foot all
of the Lithuanian people's rights, including the right to speak one's
native language. . .

In "They Speak Russian Fluently. . ." (Tarybinis Mokytojas, Nov. 21,
1975, No. 95/2076, translated from the newspaper Uchitelskaya gazeta,
Nov. 18, 1975, by prof. Volkov), G. Volkov is gladdened, that in a
remote Lithuanian farm a six year-old child attempts to speak Russian
with an unknown person (a Russian). Older children, when accosted,
soon begin speaking entirely fluently. Everywhere one finds a
favourable moral and psychological environment for a thorough and wide
study of the Russian language, which is voluntarily chosen as a school
subject and as a means of communicating. Comprehension, however, must
grow into a spiritual need. And this probably is a teacher's most
important task.

The author further recalls his visit to First Middle School of
Druskininkai, where the Russian language course of the fourth year was
taught by teacher Vida ?aliauskien . The class was very good -
especially because the teaching of Russian was linked with ethical
culture. The author was pleased with the same school's teacher of the
XI class, Janina Bingelien , for her class about Mayakovski. G. Volkov
expressed his enthusiasm in these words:

"Thus Mayakovski's words become the words of the youth, the poet's
feelings - their feelings, his convictions - the convictions of the
boys and girls. Mayakovski and the Russian language teacher are their
ideological nurturers."

The author concludes his article thus:

"Let every Russian-language class become an event in the student's
life, an important factor in his spiritual life."

No comments are necessary here. Even Nikita Muravyov would envy the
author. It did not occur to the former to equate the process of
assimilation with the inculcation of ethical norms,

On the first page of Tarybinis Mokytojas {Nov. 5,1975, No. 88/12071)
the following motto was published:

"As international ties and cooperation vigorously expand, the
importance of Russian increases. For all of the Soviet Union's nations
and ethnic groups, it has become a language of mutual cooperation" -
L. Brezhnev.

Following the quote, information is publicized about the USSR Ministry
of Education's Tashkent conference on questions about improving the
teaching and instruction of Russian.

The author of the first report, "A Language for Mutual Cooperation and
Interaction," is a Candidate Member of the Politburo of the USSR
Central Committee, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the
Uzbekistan Communist Party, S. Rashidov. Without begrudging Oriental
flattery, he celebrates the Russian language and emphasizes its
worldwide significance:

"The Russian language played an invaluable role in the struggle of all
the peoples bordering on Russia against local exploiters and czarism,
for their freedom, independence, and national progress. . ,"

". . . Such renowned writer-educators, scientists. . . as I.
Chavschavadze of Georgia, M. A. Achundov of Azerbaidzhan. . . J.
Rainis of Latvia, ?emait of Lithuania, N. Krazhevald of Estonia,
Gabdul Tokoyev among the Tatars and many others greatly appreciated
the Russian people's contribution to the world culture and invited
their people to learn Russian." In which language were those books
written, which for 40 years were carried from Prussia to Lithuania?
Whose bullets pierced the breasts of the book-carriers? When did
?emait assent to the politics of assimilation?!**

The author adds the following:

"Loving the Russian language has acquired a daily, organic meaning for
our country's citizens. This is clearly illustrated by the following
data. As the latest census of the population has demonstrated, at the
beginning of 1970 nearly 242 million people lived in our country; of
these, Russians constituted 129 million. But Russian was considered
the native language by 141.6 million people. This means that,
excluding Russians, 13 million other Soviet people chose Russian as
their native language. To this number must be added approximately 42
million non-Russian people, who indicated Russian as the second USSR
national language they speak. In this way there were nearly 184
million people in our country who speak Russian fluently, i.e., 76% of
all the inhabitants of the USSR. No doubt, in the past five-year
period this statistic has increased even more."

The author is pleased with the increase of the "statistic."

He further glorifies the Russian language as an instrument of
internationalist education:

"At this time Soviet patriotism is being developed further, it has
become enriched with a new content."

This idea is re-enforced by the following citation of Brezhnev:

"Now, after half a century since the establishment of the USSR, we can
speak with full confidence about the great patriotic sense of our
people - the common pride of the Soviet man."

By the way, bilingualism is also referred to in this report as a great
value.

The second report; "Most Important - the Teacher." Its author - the
USSR Minister of Education, M. Prokofiev, In a manner of speaking, the
author immediately seizes the bull by the horns:

"One of the most important fields of activity for a teacher is the
teaching of Russian to Soviet youth. Improving its instruction in the
national schools and the secondary and higher institutes of learning
has become a constant centre of attention for party and state
organs. . ."

M. Prokofiev further indicates that preschool institutions represent
the first parts of a chain for the social upbringing of children,
which raise about 11 million children of all USSR nationalities. He
raises the question whether - by means of games and conversations -
one should not begin the teaching of Russian in these institutions.
The experts supposedly affirm that the sooner children are acquainted
with another language, the better they learn. Already there is assumed
to be a certain amount of experience in this field. In Uzbekistan and
some other republics this kind of instruction has been introduced in
numerous kindergartens and a special program has been set up.

Without any qualms, M. Prokofiev asks: Why should this not be done in
other republics?

In order to achieve this, it is necessary that the educators know
Russian. Approximately 300 hours are devoted to this subject in the
preschool pedagogic school instruction plan. This, under normal
circumstances, makes it possible to prepare the staff so that they
have a good mastery of Russian. It is also essential to provide the
kindergartens with the requisite complexes of didactic games. The
author is generous also with additional suggestions:

"As is known, preparatory classes are spreading in the system of
education. Among them are those, which prepare children for further
education in the Russian language. Today, there are about 233,000 six-
year olds in such classes. On the basis of the experience, the
institute for the improvement of teachers has compiled a typical study
plan and recommendations for the organization of Russian language
activities in the national schools. . . Preparatory groups should
continue to spread. . ."

"One notices progressive tendency - the teaching of Russian from the
first class. Already nine Soviet republics are working under this
system. One ought to consider whether it would not be profitable to
introduce this system in other republics."

M. Prokofiev further stresses that it is essential to thoroughly teach
Russian to the teachers, and for this, it is first of all necessary to
have sufficient time. The author asserts that in the past years, the
number of hours of Russian instruction has been increased. He reasons
thus:

"It is possible to differentiate three groups according to the number
of hours of Russian instruction. In the Ukraine and Byelorussia, for
example, where the native languages are akin to Russian, 40.5 and 46.5
weekly hours are devoted to Russian language and literature. Here,
standardization is possible along Belarusian lines."

"The Baltic republics have an eleven-year education system. Therefore,
the possibilities for assigning more time for instruction in Russian
are the greatest. In Latvia, the number of hours of Russian was raised
to 48 weekly hours."

It is the author's view that standardisation is possible at least
along Latvian lines.

In other republics, the number of hours varies from 41 (Moldavian SSR)
to 51.5 (Kirgiz SSR).

Besides this, he demands that the preparation of Russian-language
instructors be improved and indicates at the same time that there is
not one Russian linguist with a doctorate in Lithuania!

The aforementioned authors are well-known, influential people; they
occupy high administrative positions; their words reflect the national
policies of the USSR; they reveal their distinct direction to strive
for the speediest russification of the enslaved nations. In order that
these policies be more successful and better concealed, such
representatives of the subjugated nations as S. Rachidov are allowed
to carry on discourses, who long ago broke off any kind of spiritual
ties with their people. This policy can inflict severe harm on
nations, restricting even more their cultural growth. But in this age
of national liberation, it will not be decisive in essence: everything
is too bright and clear!

K.Jak?tas

NEW METHODS OF RUSSIFICATION IN THE SCHOOLS

Russian imperialism has firmly subjected the schools to its service.
What the Red Army began with bayonets and tanks, what the security
organs maintain by means of their courts and jails is to be completed
and consolidated by the schools. The task of the schools is to
perpetuate Russian domination in all the enslaved countries, to instil
in the younger generation the state ideology - which has become a
religious surrogate - and gradually to russify it. The eternal
annexation of various peoples into the Russian empire must culminate
in their organic assimilation. In pursuit of this goal, the schools
openly and directly attack and undermine any other ideologies,
callously intrude into the students' consciences, and advance atheism
by the most devious means. . . At present, the state "religion" is
much more prejudiced and intolerant than any other religion in the
past. The principle that the ruler determines his subjects' religion
reigns supreme in the Soviet Russian empire.

Russification policies are carried out quietly and under disguise.
Such terms as internationalism, international friendship, Soviet
patriotism, the Soviet people, are often cited to conceal
russification. Nevertheless, the accomplishments, superiority, and
selflessness of the great Russian people are constantly emphasized.
Cautious attempts are made to suppress national culture; obscure, de-
emphasise and slander a nation's past; and to emphasise artificially
Russian cultural influences. In other words, one strives to quench
imperceptibly national consciousness and love of country, gradually
insinuating the Russian mentality and consciousness. Similar methods
are implemented in the field of language; bilingualism is firmly and
methodically promoted. Up till now, the native language has not been
openly attacked, as had been done under the czarist rule. But the
Russian language is now much more openly imposed. Traffic signs,
advertisements, and inscriptions must be in two languages and even of
equal size. Some agencies' papers are written only in Russian. The
number of hours of Russian radio and television broadcasting is by no
means proportional to the number of Russian-speaking inhabitants of
the republic. In the bookstores and libraries, Russian books
indisputably preponderate, even though the mass of buyers and readers
is Lithuanian. But a particularly important role is assigned to
Russian in educational planning and programs. It is through the
schools that the Russian language must root itself deeply.

At this time, one more step is being taken toward the realization of
virtual bilingualism. To encourage the use of Russian in everyday
life, opportunities for practising Russian are expanded during
extracurricular activities. An interesting article relating to this
matter appeared in the December 10, 1975, issue of Tarybinis Mokytojas
(The Soviet Teacher). L. Kojelien , inspector for School
Administration of the Lithuanian SSR Ministry of Education, flatly
states the following in her article "Olympics": "It is essential to
extensively involve students in extracurricular activities in the
Russian-language environment." Extracurricular activities must not
only improve knowledge of Russian as a school subject, but must also
awaken an "interest in the Russian language, a love of Russian books."
Most importantly, they ought to accustom students to the use of
Russian in everyday life. The procedures and methods L. Kojelien
recommends in her article leave no doubt what one aims at. "During
exercises, an instructor of Russian language and literature can go far
beyond the limits of his program," thereby opening them up to "great
and inexhaustible possibilities." He may employ means of large-scale
participation, organizing literary presentations, debates, lectures,
or he may "create an environment congenial to literature - setting up
bulletin boards, exhibits of individual writers and their works,
displays." Clearly, such an "environment congenial to literature" will
be nothing but a Russian environment within a Lithuanian school.

In connection with these large-scale, group and individual, occasional
and continuous forms of extracurricular work with Russian, one should
employ "dialogues, . . studies of short story structure; grammatical,
vocabulary, and literary games, class outings; discussion about
slides. . . the posting of articles on bulletin boards." Such
occasional methods are suggested, as "Russian-language days and weeks,
Russian book festivals, literature mornings, etc."

One is reminded of other methods besides the setting up of exhibits
and displays, compiling of albums, lectures, receptions with writers
or translators, corresponding with literary museums. These may be
"Russian-language almanacs and school newspapers that print the
students' best work, essays, reviews of films, and presentations,
material pertaining to literary debates." As we see, the trajectory is
high, the target chosen is distant. Children in schools are accustomed
not only to converse in Russian, but also to write, to create. Russian
is introduced into the creative sphere, thus making it the means of
expressing the inner world. Reading and other such contests not only
encourage certain creative talents, but also evaluate them right in
the school. Ethnology dealing with the past of one's own people is
persecuted and interfered with. At the same time, a "literary
ethnology" is practiced which deals with such questions as these:
"Russian writers in our republic" -not Daukantas, Valan ius, Kudirka
or Putinas, but. .. . Russian writers!*** "Great importance is
attached to school outings to places of literary interest." Pray tell
- which places? Probably they are not within boundaries of our
republic, for "much valuable material is brought back from such
outings - material which could be utilized not only for
extracurricular activities, but also for class work. "Since this is
for Russian-language classes, the material must be sought in a Russian
environment. But, "one should especially cultivate students art
activities associated with Russian, including the upper, middle, and
even beginning classes." That is very clearly put. How else could the
children become better accustomed to speaking Russian, if not by
singing Russian songs and memorizing entire pages of plays. . .

These and other methodical prescriptions are not mere suggestions
about how to use extracurricular activities to increase interest in a
given subject. Work in this field is to be examined in an organized
manner. It is already known that "this school year there will be in
our republic a Russian-language and literature olympiad. . . the
winner will have the right to participate in the concluding Russian
language festival. Over the course of it, students will participate in
literary and musical compositions. . . contests, writing articles for
the festival's bulletin board, composing short stories on assigned
themes. . . They will be awarded prizes." These are carrot-and-stick
policies. The carrot encourages the children to cherish the Russian
language; the stick warns the schools and teachers not to take Russian
lightly. "The olympiad represents a review that demonstrates how well
the students have mastered Russian. . ."Further, such olympiads "in
future will occur every two to three years."

In the school curriculum, Lithuania's history is distorted and
caricatured; the students' knowledge of the Lithuanian language and
literature is insufficient, their mastery weak. At the same time, the
preoccupation with Russian is intensified. It is not enough that
Russian is introduced too early - at a time when the children have not
consolidated their mastery of the native language. Now they are
required to supplementally pursue this language, using it to discuss,
sing, compose short stories, write articles, prepare almanacs, put on
plays. Where will such a stress on Russian lead to if not to
bilingualism? And from here, one advances to total domination of
Russian. We observe this in the autonomous republics, where the local
languages are practically barred from public life and used only for
propaganda purposes, when one language must demonstrate the equality
of all the nationalities. "The assimilation of a foreign language and
the further advance towards bilingualism sometimes lead to supplanting
of the native language." So writes M. N. Gubuglo in his article, "The
Consequences of Social-Ethnic

Bilingualism" (Sovietskaya etnografija, No. 2, 1972). The same article
(p. 33) states that "The assimilation of a second language is the
crucial point in the supplanting of a language. And the last stage of
linguistic assimilation, the final supplanting of a language, is
directly tied to an individual's indifference to his ethnic group's
stability - the group from which he disengaged himself, having lost
one of its principal characteristics." (p. 36). Indifference to an
"ethnic group," or, more correctly stated, to one's people, is
inevitable once the language is lost. This fact is not denied even by
Soviet ethnographers. Relying on concrete data relating to the
assimilation of Karelians, the article's author comes to the
conclusion that "the spread of bilingualism, the continued expansion
of the Russian language's sphere. . . promotes the process of cultural
internationalism. The substitution of the native language. . . is
directly tied to the Karelians' diminishing recognition of their
spiritual and material cultural elements." (p. 35). These are facts,
wrapped in scientific terminology, which speak about the terrible
process of the destruction of all the nationalities, especially the
smaller nationalities. "Studies of language pattern developments in
Karelian villages demonstrated that, along with a horizontal expansion
of bilingualism, there occurs an expansion of it in depth. The Russian
language slowly becomes the means of communicating within the people.
According to the 1970 all-Union census, more than 96% of Soviet
Karelians speak Russian or consider it their native
language." (Sovietskaya Etnografija, No. 5, 1974, p. 28).

From the national language to bilingualism; from bilingualism to one
of two languages! This represents something of a detour from the
primitive, though straight, czarist path of an open prohibition of the
language and printing. The Russian imperial Soviet regime makes this
detour for propaganda purposes, yet the goal remains the same. "The
insinuation of Russian or the expansion of bilingualism is an
important integrating factor, contributing to a further strengthening
of the Soviet people's monolithicism." (Sovietskaya etnografia, No. 4,
1972, p. 30). This "Soviet people's monolithicism" is a pot - a
Russian pot - which melts all of its subject nationalities so that the
"brotherly" Russian nation could become even bigger. The most
enlightened and progressive Russian people see this and condemn it {A.
Solzhenitsyn, A. Sakharov and others).

Unfortunately, our own intellectuals do not want to see and understand
this - obediently carrying out every whim of the subjugator.

Today, the schools are required to be the grave diggers of the
national consciousness. During the czarist period the Lithuanian
schools slipped out from the government's hands and were concealed in
the huts of the peasants and at the spinning wheels of mothers.****
They preserved the Lithuanian language, faith and nationality.

Vytautas D.

* Mikhail Nikolayevich Muravyov (1831 - 1866) was the czarist
Governor General of Vilnius, sent to Lithuania to suppress the Revolt
of 1863. He was noted for his ruthlessness in suppressing the
insurrection and for the formulation of policies designed to russify
the Lithuanian nation. The second Russian functionary mentioned -
Aleksei Atsakcheyev (1769 - 1834) - was a general and high functionary
of the czars, author of a severe military-police regime, which was
also in effect in Lithuania.

** As part of the russification policy, Lithuanian press in the Latin
alphabet was prohibited during the period of 1864 - 1904. Lithuanian
books were printed in Prussia and smuggled into Russian-ruled
Lithuania by book smugglers. ?emait (1854 - 1921), a classical
Lithuanian writer in the realistic tradition, wrote in the Lithuanian
language.
*** Reference to Lithuanian national classics. For biographies, see
the appropriate articles in Encyclopaedia Lituanica (Boston, 1970),
Vols, I - IV.

**** Reference to the illegal and wide-spread national schools,
usually conducted in peasant households, which counteracted czarist
assirnilationist policies and provided the foundations of national
rebirth during the second half of the nineteenth century.

.

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