Re: Most Russians wish Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian were "Kim"

Dmitry wrote:
On 17 Aug, 18:57, vello <vellok...@xxxxxx> wrote:
On Aug 17, 1:07 am, Dmitry <dmitrijsfedot...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 16 Aug, 10:00, vello <vellok...@xxxxxx> wrote:
On Aug 16, 11:39 am, vello <vellok...@xxxxxx> wrote:
On Aug 16, 3:38 am, Dmitry <dmitrijsfedot...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
As this original appears on my screen - this in neither Cyrillic, nor
Latin -))
Vello's text appeared correctly on my Thunderbird newsreader in WIN Vista. Something wrong with your cyrillic settings, Dmitry?

I'm always in trouble with cyrillic here, but here is the source:
http://wbase.duma.gov.ru/ntc/vdoc.asp?kl=11635
And brief translation of core idea:
Russian Federal Law „On languages nationalities (peoples) of Russian
Federation”
P.6
„In the Russian Federation, alphabetes of state language of Russian
Federation and official languages of Republics of Federation will be
built on base of cyrillic. Different graphical bases may be used if
there will be special Federal Laws on them)
I do remember there was an issue with Tatars wanting to use latin some
time ago. I don't really understand what are the benefits for
everything to be in cyrillic. What is their problem with other
alphabets?-
ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Alphabet!

Are there any practical benefits?

This law of 2002 was an issue well publicized in Finland as well as it directly affects our nearest neighbours to the east, the Karelians and the whole group of these small finno-ugric languages like Ludic, Olonets Karelian, Veps, etc. which have traditionally used the Latin alphabet. These languages already have a tough time as they are not on the list of 27 official local minority languages of Russia.

As always languages are politics and even bigger emotions. The passing of this amendment to the language law coincides with the presidential elections in the Mari El Republic, where ethnic Russians amount to a slight majority of the population. A local Russian tycoon, Leonid Markelov having made a big fortune in business got himself elected with a fierce zhirinovskian agenda. Mari language schools, newspapers and even the century old Mari National Theatre were closed even though both of the finno-ugric minority languages are on the list of official languages in Mari El. Tarja Halonen was in the beginning of her first term as president of Finland and she was one of the foreigners backed by the EU protesting this matter to Putin. Markelov made himself into a even bigger clown than Lukashenka in Belarus by banning trade with Finland, finnish media, arrests and whatever. Eventually Putin told him to hush up with foreign relations, but he is still in power and the Maris are having a hard time.

Putin had to do something with the zhirinovskians demanding total russification in the state duma, so he gave in with the demands of cyrillisation of the whole country. After all, it shouldn't have done too much harm according to Putin's logic since quite a number of minority languages, even Mari, have been always using the cyrillic script.

To please foreign protestors including Tarja Halonen Putin decided to stage a Finno-Ugric Cultural Festival attended by himself and heads of state of finno-ugric countries. The invitations were made in 2003 and the big festival took place in 2007 in Saransk, the capital of the Republic of Mordovia, where the two Mordvin natinalities, Moksha and Erzya, make a third of the population, and where ethnic tensions are not acute. The presidents of all Russian republics with finno-ugric nationalities were attending. The presidents of Finland and Hungary were invited, but the invitation was not extended to the president of Estonia as Estonia was not in vogue in Kremlin. Tarja H attended, but the Hungarians protested by sending just their prime minister. The show was spectacular and the TV coverage great. Putin made his point as a protector of minority nationalities, but that was it.

Special administrative exceptions were granted to at least the Karelians, so their newspaper Oma Mua still is printed in Latin script.

With bigger ethnic issues on hand this whole business with cyrillization of Mother Russia is not an issue at the moment. But the law still exists as a sword of Damocles to be used when need arises. Just like lots of laws in Russia, where the tradition of changing or cancelling a law does not exist. They are just left unobserved and then dug out of mothballs when needed.

tv
.

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