Experts spoke about the fate of the Cyrillic alphabet
Politicians and philologists discussed the role of the Russian language in today's international arena and the future fate of the Cyrillic alphabet.
The Kostomarov Language Forum this year turned out to be important for politicians and diplomats. It was attended by representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the CIS Executive Committee, the Ministry of Education, and Rossotrudnichestvo. In today's political situation, it performs an important function in strengthening Russia's position in the world «great and mighty». It was he, our native language, who became the main character and topic of all discussions on May 24 and 25 within the walls of the Russian Language Institute. A.S. Pushkin.
One of the burning topics of the forum was the Cyrillic alphabet and its role in the formation of national cultures. What could a refusal to use it mean for a country? Cyrillic – is not just a type of writing, it is graphics, a sign system and the cultural code of the nation.
The view has been expressed that the Latin alphabet simplifies writing, and in the modern world what is simpler wins. However, most of the discussion participants agreed that with the departure of the Cyrillic alphabet, the people may lose their own identity.
Mamed Tagaev, director of the Institute of Russian Language named after. A. Orusbaev Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after the First President of the Russian Federation B. Yeltsin, believes that in Turkic-speaking Kyrgyzstan the transition to the Latin alphabet can cause irreparable damage. There is a debate about this transition in the country. Mamed Tagayev cited the example of Uzbekistan, which switched to the Latin alphabet in 1993:
<TAG1> Parents write and read in Cyrillic, children – in Latin. This leads to a breakdown in intergenerational connections, cognitive dissonance and loss of intellectual wealth. Want to Break the Nation – Change the Graphics. Graphics reflect «selfness» of the people. Transition from Cyrillic – disaster. These are our roots, and a tree cannot exist without roots; we can remain on the margins of civilization. This dispute between the Cyrillic and Latin alphabet reflects the confrontation between East and West.
Additionally:
On 24 - 25 May 2022, the Second Kostomarov Forum was held. The forum was established and organized by the State Institute of Russian Language named after. A.S. Pushkin in memory of the founder and first rector of the institute, Vitaly Kostomarov.
The purpose of the discussions was to comprehend the role of the Russian language and its functioning in the new conditions created by the information revolution, technological breakthrough, and global geopolitical changes of recent decades. The panel discussion raised issues of the sustainability index of the Russian language in the countries of the post-Soviet space, the Russian language in the field of education and science, and the language policy of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Development of the Russian language «great and mighty» – it certainly helps to strengthen the positions of countries that have preserved traditions in this matter. This explains the interest and presence at the forum of representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the CIS Executive Committee, the Ministry of Education, and Rossotrudnichestvo. This indicates the significance of the event.
As part of the event director of the Russian Language Institute im. A. Orusbaeva M. Tagaev a presentation was made collection «Cultural code and cognitive functions of the Turkic Cyrillic alphabet». The speaker emphasized that the abandonment of the Cyrillic alphabet in favor of the Latin alphabet, taking into account historical events, will lead to the loss of the cultural code of the nation and the identity of the people.
State Institute of Russian Language named after. A.S. Pushkina expressed gratitude for his active work in the development of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan.
The speech of Professor M. Tagaev received wide resonance, and in connection with this an article was published in the Moscow newspaper «Metro Moscow».
