Doc. 11087
26 October 2006
Situation of Finno-Ugric and Samoyed Peoples
Report
Committee on Culture, Science and Education
Rapporteur: Mrs Katrin SAKS, Estonia, Socialist Group
Summary
Eight years after its
Resolution 1171 (1998) on Endangered Uralic minority cultures the Assembly
regrets that the measures it had encouraged the countries where the Uralic
linguistic minorities lived, and in particular the Russian Federation, to take
have generally not been implemented. As a consequence the cultural situation of
Finno-Ugric and Samoyed Peoples has further deteriorated.
The Assembly indicates
concrete steps to be taken urgently by itself, the Committee of Ministers, Unesco, the member states of the
Council of Europe which have a Finno-Ugric population and the competent
authorities of the
A.
Draft recommendation
1.
The Parliamentary Assembly recalls its
Resolution 1171 (1998) on Endangered Uralic minority cultures in
which it expressed concern at the situation of many Finno-Ugric peoples living
mainly in the Russian Federation.
2.
It regrets that the measures it had encouraged the countries where the Uralic
linguistic minorities lived, and in particular the Russian Federation, to take
have generally not been implemented. In some areas the right legislation exists
but very often it is not implemented, mainly for financial reasons.
3.
Education and media reforms in the
4.
The situation of Finno-Ugric peoples in the
5.
The Assembly welcomes increasing cooperation between
6.
The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers:
6.1.
establish a European Centre for Finno-Ugric Languages based on the model of the
European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages;
6.2.
support training in minority peoples’ issues and rights of the federal and
local civil servants of the
6.3.
support the
7.
The Assembly also decides to:
7.1.
include in its ongoing monitoring of the
7.2.
establish an ad hoc committee to encourage increased
dialogue with the Duma of the
8.
The Assembly further calls on Unesco to assist the
authorities of the Russian Federation in protecting Finno-Ugric cultural
heritage and in particular the old town of Tsygma (Kozmodemyansk);
9.
It encourages
10.
Finally it encourages the competent authorities of the
10.1.
co-operate with the Council of Europe in the implementation of these
recommendations;
10.2.
review current and planned legislative and administrative
reforms with a view to ensuring that the special needs of minorities, including
Finno-Ugric peoples, are taken into account;
10.3.
sign and ratify the European Charter for Regional or
Minority Languages (CETS No 148);
10.4.
develop a plan and programme (including education and
culture, as well as administrative and legislative reform) for raising the
status of the Finno-Ugric languages, providing improved opportunities for the
development of such languages and cultures, and for encouraging the increased
participation of Finno-Ugric peoples, in the political process and in public
administration;
10.5.
increase markedly federal and regional funding to
support print and electronic media development (including within the Internet)
in Finno-Ugric languages;
10.6.
increase markedly federal and regional funding for the publication of books,
newspapers and magazines in the Finno-Ugric languages including the
compilation, and publication of a series of encyclopaedias
(general, and specialised in literature, science,
arts and history) and translations of the classics of world literature;
10.7.
aim, whenever possible, at “strong” bilingual education models;
10.8.
ensure access to elementary education, and increased access to secondary and
post-secondary education in the mother tongue of the Finno-Ugric native
peoples, increase and improve teacher training, and augment the quality and
number of learning materials produced in native languages;
10.9.
support the establishment of a virtual Finno-Ugric university in co-operation
with Finno-Ugric member states of the Council of Europe;
10.10.
explore and implement the use of content and language
integrated learning (CLIL), and language immersion strategies in order to help
children of Finno-Ugric peoples to recover fluency in their ancestral
languages;
10.11
promote threatened languages with parents and communities so that their
commitment to a threatened language receives support and reinforcement;
10.12.
develop a long-term media campaign to raise awareness among Russian-speakers of
the history of Finno-Ugric native peoples, as well as of native cultures,
rights and concerns;
10.13.
provide training to federal and local civil servants in native peoples issues
and rights;
10.14.
increase federal funding and support to help the
autonomous republics of the
10.15.
apply to Unesco to have the
old town of
B.
Explanatory memorandum by Mrs Saks, Rapporteur
I.
Foreword
1.
The Committee on Culture, Science and
Education appointed me Rapporteur in January 2005.
Being Estonian I feel directly concerned at the situation of Finno-Ugric
peoples. In preparing the present report I consulted a large amount of sources,
unfortunately sometimes contradicting each other, I visited the Republic of
Karelia, where I took part in a Karelian Congress, the Republic of Udmurtia and the Khanty-Mansiisk
Autonomous district in June 2005, took part in the 10th
International Congress of Finno-Ugric Studies, which took place in Yoshkar-Ola,
capital of the Republic of Mari-El, in August last year, visited Mordovia in September and the Komi
Republic in November 2005.
2.
I also benefited from the invaluable
assistance of Professor Janos Pusztay of the Daniel Berzsenyi College in Szombathely, Hungary, who helped in
drafting the report, who accompanied me in some of my visits to the Finno-Ugric
Peoples in Russia and whom I should like to take this opportunity to thank.
II.
Introductory remarks
3.
On 25 September 1998, the Parliamentary
Assembly adopted
Resolution 1171 - Endangered Uralic minority cultures
regarding Finno-Ugric peoples living, above all, in the
4.
Of the peoples speaking Finno-Ugric
(Uralic) languages, the Hungarians, the Finns and the Estonians have their own
independent countries. These are the most populous members of the Finno-Ugric
language family. There are about 14 million Hungarians, including those living
beyond the Hungarian borders in
5.
The Finno-Ugric peoples are part of the
6.
In 1998, the Parliamentary Assembly was
concerned by the endangered status of Uralic (Finno-Ugric) languages and
cultures in
•
the development of native language programs should be a priority, first in the
lower classes of elementary schools and later, by gradual extension, in higher
classes;
•
the development of teaching aids and learning material
should be provided in those languages and efforts have to be made to support
teacher training;
•
newspapers, radio and television programs and other electronic media in minority
languages need to be maintained or promoted as active use of languages in all
written and oral communication is a prerequisite for their preservation;
•
exchanges of personnel and students between the
Finno-Ugric areas and universities, research institutes and state bodies should
be stepped up;
•
the Finno-Ugric peoples should be taken into
consideration in the implementation of
Recommendation 1291 (1996), especially in relation to the research centre
for dispersed minority cultures;
•
the old town of
7.
Eight years have passed since the adoption
of
Resolution 1171 (1998) - Endangered Uralic minority cultures. Sufficient
time has passed to evaluate progress made in meeting the recommendations of
Resolution 1171 and to make new recommendations.
III.
Executive Summary
8.
The Finno-Ugric peoples of the
9.
In particular, the
10.
11.
The situation of the Finno-Ugric languages
can be characterized as follows:
•
they have not become the language of education;
•
these languages are hardly ever used in public
administration;
•
the state does not address the population in these
languages;
•
signposts, stamps, trademarks, official documents and
certificates are hard to come by in these languages;
•
names in the minority languages are generally not used
(personal given names and family names, names of cultural and trade societies,
names of settlements, streets and institutions);
• de facto, people generally do not have a choice of
language in practicing their religion;
•
the media share accorded to native languages does not
reflect the size of the native populations;
•
legal and judicial services are not provided in the
native languages;
•
these languages are being further marginalized by the
redrawing of administrative boundaries including plans to eliminate the
autonomous regions and republics.
12.
The highly limited or total lack of basic,
secondary and university education in the native languages and the limited extent
to which these languages are used in the public sphere (public administration,
courts, health care, science, education, culture, transportation, broadcasting,
etc.) relegates these languages to a second class status, undermines language
development, and contributes greatly to their increasingly low status and
social need.
13.
It can also be ascertained that the printed media, textbooks, as well as radio
and television programs in Finno-Ugric languages do not meet, either in their
quantity or their quality, the linguistic or the cultural needs of the speakers
of these languages; thus, they are unable to prevent assimilation.
14.
Further, the old town of Tsikma (Kozmodemyansk) (Tsygma in
Resolution 1171-1998), which the previous Parliamentary Assembly
Resolution 1171 (1998) recommended be placed on the Unesco World Heritage List, has not received said status.
In fact, it is in danger of being flooded due to the new Tcheboksary
Dam.
15.
Finally, the marked decline in the number
of native people and decreasing fluency in native languages reflect a growing
trend towards assimilation. Moreover, the poor health, low life expectancy and
high suicide rate of Finno-Ugric peoples is of serious concern.
IV.
The Situation of the Finno-Ugric (Uralic) Peoples in
i.
Demographic Situation
- Finno-Ugric Peoples are in Decline
- Some Peoples Are on the Road to Extinction
16. Based on a
sociolinguistic definition, the Finno-Ugric (Uralic) peoples in
17. If a similar rate of
decline continues, by the end of this century, the number of Finno-Ugric
(Uralic) people will be 1,608,240. According to demographers, the decline will
be even greater.
Population Figures for
the Finno-Ugric and Samoyed Peoples Residing in the
|
Finno-Ugric Peoples in the |
1926 |
1989 |
2002 |
% of 1989 figure that
remains in 2002 |
|
Besermyans |
… |
… |
3.0 |
|
|
Hungarians |
4.2 |
5.7 |
3.8 |
66.7 |
|
Vepsian |
33.0 |
12.2 |
8.2 |
66.2 |
|
Votes, persons |
… |
… |
73 |
|
|
Ingrians (Izhors) |
17.0 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
75.0 |
|
Karelians |
248.0 |
125.0 |
93.0 |
74.6 |
|
Komis |
226.0 |
336.0 |
293.0 |
87.3 |
|
Komi-Permyaks |
149.0 |
147.0 |
125.0 |
85.2 |
|
Mansis |
5.8 |
8.3 |
11.4 |
137.3 |
|
Maris |
428.0 |
644.0 |
604.0 |
93.8 |
|
Mordvins |
1,335.0 |
1,073.0 |
843.0 |
78.6 |
|
Saami (Lapps) |
1.7 |
1.8 |
2.0 |
111.1 |
|
Udmurts |
514.0 |
715.0 |
637.0 |
89.1 |
|
Finns |
134.0 |
47.0 |
34.0 |
72.6 |
|
Khanties |
22.0 |
22.0 |
29.0 |
130.5 |
|
Estonians |
150.0 |
56.0 |
28.0 |
50.2 |
|
The Samoyed Peoples |
|
|
|
|
|
Nganasans |
… |
1.3 |
0.8 |
61.5 |
|
Nenetses |
18.0 |
34.0 |
41 |
120.6 |
|
Selkups |
1.6 |
3.6 |
4.2 |
116.7 |
|
Enetses |
… |
0.2 |
0.2 |
100.0 |
*Finno-Ugric and Samoyed
Peoples of
NB: Percentages in excess
of 100 began to be noted after it was decided to make direct support payments
to members of these ethinic communities.
18.
The high population figures for the Western
Siberian peoples, such as the Khanty, the Mansi, the Nenet and the Selkup do not reflect their substantial loss of language.
The numbers indicate an increase in self-awareness and recognition of one’s
cultural identity and are also the result of individual based financial aid.
The decline in language knowledge is so significant that these people are
likely to be totally assimilated by the Russian majority. The Khanty and the Mansi languages
are quite likely to become extinct in this century. The Finno-Ugric (Uralic)
language family has suffered great losses in the past centuries: the Merya and the
19.
When comparing demographic trends, it
becomes apparent that Finno-Ugric peoples are in decline in comparison to
Russians and Tatars.
|
Ethnic Group |
Total Population |
Percentage of
Population Changes since 1959 Figures |
||||
|
|
1959 |
1959 |
1970 |
1979 |
1989 |
2002 |
|
Russian Fed. Pop. |
117,354,300 |
100.0 |
110.7 |
116.0 |
125.1 |
123.5 |
|
Russians |
97,863,600 |
100.0 |
110.1 |
116.0 |
122.5 |
118.4 |
|
Tatars |
4,074,700 |
100.0 |
116.8 |
123.0 |
135.5 |
136.4 |
|
Finno-Ugrics |
2,985,400 |
100.0 |
104.4 |
102.7 |
104.6 |
90.3 |
*S.Lalluka., Venejän
suomalais-ugrilaset − väestolaskentojen kertomaa, Studia Fenno-Ugrica. Helsinki 2005
ii.
The Ecological Situation: Ethnic
Environmental Pollution
- Catastrophic
Environmental Pollution in Finno-Ugric Regions (Gas & Oil)
- Health of Finno-Ugric
People Below Average
- Life-expectancy of
Finno-Ugric Peoples Below Average
- Suicide Rate of
Finno-Ugric Peoples Above Average
20.
The Russian report sent to the third
session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (New York,
May 10-21 2004) contains appalling data on environmental damage and pollution
in the areas of the aboriginal peoples in Russia, as well as on their health care
and educational situation. In the 2001/02 academic year, 10,000 students of 142
schools in eight northern territories (Komi-Permyak
Autonomous District, Khanty-Mansi
Autonomous District, Yamal-Nenets
Autonomous District, the Amur region, Tuva, the
Altai Republic, Yakutia, the Krasnoyarsk Territory
[boldface indicates habitats of the Finno-Ugric (Uralic) peoples] were
examined. According to the results, “the examination has indicated various
health disorders in up to 40-70 per cent of first-year students, from
functional disorders to chronic diseases… In the case of the tenth-year
students, the proportion of healthy children is 10-12 per cent”1
21.
Above average pollution of the natural
environment –water, air, soil–characterizes the environment of the Finno-Ugric
peoples of Russia. Characteristics of the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia
include:
- the deterioration of personal and public health;
- the increase in illness among youth;
- the increase in the diseases of the respiratory, the digestive and
the nervous systems, as well as of the sensory organs of school children;
- the increase in the illnesses that are hard to treat, such as oncological, hematological, allergological
and psychological diseases;
- diseases that are the result of endemic factors due to the high
level of fluorite, iron, calcium and magnesium and the low level of iodine
in drinking water;
- unhealthy lifestyle;
- the worsening of the social and economic situation and of the
living standard, as well as increasing unemployment;
- increased self-exploitation in order to maintain survival;
- a high rate of mortality, which is significantly higher in
villages, where members of the Finno-Ugric peoples predominantly live,
than in cities; and the rate of mortality of those belonging to the
Finno-Ugric peoples exceeds that of the Russian population; e.g. the cause
of death in more than every fourth case (27.5 per cent) among the Komis is accidents, poisoning or suicide;
- a substantial decrease in birth rates, especially in the cases of
villagers (e.g. altogether 2,359 children were born in 2000 in the Komi community, which is 3.7 times less than at the
beginning of the 20th century);
- low life expectancy (several years lower among the Finno-Ugric
population than in the case of the Russians);
- alcoholism, social phobia: depression, suicidal acts;
- an ever-increasing rate of suicide;
- in the cases of the Western Siberian peoples, the destruction of
the socio-economic structures that developed throughout history and the
introduction of new forms of economy (collectivisation,
organising brigades for reindeer keeping, animal
farms);
- the
removal of the population due to the gas and oil industry, the forced
resettling of the native peoples into villages.2
22.
As a result of the policy of eliminating
the so-called “villages with no future”, in the habitat of the Finno-Ugric
peoples living in the European regions of Russia, the natural ethno cultural
setting of the Finno-Ugric (Uralic) peoples has been devastated.
iii.
The Status of the Finno-Ugric Peoples
23.
In Russia, the non-Russian speaking
peoples of Russia are called national minorities (nacional’nye
meńšinstva), both at the political level
and in related literature. The term “national minority” is a definition that is
inevitably based on, and expresses, the relationship with the Russian majority.
In the case of most of the peoples concerned, including the Finno-Ugric
(Uralic) peoples, the term “national minorities” should be replaced by the term
“native peoples”. Most of these native peoples have been living in their
ancestral ethnic homeland for several thousand years. This distinction is
essential from both a legislative and psychological point of view, i.e., from a
national consciousness perspective. Finno-Ugric circles feel that “National
minorities” is a term that is most aptly applied to peoples who are not living
on their indigenous territory.
24.
The enforcement of native rights is
hindered not only by federally taken measures to promote national unity, but
also by local anti-minority sentiment and actions, which are clearly not
unrelated to the federal measures. Political forces encouraging alienation of
non-native speakers of Russian from their ancient cultures and mother tongue
have reappeared. The tendency is particularly evident during the current
presidency in the Mari El Republic.3
iv.
The Current and Future Situation of the
Finno-Ugric (Uralic) Peoples from a Public
Administration Perspective
|
- Redrawing of
Territorial/Administrative Boundaries Fosters Assimilation - Elimination of the
Post of Russian Minister for Minority Affairs - Finno-Ugric Peoples
Under-represented in Politics and the Economy |
25.
The Finno-Ugric and Samoyed peoples in
Native Peoples as a
Percentage of the Total Population in their Republics or Autonomous Regions
|
Native Peoples |
1926 |
1989 |
2002 |
|
Karelians |
|
10.0 |
9.2 |
|
Mordvins (Erzya and Moksha) |
40.0 |
32.5 |
31.9 |
|
Maris |
51.8 |
43.3 |
42.9 |
|
Komis |
86.6 |
23.3 |
25.2 |
|
Udmurts |
*59.0 |
30.9 |
29.3 |
|
Khanties and Mansis |
|
2.0 |
1.4 |
|
Nenetses (in the Nenets
Autonomous District) |
|
11,9 |
10.0 |
*
figure from 1921 (as a percentage)
Calculations
based of census data.
26.
The Russian Federation is restructuring
regional governance. According to the new plan4,
the autonomous districts and the republics will no longer exist. Two autonomous
districts have been eliminated: the Komi-Permyak
Autonomous District has been made part of Perm County (as a consequence the
proportion of Komi-Permyaks will fall from 60 % of
the population, to about 4%) while the Ust-Orda
Autonomous District near Lake Baikal has been incorporated into Irkutsk County.
As of 1 January 2007, the Evengi and Taimor (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous
District will be incorporated into Krasnojarsk
County.
27.
According to official explanations, the
reform is an economic-administrative necessity. However, it will also radically
decrease the influence of native peoples in the Russian Federation, including
that of the Finno-Ugric and the Samoyed peoples. After the planned
amalgamations, native peoples will lose the rights that currently exist in
local laws and regulations. The political position of native people will be
weakened and they are likely to have less influence in both political and
financial decision-making, which, in turn, may affect the cultural and linguistic
development of native peoples.
28.
A more important aim of the territorial
restructuring of the Russian Federation is the linguistic-ethnic homogenisation of the country. The “folklorisation”
of native peoples seems to be replacing linguistic and cultural rights. Komi Permyak is a case in point.
The Komi and the Komi Permyak people are of the same ethnic origin and speak the
same language. However, Komi Permyak
is being amalgamated with Perm County, as opposed to with the Komi Republic. The Komi Permyak people will automatically become a small minority
with a limited voice in the governance of their own affairs. Concomitantly, it
can be said that Perm County has recently started to support the cultural
development of the Jazva-Komis as an independent
ethnic group.
29.
The state intends to meet the needs of
native peoples and resolve ethnic problems by replacing the current governing
structure consisting of “national” ethnic territories with a
cultural-educational structure, i.e., with national-cultural autonomy (NCA).
The subjects of NCA’s are usually ethnic groups who
live outside their historical habitat. However, the Finno-Ugric (Uralic)
peoples are native to the territories where they live.
30.
Through territorial restructuring and the
creation of the NCA’s, native peoples will find their
territories parcelled and their communities will be
administratively speaking dispersed. This will make it much more difficult, if
not almost impossible, for native peoples to adequately defend their interests.
In turn, this will lead to further Russification.
Native peoples will be relegated to the realm of statistics and colourful folklore.
31.
Another example of the folklorisation
trend is the elimination in the spring of 2004 of the post of the minister
without portfolio for minority affairs of the Russian Federation. Native
peoples issues became the responsibility of one department in the Ministry of
Culture. In the fall of 2004, the Ministry for Regional Development was
founded. There is no improvement in how native peoples issues are being
handled, the situation is becoming worse. At the third congress of Finno-Ugric
Peoples of the
32.
Those in charge of restructuring
territorial governance in Russia have ignored the existence of territorial
rights and personal rights, both of which are believed to be necessary by a
number of researchers. The territorial right is a linguistic right, to which
native peoples living in a certain territory are entitled, regardless of their
mother tongue. It is an important realisation made by
linguistic ecology that the native peoples and their languages cannot exist
apart from their ancient territories.
33.
The republics and the autonomous districts
have become, on the one hand, organic parts of the Finno-Ugric peoples’ ethnic
consciousness and, on the other, ethnically consolidating factors. Therefore,
it is important to maintain them.
34.
In addition to the planned reform in
territorial governance, changes in election and party laws reduce the chances
for native peoples to become elected and to defend their own interests.
Previously, the system allowed for some candidates to be elected directly and
some from party lists. The previous proportional electoral system afforded
native peoples greater opportunities to get elected. It was also possible for
small regional parties and independent candidates to get elected. Now, parties
must have at least 50,000 registered members. Furthermore, a party must obtain
at least 7% of the vote in order to obtain representation in regional councils
or parliaments. In fact, in the Russian Fderation, it
is illegal to establish political parties that are based on ethnicity.
35.
There are currently six Udmurts in the republic’s elected body out of 100 representatives,
despite the fact that the Udmurts make up one third
of the population.6
In the
36.
Also, the participation of Finno-Ugric
Peoples in the decision making process is further hindered by their level of
education, which remains below that of Russians. To some extent this disparity
in education level can be explained by the fact that native peoples live in
villages, and village dwellers have a lower level of education than city
dwellers.
Education Statistics per
1,000 Inhabitants
|
Educational Level |
Karelia |
Mordovia |
Mari |
Komi |
Udmurtia |
Khanty |
Mansi |
Nenets |
|
|
University graduates |
Native population |
104 |
126 |
95 |
101 |
90 |
65 |
76 |
27 |
|
Total population |
137 |
145 |
142 |
122 |
136 |
159 |
159 |
|
|
|
Persons without general
elementary education |
Native population |
13 |
32 |
13 |
12 |
13 |
19 |
10 |
70 |
|
Total population |
8 |
21 |
12 |
8 |
10 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
*Finno-Ugric and Samoyed
Peoples of Russia, Syktyvkar, 2005
v. Laws for the Protection of
Minorities and their Reinforcement
- Russian Laws do Not Favour Development of Native Languages and Cultures
- Laws of Autonomous
Republics Mostly of a Symbolic Nature
- Implementing
Provisions and Resources Insufficient
37.
According to the 2nd paragraph
of the 26th section of the Russian Federation’s Constitution, all
citizens have the right to “use their mother tongue and to freely choose the
language for contact, education and creating … regardless of their origins,
their social and financial situations, their ethnic and national backgrounds,
their gender, qualifications, religious convictions or place of residence.” At
the same time, certain laws seem to limit this fundamental right, e.g., the 9th
section of the Language Law of 1807-1/1991 (О языках
народов Российской
Федерации)
and the 6th paragraph of the Education Act of 3266-1/1992 (Об образовании)
state that “education in the mother tongues or choosing the language of
education can be ensured only for the general basic education, depending on the
possibilities.”
38.
In the Finno-Ugric republics, but also for
example in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District (Yugra), local laws have been passed which, in theory,
guarantee the fundamental linguistic and cultural rights of the native peoples.
These contain two fundamental rights:
•
the right to learn the official language of the state;
•
the right to the mother tongue, i.e., for a mother tongue related identity, as
well as education and public services in the mother tongue.
39.
The following republics redesignated by law their native language as an official
language:
•
the Komi Republic in 1992;
•
the Mari El Republic in 1995;
•
the Mordva Republic 1998;
•
the Udmurt Republic 2001.
40.
Previously, these republics had enjoyed
official status for their languages in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
41.
In 2004, the Karelian Republic adopted a
language law that regulates the use of the three Karelian languages, as well as
Vepsian and Finnish. In July 2005, the Karelian
Congress adopted a resolution calling for official status for Karelian;
however, this will be difficult to act upon as the federal constitution forbids
the use of non-Cyrillic alphabets for official languages.
42.
On the surface, it appears as if there are
no problems with regard to the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia:
•
there is a law on language;
•
there is school education in the mother tongue and teaching of the mother
tongue;
•
there is printed and electronic press in the mother tongue;
•
there are books published in the mother tongue, etc.
43.
A closer look at the situation reveals
that theory and practice are far apart and that the laws themselves are only
enforced to an extremely limited extent.
44.
These language laws, are not normative and
compulsory, but only declarative and symbolic in nature. The established goals
of native-language development have not been achieved. There is a lack of
implementing provisions and needed resources. For example, the Khanty and Mansi Autonomous
District has adopted many laws, which should protect the language, culture and
traditions of the native peoples, but there are no implementing provisions to
ensure enforcement of legislation. In Udmurtia, the
action plan for implementing the language law was adopted in 2004, three years
after the law came into force. In fact, a previous action plan adopted in 1994
has, to a large extent, not been implemented.
45.
The language law in Mordovia
obligates the implementing power to determine where road signs and other
signage must be in Russian and Mordvin, however,
despite the fact that the law was passed in 1998, all signage is still only in
Russian. The law also allows university and vocational school applicants to
take entrance exams in Mordvin, despite the fact that
instruction through the medium of the Mordvin
language takes place only in grades one to four and only partially.
46.
The same legislative provision exists in the Komi
Republic, but there is no instruction through the medium of the Komi language in public schools. There have also been
problems in the Komi Republic with funding the
national language program. During recent years, funding has been reduced by
more than half. Budgetary restraints have been severe throughout the country.
As a case in point, language programs in the Komi
Republic received 62% of the planned 1.5 million rouble
budget for 2002 and 55% of the planned one million rouble
budget in 2003. In 2004, language programs received 430,000 roubles.7
The new state program for 2005-2010 does foresee an increase in funds, which
should help support the achievement of program goals, should the funding
actually be provided.
vi.
Language Situation
- Populations in Decline
- Native Languages Have
Low Status
- Decline in Use of
Native Languages Among Young People
Self-Assessment
of Language Knowledge - 20028
|
Languages |
Number of persons having
command of the language |
% of speakers among the
native population |
|
Enets |
119 |
59.5 |
|
Finnish |
51,891 |
*152.6 |
|
Ingrian |
362 |
*120.7 |
|
Karelian |
52,880 |
56.9 |
|
Khanty |
13,568 |
67.8 |
|
Komi |
217,316 |
74.1 |
|
Komi-Permyak |
94,328 |
75.4 |
|
Mansi |
2,746 |
24.1 |
|
Mari |
487,855 |
80.7 |
|
Mordvin |
614,192 |
72.9 |
|
Nenets |
31,311 |
76.3 |
|
Nganasan |
506 |
63.1 |
|
Saami |
787 |
39.4 |
|
Selkup |
1,641 |
39.1 |
|
Udmurt |
463,837 |
72.8 |
|
Vepsian |
5,753 |
70.1 |
* NB: Non-native speakers
of the language are included in these figures.
47.
Sociological research shows that:
•
the younger somebody is, the less likely he or she is to declare him or herself
a native speaker of a Finno-Ugric language;
•
the better someone’s qualifications and educational background, the less likely
he or she is to identify with the native language and people;
•
the older the given age group is, the more likely the person is to support the
introduction of the compulsory teaching of the Finno-Ugric language, and the
better qualifications and educational background, the less likely a person is
to support compulsory language teaching;
•
the Finno-Ugric speaking population lives predominantly in villages.
48.
For example, 33% of Karelians
in the age group 20-39 spoke their native language, while only 11% of children under 14 years of age spoke Karelian.9
49.
In 1989, among the Maris, 59.1% of
university students, 57.2% of secondary school students and 43.3% of elementary
school students spoke and read Mari. In 2000, 59.3% of Mari grade 9 and 11
students considered Mari to be their mother tongue. Mari children use Russian
two-thirds of the time to speak to each other between classes.10
Further, 57.6% of Mari families use Russian as their language of communication,
22.5% use the Mari language and 12.5% use a mixture of Mari and Russian. While
speaking in public, 63.4%, of Maris used Russian, 8.1% Mari and 23.7 % a
mixture of Mari and Russian.11
50.
In 2003, an ethno-linguistic survey conducted
in the Komi Republic revealed that in villages
47.8% of ethnic Komis considered Komi
their mother tongue, while 10.5% of ethnic Komi city
dwellers indicated that Komi was their mother tongue.
The more educated the respondent, the less likely he or she was to indicate Komi as a mother tongue. For example, only 9.1% of those
with some university education or with university degrees indicated speaking Komi as a mother tongue, as compared to 16.7% among high
school graduates and 30.8% among students with a minimum grade nine education,
but without a high school diploma.
51.
The same study, 25 % of 18-34 year olds
indicated that they spoke Komi. However, in the same
age group 17.3% of those with some university education or with university
degrees indicated that they speak Komi. The majority
of Komis, and an even larger percentage of Russians,
considered the prestige of the Komi language to be
low or insufficient.12
52.
The ineffective nature of measures taken
to develop language and culture is reflected in language knowledge statistics
for 1989-2002. In most republics, the percentage of native people speaking
their mother tongue has only risen a few percentage points, while the number of
Khanty and Mansi
people speaking their mother tongue has dropped 16% and 13% respectively.
53.
The actual situation of the Finno-Ugric languages can be characterized as
follows:
•
they are generally not the language of education;
•
they are hardly ever used in public administration;
•
the state does not addresses the population in these languages;
•
signposts, stamps, trademarks, official documents and certificates are hard to
come by in these languages;
•
names in the minority languages are not used (personal given names and family
names, names of cultural and trade societies, names of settlements, streets and
institutions);
• de facto,
people do not generally have a choice of language in practicing their religion;
•
the media share accorded to native languages does not reflect the size of the
native populations;
•
legal and judicial services are not provided in the native languages.
54.
A partial exception is the Komi Republic, where:
•
all laws as well as the resolutions and regulations of the state council of the
Komi Republic and the normative legal documents of
the president of the Komi Republic and of the
organizations of state power are published in Komi
and Russian;
•
the political general department for nationalities of the Ministry for Culture
and Nationalities has a department for state languages, which is in charge of organising and coordinating the implementation of the
above-mentioned program, at the same time this is where the official
translation of documents from Russian to Komi takes
place (however, this is also an indication of the fact that the Russian
language is primus inter pares);
•
election announcements, as well as the names of settlements and other
geographical names, streets, signs are posted bilingually when new signage is
posted. It is noteworthy that many place names have been Russified.
55.
To a limited extent, some bilingual
signage has been posted in Mari El and Udmurtia,
however, Russian-language signage clearly overwhelmingly dominates the visual
field. Many Finno-Ugric speakers told the author of this report about what they
perceived as a prevalent negative attitude toward speakers of native languages.
They claim that they are often accused of nationalism.
56.
Many people feel that these languages are
not sufficiently developed to allow for high order thinking or to teach higher
mathematics. Unfortunately, even many native speakers of the language hold this
view.
57.
The Finno-Ugric languages are adequate for
everyday language use. A rich literature, as well as folk poetry has evolved in
these languages. They are currently not capable of fully serving state language
functions, as a specialized vocabulary needs to be developed for politics,
public administration, science, etc. With political determination and support,
the requisite terminology could be developed. Positive examples of terminology
development are to be found in the work of the Udmurt
and Komi terminology commissions, and the efforts to
develop Vepsian and Karelian terminology in Karelia.
58.
In addition to terminological development,
the same amount of effort has to be made to persuade the population about the
benefits of the use of the mother tongue. Politicians and intellectuals have
enormous responsibility in this respect. They are the ones who need to set an
example. They seem to show little willingness to do so.
59.
The start and the continuation of the
development of a requisite vocabulary and terminology is necessary, if the
languages are to be adequate for all realms of life. Limiting the use of a
language (e.g. to folklore or culture only) generates, in most cases,
irreversible, and negative, processes in terms of the capability of the given
language for specialised communication.
vii.
Native-Language Schools
- Lack of Mother Tongue
Education at All Levels
- Few Hours of Mother
Tongue Instruction (Less Than Foreign Languages)
- Finno-Ugric Languages
Are Not Compulsory for Non-natives
- School Closings in
Villages (Finno-Ugrics are Village Dwellers)
- Lack of Learning
Materials of Sufficient Quality and in Sufficient Numbers
60.
Many native-language schools were closed down
in the 1960’s, and the language of instruction became Russian. As a result of
this move, entire generations grew up without native-language schooling.
61.
The new curriculum instituted by the
Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation in 2003 makes native-language
training difficult since the “national-regional” component comprises not more
than 10-12 percent of instruction time. The teaching of native languages,
history, geography and a region’s culture has to take place in this framework. This
program does not give a decent opportunity for the study of or in the mother
tongue. It interrupts the linguistic traditions of the given people. This
practice is against both international norms and the Russian constitution.
62.
In 2006, a new curriculum will be
introduced in public education in Russia. The compulsory federal component will
comprise 75 per cent of instruction time while the optional and regional
component will comprise 25 percent. Minority languages and “national-regional”
subjects (e.g. local history) will become optional.
63.
Another concern is school closures.
Schools in the countryside and smaller communities are being shut down due to
declining enrolment and for economic reasons. For native peoples, transferring
to a larger school usually means transferring to a Russian-language school.
64.
According to the 2006 curriculum, the
mother tongue can be studied for two lessons a week in the first grade and for
three lessons a week in the second, third and fourth grade. As for the four
lessons of optional subjects in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades,
the decision regarding language of instruction and content can be made freely
at the regional level.
65.
Education in the mother tongue (native
language) is only provided in a few of the Finno-Ugric republics and only to a
small number of children in grades one to four. The native languages are not
used as a language of instruction after grade four. They are also not used at
the secondary school or university level. (The exceptions to this rule are the
Republic of Tartarstan, the Republic of Bashkortostan
and the Tshuvash Republic where the native languages
are used as a medium of instruction to the end of secondary school).
66.
In Mordovia,
in those schools serving Mordvin children, education
takes place in grades one to four in the mother tongue. Russian language arts
is one of the subjects. From grade five onward, Mordvin
is studied as a subject (Mordvin language arts).
During the academic year 2004/05, 2,548 Mordvin
children studied in one of 277 native-language schools. Of these 2,548
students, 1,353 studied in the Moksha language and
1,195 in the Erzya language. During the past five
years, the number of students studying in the Mordvin
languages has declined by about 1,000. As of this academic year, efforts are
being made to deliver instruction through the Mordvin
languages in all elementary schools where Mordvins
are in the majority. In 2004/05, 15,665 students studied one of the two Mordvin languages or in one of those languages. Taking into
account that the number of Mordvin school-aged
children (7-17 years old) is more than 40 000, it cannot be said that all have
an opportunity to study their native tongue. 13
67.
In the Mordvin
Republic, at schools where Mordvin and Tatar children
comprise the majority, mother tongue language arts are taught at every level as
one subject. The remainder of instruction takes place in Russian. At schools
with a Russian majority, the teaching of the Mordvin
languages is done on a conversational basis.
68.
The number of schools where the language
of instruction is delivered through a native language is decreasing in the Mari
El Republic. In 2004/05, there were 43 such schools with only 725 children
studying in Mari. In some small village schools, Mari is a language of
instruction. In most village schools, only some classes are taught in the Mari
language.14
69.
In 2000, 73 700 students studied the Mari
language as a mother tongue or as a second (official) language. In 2004/05,
18,692 students studied the language as a mother tongue and 19,879 as a second
language. This constitutes a marked and rapid decline. There are close to 30,
000 Mari-speaking school-aged children (7-17 years old). Therefore, the claim
by Mari officials that 80% of Mari children study their mother tongue is false.
The number of hours of mother tongue instruction has been reduced. Compulsory
Mari language instruction for Russian-speakers has been eliminated. Between
2001-2003, 49 schools, particularly village schools, have been closed in Mari
El.
70.
The Komis
do not have any native-language schools. The Komi
language as a language of instruction is not used even in the early grades, let
alone in the upper grades. The language of instruction is Russian, even at
schools in the countryside where the majority of the population is Komi. The Komi language is taught
only as one of the subjects. In 2004/05, the Komi
language was taught in 366 schools to 42,730 students. The majority of Komi children study the Komi
language.15
71.
Today, a third of Komi
children study the Komi language for one lesson per
week. In 2003, they were taught three lessons per week of Komi
language arts. The number of schools teaching Komi
has grown somewhat over the past five years, however, the number of hours
taught per pupil has declined. Classes are not divided into groups, therefore,
the children whose mother tongue is Komi often study
their native language with those students studying Komi
as a second language. Foreign language teaching receives more instructional
time and, therefore, greater status than the teaching of Komi.
72.
In the capital of the Komi
Republic in Syktyvkar, there is one secondary school for the arts and a
national secondary school where the Komi language and
culture are taught.
73.
The Udmurts
do not have any native-language schools. Despite improvements, education in the
mother tongue takes place only up to the fourth grade in villages, where in
addition to studying their mother tongue, students study science and math in
the Udmurt language. In the following grades, the Udmurt language is only taught as a language arts subject.
74.
During the academic year 2000/01, Udmurt was taught in 376 schools to 31 459 children. In
2004/05, the number of schools had fallen to 369 and the number of students to
24 243. The number of school-aged Udmurt children
numbers 85 000 (7-17 years old). Therefore, a minority of Udmurt
children are taught their native tongue.16
75.
In the Udmurt
capital Izevsk, there is one national (native
people’s) secondary school, where there is an enriched program in Udmurt culture, but where the language of instruction is
mostly Russian. In 2005, the school was incorporated into a Russian-language
school in the suburbs. There was considerable dissatisfaction with the move.
Commenting on the issue, the Udmurt president A. Volkov stated that the native people’s secondary school was
an undesirable example of a reservation.17
76.
In the Karelian Republic, schools
teach Karelian, Finnish and Vepsian as mother
tongues. Despite the fact that the 2004 language law allows for instruction
through the medium of those native languages, this is not done. The languages
are taught only within language arts classes.
77.
The language-teaching situation has
remained relatively stable over the past five years. In 2000/01, 2,149 students
studied Karelian, 334 Vepsian and 9,993 Finnish. In
2004/05, those numbers were 2,237 and 331 and 7,315. It is noteworthy that only
a third of Karelian children study Karelian, however, the number of students
studying Finnish is manifold greater than the number of children of Finnish
origin. Finnish appears to enjoy greater prestige than Karelian or Vepsian.18
78.
In the Khanty
and Mansi Autonomous District, the
language of instruction is Russian. In 2003/04, there were 44 schools where the
majority of students were natives. In 35 of those schools, it was possible to
study the Khanty, Mansi or Nenets languages within standard language arts classes.
Recent statistics show an increase in the number of students interested in
studying their native tongue.
79.
n the framework of the so-called national
component, three lessons per week are devoted to the Mansi
or Khanty language and culture in the first, second,
third and fourth grade. In the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grade,
the number drops to two lessons per week. In the tenth and eleventh grade,
there is only one optional lesson per week devoted to the national language and
culture.
80.
Officials in the various republics explain
in a similar fashion the small number of students who study their mother
tongue. They state that native-language learning is an option that is freely
exercised by parents and that they cannot force parents to choose
native-language studies. Parental choice is determined by the fact that they
cannot choose a multilingual program. For example, in Karelia, parents must
choose one language from among Karelian, Finnish, Vepsian
or English. Parents, who are looking out for their children’s long-term
interests, will often choose a foreign language. A case in point is the fact
that there are three times more students studying Finnish than Karelian,
despite the fact that there are four and a half times less Finns than Karelians in Karelia. Karelian has a low status and is not
seen as helping young people to succeed in life.
81.
Various sociological studies reveal a
certain kind of linguistic nihilism among native peoples - the younger and
better educated the respondent, the more negative his or her attitude toward
his or her mother tongue. A study conducted in the Komi
Republic yielded the following results: 28% of respondents supported compulsory
Komi language education; 16% were somewhat
supportive; 31% were not opposed to it; 20% did not support it; 4% were against
it. In 2002, 53% of all respondents in the Mari El Republic supported
native-language instruction in all schools. The number fell to 30% in 2005.
82.
Preschool education, which is also seen as
a preparatory stage for eventual schooling in Russian, is another important
issue. Instruction in the native languages is the exception as opposed to the
rule in kindergartens. For example, in the Mordvin
capital
83.
A lack of teaching materials is hindering
the teaching of native languages. The republics must finance the production of
native-language teaching materials. Funding is very limited and needs are far
from being met. In the Republic of Mordovia, a total
of approximately 50 textbooks and teacher’s guides have been published over the
past five years in the Moksha and Erzya
languages. The number of materials produced over the past few years has quite
suddenly increased. For example, in 2004, 21 teaching materials were published.
From 2001-2004, a total of 40 teaching materials and teacher’s guides were
published in the Mari-El Republic. (Officials reporting this figure did not
define the term teaching materials.) There is a need for many times that amount
of material. In Udmurtia, during the last five years
approximately 50 native-language textbooks were published. In 2000, 3 textbooks
were published: in 2004, that number was 17. There is a serious lack of
teaching materials in the Khanty and Mansi languages. In the case of some Khanty
and Mansi dialects there are no longer people capable
of producing the materials.
viii.
Publication of Books
- Few Books Published in Native Languages
- Development of Literary (Written) Language Hampered
84.
In all republics, the number of books published in Finno-Ugric languages and
the size of the print-runs can best be described as modest. Publications
figures vacillate between a few books per year to a few dozen. Various sources
give conflicting numbers and there is no accurate statistical overview of
publications.
Publication
of Books20
|
|
Year |
Total |
||||||
|
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|||||
|
Titles |
copies |
titles |
copies |
titles |
copies |
titles |
copies |
|
|
Mari El |
39 |
40,260 |
51 |
57,350 |
51 |
38.850 |
141 |
136,460 |
|
Meadow Mari |
31 |
38,000 |
46 |
55,550 |
44 |
34,350 |
121 |
127,900 |
|
Hill Mari |
8 |
2,260 |
5 |
1,800 |
7 |
4,500 |
20 |
8,560 |
|
Mordovia |
11 |
34,000 |
15 |
21.000 |
5 |
10,200 |
31 |
65,200 |
|
Moksha |
6 |
13,000 |
6 |
8,000 |
2 |
3,600 |
14 |
24,600 |
|
Erzya |
5 |
21,000 |
9 |
13,000 |
3 |
6,600 |
17 |
40,600 |
|
Udmurtia |
7 |
7,000 |
6 |
21,400 |
5 |
8,500 |
18 |
36,900 |
85.
A case in point is the information available about the publishing industry in Mordovia. In comparison with the figures in the
above table, researchers Poljakov and Maresjev claim that in 1998-99 no books were published in
the Mordvin languages. They also claim that 20 books
were published in the Mordvin languages in 2002 and
that the figure for 2004 is 8. The Mordvin Ministry
of Culture’s documentation states that 2 books were published in 2000 and that
in 2004 16 works of fiction were published.
86.
During recent years some 50 books a year
have been published in the Mari language. The total number of copies
printed in 2002, 2003 and 2004 is 136,460, which constitutes one book for every
4-5 persons in the Mari community. Researcher Svetlana Hämälainen
reported over the past three years the total number of copies of books funded
from the federal budget was 5,500. The M.A. Castrén
Society funded a total of 8,500 copies and the Mari El Republic 8,000 copies.
From 2000- 2004, the Mari Republic funded the publication of 1-4 books per
year. A substantive part of publications in Finno-Ugric languages in Russia were
funded through international co-operation.
87.
External assistance has been an important
factor in getting books published in the other republics as well. According to
Semjonov, the publication figures for Udmurtia are as follows: 14 books in 2002, 16 in
2003 and 27 in 2004 (including textbooks and 2 dictionaries). According to Maresjev these figures are 5 books in 2000, 10 books in
2001, 11 books in 2002, 15 books in 2003 and 8 books (till November) in 2004.21
According to a different source, in seven and a half years 125 titles were
published for a total of 325,700 copies. That makes one book for every Udmurt during a seven-year period.
88.
The number of copies of books in the Komi language is as follows:
-
55,900 in 2000;
-
87,300 (28 books, brochures) in 2001;
-
24,800 in 2002;
-
26,700 (18 books, textbooks, brochures) in 2003. 22
Support for the publication
of books is declining (4.6 million roubles in 2002, 2
million roubles in 2003, 1 million roubles in 2004).23
89.
Popular books of a scientific character
are very rarely published. Although different sources give conflicting figures,
all sources imply that publications in the native language are hard to come by,
especially in the countryside. Publications are clearly not playing the role
that they should be in cultural and linguistic development.
ix.
Native Language Media
- Closing of Local
Newspapers
- Limited Number of
Newspaper Copies Printed
- Occasional Low Quality
of Language in Media
- Less Radio and TV
Airtime
- Independent Media
Almost Non-existent
90.
There are newspapers in the native language
in every Finno-Ugric republic, as well as in the autonomous district.
Newspapers are published once or a few times a week. There are also magazines
in the republics. However, the number of copies is limited and they are hard to
find. Intellectuals show little interest toward newspapers in their mother
tongue. The number of local newspapers is in decline. Occasionally, there are
columns in Finno-Ugric languages in the Russian-language newspapers.
Finno-Ugric newspapers contain more and more Russian-language columns. There
are few ethnic-related topics in the Russian newspapers.
91.
The quality of language in Finno-Ugric
newspapers is, in many cases, inadequate. The newspapers do not convey recently
developed terminology and tend to borrow from the Russian. There are also some
situations where the opposite is true and new terminology is introduced to
readers.
92.
According to official statistics, in 2004,
there were 15 native-language periodicals in the Mari El Republic. They
include the “national” newspaper “Mari El” (7,500 copies), the youth
magazine “Kugarnya” (3,200 copies) and
the arts and literature review “Ontshyko”
(2,000 copies). By the summer of 2005, the “Mari El” newspaper’s
circulation dropped to 5,500 copies and in the capital city Joskar-Ola
there were only 120 subscribers despite the fact that there are 50,000-60,000
Maris living there. The constantly expanding media market and the inability of
the Mari-language publications to compete with Russian-language publications
have led to a circa 50% drop in circulation figures of the “Mari El”
newspaper over the past five years. The “Mari El” newspaper is subsidised by the Mari government (70% from government, 30%
from sales). Many local newspapers have closed. 24
The “Mari El” newspaper is clearly dependent on its funder as is the
case with most other publications. During the last year, opposition
publications have been prevented from publishing locally and have had to use
print shops outside of the republic.
93.
Nine periodicals are regularly published in the Komi
Republic. The largest newspaper “Komi mu”
has a circulation of 3,000. The youth newspaper “Iologa”
has a circulation of 2,000 and the children’s magazine “Bi kin” has a
circulation of 1,900. During the last ten years the Komi-language
satirical magazine has faced a twelve-fold drop in circulation and the cultural
magazine four-fold drop in circulation.
Circulation Figures for
Major Komi-Language Publications (Newspapers &
Magazines)
|
Publication Name |
1992 (May) |
1997 (May) |
2002 (May) |
2002 (Oct.) |
2003 (Feb.) |
|
Komi Mu |
7,810 |
4,490 |
6,127 |
4,418 |
3,237 |
|
Iologa |
7,703 |
1,320 |
2,930 |
1,700 |
2,250 |
|
Vojviv Kodzuv |
4,000 |
1,800 |
1,400 |
860 |
1,006 |
|
Cuskanzi |
12,000 |
2,112 |
1,167 |
939 |
1,086 |
|
Bi Kin |
7,000 |
4,902 |
4,223 |
2,007 |
2,160 |
94.
The number of Russian-language newspapers
in the Komi Republic was 31 in 1990 and 95 in 2002.
By contrast, the number of Komi-language newspapers
was four in 1990 and five in 2002. The figure for Russian-language magazines
stood at one in 1990 and five in 2002. There were and still are three Komi-language magazines.25
95.
In the Udmurt
Republic, 10 periodicals per year are regularly published. The largest paper
“Udmurt Dunie”
has a circulation of 12,500. “Zetshbur”,
a children’s magazine, has a circulation of 2,700.26
Another source claims that the circulation of Udmurt
newspapers and magazines has steadily declined (9,720 in 1990, 4,410 in 1995,
3,091 in 2000 and 2,175 in 2002)27,
while the circulation figures for Russian-language publications has grown.
96.
In the Karelian Republic, 8
periodicals were regularly published in 2004. The Finnish-language newspaper “Karjalan Sanomat”
had the largest circulation (1,100). As of 2003, this newspaper is only
published once a week as opposed to twice. Two Karelian-language newspapers
were published: “Oma Mua”
(700 copies) and “Vienan Karjala” (600 copies). “Vienan
Karjala” is published only twice a month. The
newspaper “Kodima” is a bilingual publication in Vepsian and Russian with a circulation of 990.
97.
In the Republic of Mordovia,
8 periodicals were regularly published in 2004. The Erzya-language
newspaper “Erzan Pravda” has a
circulation of 3,250 and the Moksha-language
newspaper “Moksha Pravda” has a
circulation of 4,500. These publications have lost about half of their
readership over the past years. They are dependent on government subsidies that
have grown from year to year. In 2004, native language magazine circulation
figures have dropped from 9,500 to 6,50028.
Regional newspapers are published in Russian, but contain an Erzya and Moksha-language
supplement.
98.
There are also independent newspapers in
native languages, which are published in the Republic of Mordovia
and where it is possible to express ideas that are in opposition to the
official stance.
99.
Three periodicals are regularly published
in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. These
include the Khanty-language newspaper “Luh Avt” with a
circulation of 500 and the Nenets-language paper “Narjana Nerm” with
a circulation of 930. There is also a Nenets-language
children’s paper with a very limited circulation.
100.
In the Khanty-Mansi
Autonomous District there is Khanty-language
paper called “Hanty Jasang”(900 copies) and a Mansi-language newspaper named “Luima
Seripos”(600 copies).29
101.
In Bashkorkoshtan,
where there is a significant minority of Finno-Ugric peoples, one Mari-language
and one Udmurt language newspaper are published.
102.
With respect to the electronic media, the
Law on Languages of the Peoples of the Russian Federation provides that
broadcasts of the “all-Russian” TV and radio programmes
are conducted in the Russian language. Radio and television airtime for native
languages has been reduced. Federal funding of local programming has been
eliminated. Although efforts have been made to fund programming from local
budgets, the access of Finno-Ugric natives to media in their mother tongue has
declined.
103.
In 2005, the total number of hours of
broadcasting in Finno-Ugric languages on Russian national radio and television
has declined. Funding from the Russian federal budget was eliminated for
specific local production broadcasts with the exception of news programs. Now
in addition to producing their own programming, republics must purchase time on
the national airwaves or develop local channels.
104.
From 2000-2004, there were on average
450-500 hours of Mari-language radio broadcasts per year or over one
hour per day. As of 2005, the number of hours of native-language broadcasting
on federal national radio has been reduced to 271 hours.30
Mari-language TV broadcasts were moved to a less frequently viewed cultural
channel. Similar problems exist in the other republics.
105.
As of the summer of 2005, an FM radio station is being funded by the Mari El
Republic. The station started by broadcasting four hours per day. In autumn,
broadcasting increased to eight hours a day and in February it should reach 11
hours a day. The number of listeners is low (around 3,000 receivers), in
particular, due to the lack of FM radios, however, the number of listeners is
on the rise. There are plans to expand transmissions so as to cover all of Mari
El. The station is becoming more popular and this could serve as a basis for
developing an independent media channel. At the moment, the station is under
the auspices of the Ministry of Culture.
106.
Unfortunately, the same opportunities do
not exist in all the republics. Karelian-languages programming is
broadcast on a pan-Russian radio channel. There are a total of seven hours per
week of radio broadcasting in the Karelian languages, as well as in Finnish and
Vepsian – the morning news and one hour in the
evening. One hour of TV programming is broadcast twice a week.31
107.
In the Komi
Republic, following the reorganisation of the
Public television and radio broadcaster "Komi gor", the national channel “As mou
bilin” (On its land) is broadcasted on the frequency
of the channel "Russia" since March 2005. The channel "Komi gor" produces and
broadcasts interregional Finno-ugric programmes in the Komi and
Russian languages on ecological issues and children’s programmes
on the channel of the Komi Republic since January
2005. Also since January 2005 "Komi gor" carries out the radio project "Miyan kad" in Komi language on the social, economic and cultural life of
the Komi Republic. All these projects and broadcasts
are financed by the budget of the Komi Republic. In
addition the national channel "Culture" broadcasts one hour long programmes and films in Komi
three times per week. On the other hand however, according to information sent
to me by Komi associations, Russian language is used
more and more in Komi TV programmes
without translation.
108.
There are 22 local newspapers, in Mordovia none of which are in the Erzya or Moksha languages. This
is the case even in regions where the native peoples constitute 70-80% of the
population. Sometimes Russian-language newspapers include Erzya
or Moksha-language inserts.
109.
The portion of time allotted to native-language radio broadcasts does not
reflect the portion of native peoples in the population at large. According to
the newspaper “Erzyan Mastor”,
Erzya-language broadcasts constitute 8.4% of radio
broadcasts. In total, there is 45-60 minutes of Erzya,
Moksha and Tatar-language broadcasting per day and
one TV broadcast. A TV channel whose viewership is in the capital and its
surrounding area is preparing Erzya and Moksha-language broadcasting.
110.
In the Udmurt
Republic, when federal broadcasts in the local language were cut back, a local
radio-TV company “Moja Udmurtia”,
which produces news programs and various other broadcasts, was established. Udmurt-language radio broadcasts constitute 12% of airtime.
Out of the 25 regions in the republic, 22 have local radio stations that offer Udmurt-language broadcasting.
111.
More recent forms of media are under-utilised in the Finno-Ugric republics. In May 2005, in the Mordvin, the “INFO-RM” news agency provided online news
regarding the Mordovia in the Moksha
and Ersa languages. As of the summer of 2005, online
Mari-language news is available from a Mari-language radio station.
x.
Other Cultural and Educational Scenes
112. There is at least one
native-language theatre in each Finno-Ugric republic. There are two in the Mari
El Republic and two in the Komi Republic. Some of
these are bilingual – native-language and Russian. It is generally true,
however, that there are fewer and fewer new shows in Finno-Ugric languages, and
the prestige of the native-language theatres is decreasing.
113.
The spread of popular culture through the
Finno-Ugric languages is a sign of progress. For example, young people have
created rap music in the Mari and Mordvin languages
that is very popular among their peers.
114.
Local governments have given attention to
the development of native peoples’ handicrafts. Related centres
and handicraft clubs in schools have received support. Young people have been
taught how to make national costumes and the wearing of traditional dress is
becoming more popular. Folklore events are supported by government. An example
of this is the song festival in Mari El.
115.
People’s congresses play an important role
in the development of cultural identity. In 2004, congresses were held in the Mordvin Republic, the Komi
Republic, the Mari El Republc and in the Udmurt Republic and in Karelia in 2005. Congresses serve as
milestones, where accomplishments are assessed and future directions defined.
The Congress of the Finno-Ugric Peoples of the Russian Federation was held in
the autumn of 2005. The Russian Duma (parliament)
also discussed the current state of affairs of Finno-Ugric peoples during
hearings in 2005. (13.10.2005)
xi.
Training of Personnel
116.
All Finno-Ugric autonomous republics have
universities and colleges where teachers are trained. In Khanty-Mansi
Autonomous District, teachers are trained in the university. Universities have
native languages and cultures departments where teaching is delivered in native
tongues. In some cases it is possible for students majoring in other fields to
take some classes in their native language. These classes are not obligatory.
Future lawyers and doctors have no obligation to study the native languages.
117.
Universities work on language and
terminology development and help to prepare learning material for schools.
Terminological development requires co-operation with other state institutions,
which has been difficult to achieve.
118.
Universities that have Finno-Ugric
Departments co-operate amongst each other and with Hungarian, Finnish and
Estonian institutions of higher learning. Within the framework of this
international co-operation some foreign lecturers occasionally work as visiting
lectures in the Finno-Ugric republics of the Russian Federation.
xii.
International Co-operation
119.
Various forms of international
co-operation take place. As of 1960, science and research congresses are held
every five years. The last one took place in Joshkar
Ola in 2005. Conferences, seminars and summer schools are also held. From time
to time, a shortage of funds prevents events from taking place.
Scientists/researchers from the Russian Federation often do not have the funds
to take part in international conferences. Exchanges of university students,
professors and researchers take place with colleagues in Hungary, Finland and
Estonia.
120.
The World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples
was established in Syktyvkar in 1992. It meets once every four years in a
different location. The Congress has its own youth organisation.
The next Congress is planned for 2008 in Khanty-Mansiisk.
During the four years between congresses, a consultative committee of 22
representatives (17 Finno-Ugric peoples of the Russian Federation and 5 from
abroad) organises joint activities. The committee is
funded by Hungary, Finland and Estonia. Also, the consultative committee
represents the Finno-Ugric peoples in communications and co-operation with
international organisations.
121.
Co-operation with the Estonian, Finnish
and Hungarian parliaments is increasing for the autonomous Finno-Ugric republics
and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District. Several
meetings took place during 2005 that culminated in a joint discussion in the
Russian Duma on Finno-Ugric issues (15.09.2005).
V.
The Sami people in Nordic countries
122.
The Sami people in Nordic countries belong to the group of Finno-Ugric people.
(There are approximately 40 000 Sami in Norway, 15 000 in Sweden and
8 000 in Finland.)
i.
Language rights
123.
The Sami Language Act in Finland,
adopted in 2003, contains provisions on the right of the Sami to use their own
language before the courts and other public authorities, as well as on the duty
of the authorities to enforce and promote the linguistic rights of the Sami.
The goal is to ensure the right of the Sami to a fair trial and good
administration irrespective of language and to secure the linguistic rights of
the Sami without them needing specifically to refer to these rights.
124.
An authority must not restrict or refuse
to enforce the linguistic rights provided in this Act on the grounds that the
Sami know also some other language, such as Finnish or Swedish. Authorities
shall also use the Sami language in communications addressed to the public.
Official advertisements, notices and promulgations and other information
released to the public, as well as signs and forms intended for use by the
public, with their instructions, shall, in the Sami homeland, be prepared and
also issued in the Sami language.
125.
Similar rights are given to Sami people in
Sweden and Norway. In Sweden the language law concerning minority
languages was passed in April 2000. A person has the right to use the Sami
language in contacts with the authorities, such as local governments and
courts.
126.
In Norway the Act concerning the
Sami parliament and other legal matters was amended in 2003. This act gives
Sami people an extended right to use the Sami language in the judicial system
and regulates the use of the Sami language in statutes and regulations, in
forms to be used in connection with local or regional public body and in
announcements by public bodies which shall be made in both Sami and Norwegian.
127.
Employees in a local or regional public
body are entitled to paid leave in order to acquire a knowledge of Sami when
the said body requires such knowledge. In addition, that authority shall
provide training or take other measures in order to ensure that the personnel
have the knowledge of the Sami language that is necessary for the performance
of its functions.
ii.
Education
128.
In all Nordic countries the education in
the Sami language is available at least in primary and lower secondary schools
in Sami areas and as a mother tongue in all territories.
129.
In 1980 the government in Sweden decided
to establish a Sami School Board, with a majority of Sami. The Sami School
Board is now responsible for Sami education, from day nursery to upper
secondary school. Today there are Sami schools in six places in the northern
part of Sweden: Karesuando, Lannavaara,
Kiruna, Gällivare, Jokkmokk and Tärnaby.
130.
In Norway the Sami pupils in upper
secondary education have the right to receive Sami tuition. The Ministry may
issue regulations concerning alternative forms of such tuition when this cannot
be provided by teachers at the school attended by the pupils. In certain
schools, courses or classes provide tuition in or through the medium of Sami or
in specific Sami subjects in upper secondary education. The county authority
may also offer such tuition.
iii.
Broadcasting
131.
There are three Sami broadcasting centres in the Nordic countries, situated in Kárášjohka / Karasjok (Norway), Aanaar / Inari (Finland) and Giron
/ Kiruna (Sweden) belonging to the respective public
broadcasters. The centres co-operate closely and
broadcast in 4-5 different regional variants of Sami.
132. Yleisradio
(Yle) transmits 2000 hours radio programmes
a year, with news, in Sami to the Finnish Sami speaking region. In Norway
the scale of production is the same as in Finland and these programmes
are broadcast on the same channel throughout the day for Sami people. In
co-operation with Norway there are also 15 minutes TV news every day. The total
number of TV broadcasts in Sami in Norway is half an hour per day, included
children’s programmes.
133. The public broadcaster
in Sweden, STV, produces around 10 hours of Sami programmes
a year which are broadcast regionally. Regional radio in Kiruna
produces 4 hours of Sami language programmes per day.
* * *
Reporting Committee: Committee on Culture, Science and
Education
Reference to Committee: Doc.
10548, Reference No. 3006 of 08.10.2004
Draft Report unanimously
adopted by the Committee on 02.10.06
Members of the
Committee: Mr Jacques Legendre (Chairman), Baroness Hooper,
Mr Josef Jařab,
Mr Wolfgang Wodarg
(Vice-Chairpersons), Mr Hans Ager, Mr Toomas Alatalu
(Alternate: Mrs Katrin
Saks), Mr. Kornél Almássy,
Mr Emerenzio Barbieri, Mr Rony
Bargetze, Mrs
Marie-Louise Bemelmans-Videc (Alternate: Mr Dick Dees), Mr Radu-Mircea Berceanu, Mr Levan Berdzenishvili,
Mr Italo Bocchino, Mr Ioannis Bougas, Mrs Anne Brasseur, Mr Osman Coşkunoğlu,
Mr Vlad Cubreacov,
Mr Ivica Dačić, Mrs Maria Damanaki, Mr Joseph Debono Grech (Alternate: Mr Joseph Falzon), Mr Stepan Demirchyan,
Mr Ferdinand Devinski, Mrs Kaarina Dromberg,
Mrs Åse Gunhild
Woie Duesund, Mr Detlef Dzembritzki,
Mrs Anke Eymer, Mr Relu
Fenechiu, Mrs Blanca Fernández-Capel, Mrs Maria Emelina Fernández-Soriano
(Alternate: Mr Iñaki Txueka), Mr Axel Fischer,
Mr José Freire Antunes, Mr Eamon Gilmore, Mr Stefan Glǎvan,
Mr Luc Goutry, Mr Vladimir Grachev, Mr Andreas Gross, Mr Kristinn H. Gunnarson, Mrs Azra Hadžiahmetović,
Mr Jean-Pol Henry, Mr Rafael Huseynov, Mr Raffaele Iannuzzi,
Mr Fazail Ibrahimli, Mrs Halide İncekara, Mr Lachezar Ivanov, Mr Igor Ivanovski, Mr József Kozma,
Mr Jean-Pierre Kucheida, Mr Guy Lengagne, Mrs Jagoda Majska-Martinčević,
Mr Tomasz Markowski, Mr Bernard Marquet (Alternate:
Mr Christophe Spiliotis-Saquet),
Mr Andrew McIntosh (Alternate: Mr Robert Walter), Mr Ivan
Melnikov, Mrs Maria Manuela
de Melo, Mr Paskal Milo, Mrs Fausta Morganti, Mrs Christine Muttonen, Mrs Miroslava Nĕmcová,
Mr Jakob-Axel Nielsen,
Mr Edward O’Hara, Mr
Andrey Pantev, Mrs Antigoni Pericleous Papadopoulos,
Mrs Majda Potrata, Mr Dušan
Proroković, Mr Lluis Maria de Puig, Mr Anatoliy Rakhansky,
Mr Johannes Randegger, Mr Zbigniew Rau, Mrs Anta Rugāte, Mr Piero Ruzzante,
Mr Volodymyr Rybak, Mr Pär-Axel
Sahlberg, Mr André
Schneider, Mr Vitaliy Shybko, Mrs Geraldine
Smith, Mr Yury Solonin (Alternate: Mr Anatoliy Korobeynikov),
Mr Valeriy Sudarenkov,
Mr Mehmet Tekelioğlu, Mr Ed van
Thijn, Mr Piotr Wach, Mrs
Majléne Westerlund
Panke, Mr Emanuelis Zingeris.
N.B. : The names of
the members who took part in the meeting are printed in bold
Head of the Secretariat:
Mr Grayson
Secretaries to the
Committee: Mr Ary, Mr
Dossow
1 United Nations
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Russian Federation. E/C.
19/2004/5/Add. 3 .
2 Sildushkina N.E. Depressivnost mariiskoi
natsionalnosti...,Joshkar- Ola, 2004;
Kulikov K.I. Globalisatsija i
problemy źizneobespetshenija narodov Rossii, Joshkar-Ola, 2004;
Abramov V.K. Demografitsheskaja i
sotsialnaja dinamika mordovskovo naroda v XX veke, Saransk, 2004
3
Russian Federation: The Human Rights Situation of the Mari Minority of
the Republic of Mari El, Joint Report International Helsinki Federation and
Moscow Helsinki Group, February 2006 http://www.ihf-hr.org/documents/doc_summary.php?sec_id=3&d_id=4185
4 New plan
published in the magazine Argumenty I Fakty No.23, June 9 2004
5
Finno-ugorskie skeptiki
i optimisty, Rosbalt,
19/10/2005
6 Zjezd sovetov. Verhovnyi Sovet Udmurtskoi ASSR.
Gosudarstvennyi Sovet Udmurtskoi Respubliki.
Iźevsk, 2005
7 Gabov. P.V. Sovremennyi etap natsionalnyi politiki
respubliki Komi, Syktyvkar, 2005
8
Based on data in The Finno-Ugric and Samoyed peoples of
9
Strogaltschikova, Z Problemy
stanovlenija natsionalnovo obrazovanija karelov i vepsov na sovremennom
etape,
10 Kudrjavtseva .R.A. Sabykov.V.I.
Respublika Mari El; jazykovaja
situatsija i jazykovaja politika v sfere obrazovanija, Moskva, 2002,
11
Collection of Material Relating to the Ethnic Situation in the Republic
of Mari El and the Social-Cultural Situation of the Mari People , prepared by
the informational and Analytical Department of the Administration of the
President of Mari El, 2005
12
Konjuhov A.K. Sovremennaja
etnolingvistitsheskaja situatsija
v Respublike Komi ( po resultatam
sotsiologitsheskovo isleovanija)
13
Natsionalnoje samosoznanije
mordovskovo ( mokshanskovo
i erzianskovo naroda: nastojshee i budushee
Materials from the 4rd Congress of Mordovian People,
Saransk, 2004
14
Collection of Material Relating to the Ethnic Situation in the Republic
of mari El and the Social-Cultural Situation of the
Mari People , prepared by the informational and Analytical Department of the
Administration of the President of Mari El, 2005.
15
Konjuhov A.K.Kuzivanova
O.J.Markov V.P,Tsypanov
E.A. Sovremennaja etnolingvistitsheskaja
situatsia v Respublike Komi ( Materials form Conference),
16
Materials obtained from Udmurt authorities
17
Nesavisimaja gazeta,
2005, 08.17
18
Materials presented at the Karelian Congress.
19 Ersan Mastor 13.10.2005.
20
Collection of Material Relating to the Ethnic Situation in the Republic
of Mari El and the Social-Cultural Situation of the Mari People, prepared by
the Informational and Analytical Department of the Administration of the
President of Mari El, 2005.
21 Maresjev.V. Petshat i knigoizdanie kak vaźnie faktory formirovanija natsionalnovo samosoznanija, Saransk 2005
22
Roźkin E.N. Kozulina
S.G Funktsionirovanie komi jazyka kak gosudarstvennogo
v Respublike Komi Materials
from the Conference , Sombathely,
2005
23
Gabov P.V.Sovremennyi
etap natsionalnyi politiki respubliki Komi,
24
Ivanov I.G.Jazykovaja
problema mariiskovo naroda v natshle tretjevo tysatshiletija ( Materials from the Conference), Sombathely,
2004
25
Tsipanov E.A. Gosudarstvennyi
li komi jazyk
s tośki zrenija ego funktsionirovanija, Materials from the Conference,
26
Finno-Ugric and Samoyed Peoples of
27
Ushova N. Dinamika rasvitija SMI na udmurdskom jazyke v postsovetskij period( Materials
from the Conference),
28
Maresjev V. Petshat i
knigoizdanie kak vaźnye faktory formirovanija natsionalnovo samosoznanija, Saransk 2005
29
Finno-Ugric and Samoyed Peoples of
30
Collection of Material Relating to the Ethnic Situation in the Republic
of mari El and the Social-Cultural Situation of the
Mari People , prepared by the informational and Analytical Department of the
Administration of the President of Mari El, 2005.
Maresjev V. Petshat
i knigoizdanie kak vaźnye faktory formirovanija natsionalnovo samosoznanija, Saransk 2005
Finno-Ugric and Samoyed
Peoples of Russia, Syktyvkar, 2005
Collection of Material
Relating to the Ethnic Situation in the Republic of Mari El and the
Social-Cultural Situation of the Mari People , prepared by the informational
and Analytical Department of the Administration of the President of Mari El,
2005.
31 Information
from the Karelian Congress.
Source:
http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc06/EDOC11087.htm