Implementation of Language Policy in USSR in 1930s (Buryat-Mongolian Language)

The study focuses on analyzing the development of the Buryat-Mongolian language and writing system amidst socio-cultural transformations during the Soviet period. Textbooks, methodological guides, as well as ethnographic and sociolinguistic reports from the 1930s, serve as the research materials. Educational materials on teaching methods for the Buryat-Mongolian language and writing in general education institutions are of research interest for analyzing approaches to practical implementation of the educational process and material content. This historical period is marked by the transformation of societal structures resulting from extensive sociopolitical processes not only in our country but also in the Mongolian People’s Republic and the People’s Republic of China. The Soviet leadership reasonably paid special attention to eradicating illiteracy and implementing language policy in the country. It was revealed that education in the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR faced linguistic, methodological, and staffing contradictions. The process of studying the native language underwent systematic reforms within a relatively short historical period. The traditional Old Mongolian script was replaced by Latin in 1931 and then by Cyrillic in 1939, leading to a decline in educational quality. Such transitions were accompanied by restructuring educational and methodological aspects of the educational process.

1. “Summer School” (Instructional and methodical letter № 7). (1931). Verkhneudinsk: BuryatMongolian Republican Publishing House. 25 p. (In Russ.).

2. Aktamov, I. G. (2022). Structural and substantive features of the alphabet of R. Nomtoev. In: The legacy of Rinchen Nomtoev — an outstanding scientist, writer, educator: A collection of scientific articles of the international scientific conference, 2 (46): 47—56. DOI: 10.31554/2222-9175-2022-46-171-176. (In Russ.).

3. Aktamov, I. G. (2021). Translation of written monuments — communication through time and strategic development guidelines. Bulletin of the Buryat Scientific Center of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 (44): 161—166. DOI: 10.31554/2222-9175-2021-44-161-166. (In Russ.).

4. Alpatov, V. M. (2013). Jazykovaja politika v sovremennom mire. Nauchnyj dialog, 5 (17): Filologija: 8—28. (In Russ.).

5. Badmaeva, L. B. (2010). The Old-written Mongolian language and the modern Buryat language. Humanitarian vector, 2 (22): 202—207. (In Russ.).

6. Bazarov, B. V., Plekhanova,A. M. (2021). Buryat-Mongolian Scientific Committee, 1922–1929: Stages of Formation and Organization of Earliest Scientific Studies. Oriental Studies, 14(4): 697—709. DOI: 10.22162/2619-0990-2021-56-4-697-709. (In Russ.).

7. Bazarova, V. V. (2011). Formation of the policy of “nationalization” of schools in BuryatMongolia. Power, 6: 153—156. (In Russ.).

8. Bazarova, V. V. (2014). Gombozhap Tsybikov on Mongolian writing in the formation of Buryat linguistics. Power, 9: 187—191. (In Russ.).

9. Bazarova, V. V. (2006). Romanization of the Buryat-Mongolian script: the experience of cultural and historical modernization in 1920—1930. Author’s abstract of Doct. Diss. Ulan-Ude. 46 p. (In Russ.).

10. Bikmayeva, K. I. (2022). Stages of language policy in the Mongolian People’s Republic. Mongol studies, 14 (2): 232—246. DOI: 10.22162/2500-1523-2022-2-232-246. (In Russ.).

11. Borisova, I. Y. Features of the Soviet language policy from 1917 to the end of the 1930s. Available at: https://herzena.ru/public/files/articles/%D0%9E%D0%B1%D0%B7%D0%BE%D1%80%20%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9%20%D1%8F%D0%B7%D1%8B%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%20%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_538c5ffcd4277.pdf (accessed 02.17.2024). (In Russ.).

12. Crisp, S. (1989). Soviet Language Planning. 1917—1953. In: Language Planning in the Soviet Union. London: Macmillan. 23—45. Daudov, A. H., Mamysheva, E. P. (2011). From the history of Romanization of the national alphabets of the USSR. Bulletin of St. Petersburg University. History, 2: 7—12. (In Russ.).

13. Dondokov, A. A. (2017). The history of the development of the Buryat language from the Old Mongolian script to the Cyrillic alphabet. Questions of political science, 2 (26): 72—77. (In Russ.).

14. Elaev, A. A. (2000). Buryat people: formation, development, self-determination. Moscow: Vestkom. 352 p. ISBN 5-9200-0008-2. (In Russ.).

15. Guboglo, M. N. (1984). Ethnosocial aspect of the development of national-Russian bilingualism in the USSR. PhD Diss. Moscow. 448 p. (In Russ.).

16. Khukhbator, B. (2021). Soviet scientist G. P. Serdyuchenko and the literary language: historical features of the development of the literary language of the MNR and the Mongols of Inner Mongolia based on archival materials of the 1950s.

17. Bulletin of the Buryat Scientific Center of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 (41): 48—60. DOI: 10.31554/2222-9175-2021-41-48-60. (In Russ.).

18. Mikhalchenko, V. O. Yu. (2010). National languages in the era of globalization: languages of Russia and Mongolia. Questions of philology, 1 (34): 39—47. (In Russ.).

19. Nomogoeva, V. V. (2021). Soviet modernization of culture and everyday life of the Buryats in the 1920s—30s. Oriental Studies, 14 (6): 1154—1164. DOI: 10.22162/2619-0990-2021-58-6-1154-1164. (In Russ.).

20. Odorova, T. L., Konyaev, A. I. (2022). Providing the Soviet school of Buryatia with educational and methodological literature (1920—1930s). Teaching history at school, 7: 74—77. DOI: 10.51653/0132-0696_2022_7_74. (In Russ.).

21. Poppe, N. N. (1933). Buryat-Mongolian linguistics. Proceedings of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Leningrad: Publication of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Culture of the BMASSR. 119 p. (In Russ.).

22. Radnaeva, S. B. (2000). The history of Buryat writing and the formation of spelling norms of the modern Buryat literary language. PhD Diss. Ulan-Ude. 140 p. (In Russ.).

23. Rassadin, V. I. (1982). Essays on the historical phonetics of the Buryat language. Moscow: Nauka. 198 p. (In Russ.).

24. Russian-Mongolian terminological dictionary. (1928). Verkhneudinsk: Buruchkom Publishing House. 198 p. (In Russ.).

25. Sambuudorzh, O. (2014). Written languages and cultural ties of the Mongolian-speaking peoples. Bulletin of the Buryat Scientific Center of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3 (15): 230—234. (In Russ.).

26. Sanzhanov, J. S. (2017). Socio-political vocabulary of the Buryat language in the 20—30s of the XX century. (based on the material of the newspaper “Buriyad-MongyolUnen”). PhD Diss. Ulan-Ude. 195 p. (In Russ.).

27. Shagdarov, L. D. (1967). The formation of uniform norms of the Buryat literary language in the Soviet era. Ulan-Ude: Buryat Book Publishing House. 108 p. (In Russ.).

28. The new Mongol-Buryat alphabet. (1910). St. Petersburg: Printing House of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. 51 p. (In Russ.).

29. Tregubova, D. D. (2017). “Language construction” in the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR in the 1920s—1930s. Man: Image and essence. Humanitarian aspects, 1—2: 185— 198. (In Russ.).

30. Tsyrenov, B. D. (2019). Buryat language: questions of survival. Languages in a multiethnic state: development, planning, forecasting: Materials of the International Conference, Ulan-Ude-Goryachinsk, July 01—04, 2019. Buryat Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 71—74. DOI: 10.31554/978-5-7925-0559-9-2019-71-74. (In Russ.).

31. Yukiyasu, A. (2021). Integration and separation of the “language”: the language policy of the Mongolian peoples in the USSR and Mongolia in 1920—1940. Sociolinguistics, 1 (5): 9—30. DOI: 10.37892/2713-2951-2021-1-5-9-30. (In Russ.).