Russian language losing ground in ex-Soviet states

Hesitantly, with help from her teacher, Lyudmila Propishchan managed to string together a few basic phrases in Kazakh.

For this musician from Kazakhstan, an ex-Soviet central Asian country where Russian is widely spoken, learning the local language is hard work, but she is keen to try.

"In Kazakhstan, not everyone is fluent in Kazakh. I just started learning and my aim is to be able to hold a conversation," said the 44-year-old violinist.

Like most other central Asian languages, Kazakh is a Turkic language unrelated to Russian but written in the Cyrillic alphabet.

More than three decades after the end of the Soviet era, during which Russian became the lingua franca and language of the elite, long-sidelined national languages are making a comeback in this region. While Moscow still views central Asia as its backyard, people here are increasingly turning toward their national heritage.

Kazakhstan has three million ethnic Russians. Only half its population of 20 million uses Kazakh in everyday life.

Propishchan takes a Kazakh class in Karaganda with around 20 other adults.

"In Karaganda, Russian used to be everywhere, we didn't use Kazakh," said Lydia Khan, a 68-year-old. "People are surprised I'm learning Kazakh at my age. I tell them I want the language to develop."

Yakub Dzhamalov, a young local councillor, "grew up in a Russian-speaking environment" but feels it is his "duty" to learn.

The decline of Russian is undoubtedly linked to demographic change.

In Kazakhstan, the ethnic Russian population has fallen in the past 30 years from 38 to 15 percent. In neighboring countries, it is no more than 5 percent.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the imperialist rhetoric of many Russian officials have also prompted countries to work harder to revive their national languages.

Since 2023 it has been compulsory for Kazakh and Kyrgyzstan officials to master the national languages.

In Karaganda, local officials organize competitions such as "declare your love in Kazakh and win a romantic break" or "read a book in Kazakh and win an iPhone."

In a symbolic first, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chose to use Kazakh in a press conference last year with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

This seemed to surprise Putin and caused a comical scene as Kremlin insiders scrambled to put on translation earpieces.

Kyrgyzstan gives Russian similar official status, while in Tajikistan it is "the language of inter-ethnic communication."

In Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, Russia has no official status but is still used. Throughout the region, Russian remains associated with social aspiration: giving access to better jobs at home and allowing migrants to go and work in Russia.

For the young, it is still hard to get a high-level education without Russian.

Kazakhstan's education minister recently complained that schools' teaching of Kazakh "leaves much to be desired," while his Kyrgyz counterpart lamented the "very weak level of teaching of Kyrgyz."

Language policy is also sensitive as all five central Asian ex-Soviet states are close to, or dependent on, Moscow.

Talk of promoting national languages or changing Russian-sounding street names provokes sabre-rattling from Kremlin supporters, who raise the specter of "persecution" of ethnic Russians, one of the justifications - rejected by Kyiv - given by Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE