No Russian-speakers' Russian: Language Politics in Uzbekistan, Central Asia

The new generation is questioning the privileged status of Russian in public education and daily life – while still struggling with the practicality, historical legacy, and political influence of Russian.

Generation Z in Uzbekistan (also known as the "net generation," "internet generation," "second-generation," or "digital natives"), usually refers to people born between 1995 and 2009, who were seamlessly integrated into the internet information age from birth, and have been significantly influenced by digital information technology, instant communication devices, and smart phone products - editor's note) are tired of the privileged status of Russian in the country. According to government statistics, about 2.1% of the country's population of 37.5 million are Russians (less than 800,000). However, Russian is widely used in both public and private spheres, especially in urban areas.

"I speak fully in Uzbek (I speak polnyy (fully) in Uzbek)," said Azizullo, a 23-year-old from Andijan, who seems not to realize that his statement contains a Russian word. For most Uzbek citizens, it is normal to mix Russian in daily conversations. "A lot of things need to be removed - completely erased. For example, all Russian signs. Even in my own city of Andijan, I can see this situation. There are still many Russian signs on the streets. Even in places where only Uzbeks live, without any Russians, you can still see Russian signs - for example, on the gate of the fence."

Russians are not the only minority in Uzbekistan, nor are they the largest minority anymore. In 1989, more than half of the 1.6 million Russians living in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) left the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then, Uzbekistan has not conducted an official census, but according to official estimates, about 84% of the population of Uzbekistan belongs to the Uzbek ethnic group. The largest minority is the Tajik ethnic group, accounting for nearly 5% of the total population (about 1.7 million people).

Uzbekistan has over 130 ethnic groups, but besides the Uzbeks, the Russians still dominate in public life, sometimes even in the families of the upper class in Uzbekistan. These families are locally called "yevropozirovanniy" (Europeanized families). All government websites use Russian along with the official language, Uzbek, and sometimes English. Even the national laws in the national database are available in Uzbek and Russian, and sometimes in English. Almost all local mobile applications support Uzbek and Russian. The main local online news agencies (although private) mainly publish content in Uzbek, Russian, and occasionally English. Although there are other local language media, such as Tajik, Karakalpak, and Kazakh, they are limited to regional platforms and lack national influence.

"Uzbek is the official language, but if you don't speak Russian, it's hard to find a job in the public sector," said Yakhangir, a 25-year-old student from Khorezm region, who himself is also a civil servant. He believes the continued dominance of Russian is a legacy of the Soviet era, when senior officials - especially secretaries of the party - were often Russians. In the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, to get a job in the public sector, one needed to be proficient in Russian; therefore, mastering Russian became a symbol of identity.

Source: Foreign Affairs

Author Niginakhon Saida is a contributing writer, a scholar whose research interests focus on gender, Islam, and politics in Central Asia.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836849406095560/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.