The Russification Language Policy in Georgia (Based on the Georgian Émigré Newspaper “Sakartvelo”)

Abstract

Russification is a special case ofcultural assimilation, when small nations fall under theinfluence of the Russian language and culture (Weinreich, 1953; Thaden, 1981; Weinerman,1996; Kappeler, 2004; Jones, 2005; Miller, 2008; Weeks, 2010).At the beginning of the 20thcentury, the norms of the language policy developed in the Russian Empireappliedto theconquered andimperial countries, including Georgia.
The present paper aims to study the problems of the Russification language policy on theexample of Georgia. The digital corpus of“Sakartvelo” (Georgia), the newspaper of theGeorgian Emigrants ofthe early 20thcentury,isused to provideempiricaldata.Illustrativedatahave been collected andthequestionsgiven beloware discussed usingthe method ofsociolinguistic:1) To what extent was the local population of Georgia ready to accept theRussian language in schools and theological education?2) Towhat extent was the “immersionmethod” of teaching justified in the Russification language policy of the early 20thcentury inGeorgia? 3) Under the Russification language policy in Georgia, in what directions was theprotection of the Georgian language provided?
Such an approach to the problem will show us what measures were taken by the founders of theGeorgianémigrépress in terms of exposing the educational policyof Russification,formingahealthy public opinion and protecting the Georgian language,morespecifically, how theGeorgian newspaper "Sakartvelo”,published in Paris in 1903-1905,responded to this problem.