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A Series of Events Dedicated to the International Mother Language Day Took Place at the Russia EXPO-Forum

"The State takes much efforts aimed at the preservation of languages both at the federal and region levels.  A National Committee has been established to coordinate activities under the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. Social activists are a powerful force that generates initiatives locally. We are a pro-active Association, which is aimed specifically at the youth. A law on nomadic schools was passed in our country last year at the initiative of the Federation Council; its objective is to support the traditional education of indigenous peoples, including their languages. Modern methods need to be employed when working with children and youth to make studying languages interesting. We need to preserve traditional activities, because indigenous languages are linked to the very way of life. What is also important is that the State and social activists join efforts with the business community, and the Russian Federation already saw successful examples of such cooperation; look at our round table, for instance,” said Grigory Ledkov. 

"Activities to preserve linguistic diversity are under way for many years in our country. The International Year, and subsequently the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, attracted additional attention and resources, and consolidated the efforts of public authorities, academic community, business, and, most importantly and above all, of the indigenous peoples themselves, in order to achieve the high goal of preserving, developing and promoting native languages. Russia has many platforms where this issue is discussed. And it is very important that new opportunities emerge every year: in 2023, this was the First Forum of Women of the North, today VDNKh has become such a platform”, said Natalia Gonchar, Head of Corporate Affairs Department of Sakhalin Energy LLC, in her greeting to the audience. 

The round table participants discussed the implementation of the 2022-2032 Action Plan for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages in the Russian Federation, prospects and challenges for the functional development of native languages in Russia. The event was organised by the Association of Indigenous Minorities of the North, Siberia and the Russian Far East, the Centre for Traditional Knowledge and Languages ​of the Indigenous Minorities of the Far Eastern North and Sakhalin Energy LLC. The event was supported by the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs.

The event’s programme continued in the hall of Pavilion 75, where guests of the Far Eastern panorama, Sakhalin Oblast, Yamal, Yakutia and Yugra were invited to do an ethnographic spelling test - Russia is the Home of Nations, which was about the centuries-old history of our country and the unity of its multinational people. There was a special section about the distinctive culture of the Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Russia Far East.

The ethnographic spelling test was conducted by the Russian pop singer Zara (Zarifa Mgoyan), a public figure, an Honoured Artist of Russia and UNESCO Artist for Peace.

26 February 2024

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