Russian remains second most widespread language in Georgia -2

By Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza

 

After the USSR fell and the Georgian language achieved the status of state language, the government (starting with first President Zviad Gamsakhurdia and ending with Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili) has been reducing the number of Russian schools in the country. There were 257 Russian language schools in Georgia in 1988 and only 61 schools within the “Russian sector” today.

What is the “Russian sector?” It is the same Russian school operating in the building of a Georgian one. Beginner's classes in Russian are no longer opening in the “sector”, although people who have already been studying in Russian classes may get a corresponding diploma. All “Russian sectors” in higher education centers operate the same way.

Why do European organizations ignore a policy that contradicts the fundamental principles protecting the languages of ethnic minorities? Because Russian was the “political language” for foreign ethnic minorities, such as Armenians and Azerbaijanis, and they can always move to schools with classes in Armenian and Azerbaijani. The number of such classes is only growing.

Curious fact: Russian schools are the largest and most successful in the Akhalkalaki District, populated by Armenians, and the Marneuli District, populated by Azerbaijanis. There are schools with classes in the Armenian and Azerbaijani languages. The majority of the population still regards Russian as the “political” language and a language that would bring success in either Georgia or a foreign state.

But such a situation gives reasons for new “fault lines” in the country, especially considering that Russian preserves the signs and functions of a “political” language for the Georgian ethnic community. It is noteworthy that the majority of children and teenagers are losing Russian-language skills, although they speak it better than English. The correlation will gradually shift towards English. Mikheil Saakashvili tried to initiate some extravagant projects, such as inviting thousands of English teachers to Georgia.

Russian is the second most widespread language in the country. Its space has shrunk, compared with that of Georgian, but it is much greater than the English space. If the tendency of Georgia’s integration into European space and distancing from the Russian (Eurasian) world continues simultaneously with the efforts of the Georgian authorities to close down Russian schools, the current segment of the Russian language will get filled with other world languages. Georgia will turn into a small country where the population uses English for communication functions that are unsuitable for the main “political” language.

Despite pressure on Russian language schoolsBy Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik KavkazaAfter the USSR fell and the Georgian language achieved the status of state language, the government (starting with first President Zviad Gamsakhurdia and ending with Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili) has been reducing the number of Russian schools in the country. There were 257 Russian language schools in Georgia in 1988 and only 61 schools within the “Russian sector” today.What is the “Russian sector?” It is the same Russian school operating in the building of a Georgian one. Beginner's classes in Russian are no longer opening in the “sector”, although people who have already been studying in Russian classes may get a corresponding diploma. All “Russian sectors” in higher education centers operate the same way.Why do European organizations ignore a policy that contradicts the fundamental principles protecting the languages of ethnic minorities? Because Russian was the “political language” for foreign ethnic minorities, such as Armenians and Azerbaijanis, and they can always move to schools with classes in Armenian and Azerbaijani. The number of such classes is only growing.Curious fact: Russian schools are the largest and most successful in the Akhalkalaki District, populated by Armenians, and the Marneuli District, populated by Azerbaijanis. There are schools with classes in the Armenian and Azerbaijani languages. The majority of the population still regards Russian as the “political” language and a language that would bring success in either Georgia or a foreign state.But such a situation gives reasons for new “fault lines” in the country, especially considering that Russian preserves the signs and functions of a “political” language for the Georgian ethnic community. It is noteworthy that the majority of children and teenagers are losing Russian-language skills, although they speak it better than English. The correlation will gradually shift towards English. Mikheil Saakashvili tried to initiate some extravagant projects, such as inviting thousands of English teachers to Georgia.Russian is the second most widespread language in the country. Its space has shrunk, compared with that of Georgian, but it is much greater than the English space. If the tendency of Georgia’s integration into European space and distancing from the Russian (Eurasian) world continues simultaneously with the efforts of the Georgian authorities to close down Russian schools, the current segment of the Russian language will get filled with other world languages. Georgia will turn into a small country where the population uses English for communication functions that are unsuitable for the main “political” languag