The rector of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Viktor Sadovnichy, raised the issue of the lack of knowledge of and proficiency in the Russian language in the North Caucasus. "It is necessary to strengthen the work with the Russian language in the Caucasian region. Today we are losing the Caucasus in terms of the Russian language," he stressed.
According to Moskovsky Komsomolets, Sadovnichy voiced his call on the results of field studies of the philological faculty of Moscow State University in the North Caucasus Federal District. Philologists studied the use of the Russian language in the Russian regions and the North Caucasus showed peculiar results – a complete ignorance of the state language of the Russian Federation was found in several villages of Kabardino-Balkaria.
Moscow State University is already making a contribution to the promotion and revival of the Russian language in the Caucasus by opening an Internet resource 'Russian Dagestan'.
The language situation in the Caucasus today is complicated by two factors. On the one hand, the rule of military service outside the home region was abolished. Now, young people are often left to serve where they were born, so they do not go beyond their native language environment. On the other hand, school teachers in the region continue to receive very low wages, which is forcing qualified staff to leave the Caucasus.
The head of Ingushetia, Yunus-bek Yevkurov, told Vestnik Kavkaza that there are no problems with knowledge of the Russian language in the republic. "Firstly, the Russian language is our state language, secondly, children, adults, and the elderly speak Russian pretty well in Ingushetia. In the past year, we conducted the certification of all teachers of the Russian language, and already 60% of them have gone through refresher courses at the Institute for Advanced Studies. We invited a number of speakers in this area and we are now working on the compliance with standards," he said.
"Both in the past and this year we have held several major events dedicated to the classics of Russian literature. The Republic approaches the issue of preservation of the Russian language as a package. The program of Ingushetia on the development of the Russian language, from kindergarten, finishing school and university, has been approved," Yunus-bek Yevkurov said.
