Lingo-Identity Rhetoric and Cultural Significance: Revisiting the Soviet Russia and the Contemporary Russia’s Political Discourse
Keywords:
Russia, cultural significance, identity, language politicsAbstract
Multilingual polities have always been confronted with problems associated with linguistic and ethnic identity, with Soviet and contemporary Russia included. Language politics of the Russian state revolves around the way language and linguistic disparities amidst varying peoples are dealt with. Extant studies on the discourse of Russia since 1991, upon the collapse of the USSR, have espoused the link between the USSR and contemporary Russia, with little attention paid to the linguistic factors that constitute identity and cultural significance, as well as the language politics devised. This implies that language politics attempt at crafting a unique identity for the Russian state and this calls for holistic review. This study is, therefore, carried out to look into this very important aspect in order to better understand contemporary Russia’s relations within the global space. Historical methods enriched the study, while interpretive design was used. Secondary data were collected and subjected to historical analysis. The concerns addressed in this study stemmed from the idea of Soviet authoritarian expression. Language use in socio-cultural and socio-political spheres indicates identity construction. The creation of political ideology is an essential component of the complex indicators that determine the identity of the Russian state. The study unravelled the significance of language use in Russia’s relations. Russia’s world is preoccupied with language politics which showcases lines of allegiance, friendship and enmity. The linguistic relevance of “US,” that is, Russia and its allies, and “THEM” that are against Russia, becomes instrumental in better understanding the language politics of Soviet and contemporary Russia.
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