Межуровневое взаимодействие акторов языковой политики в современной Карелии

Этнографическое обозрение. 2026. № 1. С. 228–248.

Кузнецов Е. А., Ведениктов Д. В., Vitaly A.

This article examines language policy in the Republic of Karelia as a complex interplay between top-down and bottom-up initiatives. Focusing on the support of Karelian, Veps, and Finnish languages, which despite legislative guarantees face low proficiency rates and prestige among the population. The study analyzes the role of education, language activism, and ethnocultural practices, emphasizing that the implementation of language policy often relies on the enthusiasm of local actors rather than on systemic measures, and that ethnocultural orientations of the policy tend to dominate over strictly linguistic ones. It is noted that the predominance of symbolic and targeted support for languages over their functional use by regional authorities does not hinder the work of language activists and formally sustains the educational infrastructure necessary for training language teachers. The motivations of the activists themselves at the micro-level are diverse and may not align with the dominant language ideologies within the community. The study reveals that in Karelia, top-down and bottom-up initiatives don’t operate in opposition but rather form a complementary relationship.

Keywords: Karelia, Карелия, языковая политика, language policy, языковой активизм, language activism, governance of ethno-cultural diversity, управление этнокультурным многообразием

Publication based on the results of: Language, literature and culture in historical and social perspective (2025)