The Instrumentalization of Language in Putin’s Russia

Abstract

Under Vladimir Putin, Russia has taken a sharp turn toward conservative values and an identity that is based on traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, as defined by the state. A consistent element in the state discourse regarding this values and morality-based identity is the call to protect and promote the Russian language. This paper demonstrates the ways in which language and language policy have been instrumentalized under Putin to pursue three separate, yet interconnected, priorities: to create a new Russian identity, to export Russian soft power, and to support domestic and foreign policy goals. This study briefly addresses the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in these efforts and seeks to situate language policy within Putin’s broader political strategy. As the Russian president continues in his attempts to consolidate power, language and language policy will continue to be important aspects of this strategy. Although attempts to purify and shape language are historically ultimately unsuccessful, there is reason to believe that the Russian state will continue to instrumentalize the Russian language and language policy to define a narrow version of the Russian identity—one that is used to justify continued repression of those who do not assimilate.