INFLUENCE OF IDEOLOGY IN THE LINGUISTIC POLICY OF THE SOVIET-UNION

In this article a historical overview of the linguistic policy of the Soviet Union is given. Attention is paid to the ideological goals influencing linguistic policy, their realisation and the results. Though the linguistic policy of the USSR is an implicit phenomenon, 3 main periods may be observed, differing in the methods used for achieving ideological goals. These were preceded by an indistinct period without a unified complex of means, due to the struggle for power in the leadership of the USSR. The first period during the Stalin regime may be characterised by urgent and violent measures taken to bring Communist ideals to life by eliminating whole ethnic groups according to the class-based approach. During the second period—post- Stalinism—less violence was used, while the main emphasis was laid on rebuilding human nature and eliminating signs of ethnic origin. A special type of education was worked out called international education; for extreme cases psychiatric hospitals and prisons were used. This period, now called ‘stagnation’, was mainly connected with the name of Brezhnev. The third period began when Gorbachev came to power. To get out of the impasse ‘perestroika’ was introduced. Nevertheless, the ideal of the USSR, the Communist empire, was maintained, though Glasnost was allowed. © 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.