Интернет и миноритарные языки России: символическое присутствие или инструмент ревитализации? (на примере бурятского языка)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to assess the nature of the presence of Russian minority languages (primarily of the Buryat language) on the Internet: is this presence symbolic or is it a real instrument for revitalization? The author considers the main publications on this issue, briefly characterizes the current situation with the Buryat language and analyzes the nature of the presence and the functioning of the Buryat language on the Internet in comparison with other minority languages of the Russian Federation. The material is constituted by the statistical data of the Higher School of Economics’ project on Russian minority languages and online resources on the Buryat language (websites, social network VKontakte, video hosting site YouTube and Instagram application). As a result of the comparative analysis, the conclusion is made about the moderate language activism of the Buryats on the Internet and the mixed language code and translingual practices that have now become the norm for minority language speakers both on the Internet and beyond. The author also notes the emergence of new actors and the effect of globalization which is visible in the fact that most Internet projects are initiated by young people driven by the need for identity in a globalized world. Finally, the author concludes that the presence of the Buryat language (and of many other minority languages in Russia) on the Internet is mainly symbolic and that there is a great variability in the degree of Internet activism of their speakers. As a result, it can be argued that the Internet does not create a new reality, it only reflects the current linguistic situation with minority languages in Russia.