Abstract
This paper addresses the historical background of three Soviet-era tropes – loss of culture, loss of literacy, and loss of intergenerational and interethnic harmony – commonly used in the Russian media’s discussions of the Kazakh alphabet shift from Cyrillic to Latin. I seek to prove, here, that mainstream Russian publications still maintain a deeply Soviet worldview when discussing issues of language in the former Soviet republics, relying heavily on the notion that the USSR “gave” them a number of “gifts,” namely the culture, literacy, and harmony that they now perceive Kazakhstan to be losing. I will analyze each trope from both a historical and a literary perspective, beginning each sub-section by placing each trope in its Soviet linguistic context and proceeding to analyze its usage in contemporary mainstream Russian publications.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
