Preservation of the Nenets Language in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug: Based on Sociological Survey

Abstract

The article presents the results of a sociological study conducted in 2022 in the city of Naryan-Mar, as well as in the villages of Nelmin Nos and Krasnoe of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Based on the results of interviews with specialists and experts in the field of the Nenets language, working in education and culture, as well as in the relevant executive authorities of the Okrug, conclusions about the preservation of the Nenets language in the region were made. Particular attention is paid to the respondents’ per-ceptions of such aspects of the language situation as the use of the Nenets language by different population groups in various spheres of life, intergenerational transmission, the presence of the language in public space and on the Internet, and the motivation of the population to learn and use the language. The study resulted in recommendations for the preservation of the Nenets language in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, taking into account the linguistic situation in the region, as well as Russian and foreign practices for the preservation of small languages. The following are proposed as priority areas of work: (1) organizing systematic work to preserve and improve the status of the Nenets language in the Okrug; (2) supporting workplaces, initiatives, organizations and individuals involved in the preservation of language and culture; (3) creating an attractive language environment, especially in the digital sphere (the Internet), with a focus on primary school children; (4) supporting communities, especially reindeer herding communities and agricultural production cooperatives, where the language is used and its intergenerational transmission is maintained.

Keywords

• nenets language
• language preservation and revitalization
• nenets autonomous okrug
• russian arctic
• indigenous peoples
• language vitality