Municipal Toponymic Policy as a Tool for Translation of Regional Identity: a Case of Modern Kazan (Russia)

Abstract

Currently, the Russian cities are involved in the marketing of territories and competition for various types of resources. This aspect determines the relevance of issues related to building a strong image of the city, including its toponymic component. The category of regional identity is one of the significant tools for managing the image of a city. According to the author, it can be used in municipal toponymic policy to build a long-term strategy for toponymic designation. The author analyzes the current toponymic policy in the city of Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation, in terms of the manifestation of regional identity. The directions for the correction of the urban toponymicon in the post-Soviet era are considered. The dominant components of regional identity, explicated in the modern toponymy of Kazan, are revealed. The role of regulatory documents in the implementation of the municipal toponymic policy of the contemporary period is characterized.

Keywords

• urban toponyms
• municipal toponymic policy
• toponymic planning
• toponymic construction
• regional identity
• image of the city