Linguistic Policies and Economic Development in Russia: A Historical Perspective

The history of Russia’s linguistic policies over the centuries has been closely linked to the country’s economic development. Languages and their use have been influenced by various processes, such as the formation and disintegration of a common national market, expansion and restriction of external trade, consolidation and fragmentation of political and economic elites, etc. On the other hand, linguistic policies have played an important role as a tool for the state’s political and economic strategies. To a significant extent, the emergence of the modern Russian language itself can be seen as a result of a deliberate state policy that reflects the authorities’ understanding of the importance of language in governing the country and economy. This chapter explores the historical path of Russia’s linguistic policies, from the late medieval Moscow State to the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and finally the modern-day Russian Federation; it also describes the responses of national and local actors to these policies in the context of Russia’s economic and political history. The apparent and/or potential economic rationale behind the state linguistic policies and these policies’ socio-economic consequences are discussed.