Attempt to Eliminate Cyrillic Writing in the USSR in 1920s - 1930s: Politics and Practice

Abstract

The idea of ‘the desirability of introducing a Latin writing for all nationalities inhabiting the territory of the Republic’ arose in the power circles of the RSFSR back in 1919. The target for ‘Latinizers’ were, among others, the Cyrillic alphabets used in the country. The intentions of the ‘Latinizers’ were based on the general attitudes of the ‘hyperinternationalist’ policy of the first decade of Soviet power. At the same time, the argument for why the Cyrillic alphabet should be changed to the Latin alphabet was weak. The practice of Latinization of the written language of different peoples had similar and special features. Despite the statements of the ‘Latinizers’ about the ‘universal support’ for Latinization, resistance to this initiative was revealed among the public and even government structures. The main and decisive factor of resistance was the harsh negative reaction of the USSR leadership to the activities of Romanization of the Russian alphabet. Despite all the efforts of the ‘Latinizers’, many peoples who used the Cyrillic alphabet did not switch to the Latin alphabet. The refusal to latinize the Russian alphabet became a ‘trigger’ for the abolition of Latinization on an all-Union scale.