журнал Диаспоры2003

Издание осуществлено Еврейским университетом в Москве при поддержке Российского еврейского конгресса

The Russian Language in Independent Kirghizia

Abdykadyr Orusbayev

The article looks at the long history of the Russian language usage on the territory of modern Kirghizia beginning in the middle of the 19th century when the Kirghiz established regular trade contacts with the then Russian Empire. Status of the Russian in the pre Soviet and Soviet time as well as official language and educational policies are described by the author. The main focus is upon the changes in these spheres and their consequences for both the local Russian speaking community and the other ethno social groups whose cultural and educational demands were, and still are, satisfied predominantly by the Russian language. A special attention is paid to the recent le gislation shifts granting to the Russian a status of the official language on the constitutional level.

Ethno National Diasporas in Politics

Gabriel Sheffer

Contrary to various predictions, ethno national diasporas have neither disappeared nor marginalized. Rather, these entities proliferated and became more viable, visible and vigorous. These processes have led to an increased interest in diasporism and diasporas. Despite the recent, noteworthy interest in and expansion of the study of ethno national diasporic communities, this field is still in early stages of development, and therefore there are noticeable lacunae in the study of diasporism. In particular, the politics of diasporas have been understudied. Thus, for example, a significant issue that has not been adequately explored is that of the elaborate political networks that such ethnic groups create, and that transcend the territorial boundaries of their host countries and homelands. Other subjects that need further elaboration are the authority and loyalty patterns in diaspora behavior. Dealing with these and other closely related issues, the present programatic article considers definitional, analytical, comparative and theoretical questions pertaining to the nature of present day ethno national diasporas and the various political functions and roles that these entities perform and fulfil.