Local Language Planners in the Context of Early Soviet Language Policy : The Case of Mariupol Greeks
Journal: Revue des études slaves
Year: 2017

The Early Soviet policy was oriented to promote minority languages’ use in education, publishing, and local administration ; then in the end of the 1930s there was a shift toward Russification. Mariupol, or Azov Greeks, were moved from Crimea to Azov Sea region in the late 18th century. Linguistically they can be divided into two groups : Turkish-speaking (Urumy) and Greek-speaking (Rumei). Both groups were classified as Greeks by the Soviet official nomenclature, however their native languages