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RUSSIAN IN UZBEKISTAN: LANGUAGE PRACTICE AND SELF-IDENTIFICATION (ON THE EXAMPLE OF FIELD STUDIES IN FERGANA) // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2015. Issue 3 (9). P. 18-28

The article aims at questions of identity and language practice of Russian/Russian-speaking po pulation of Fergana. Ethno-cultural identity of the Russian population, which was formed in the prerevolutionary and Soviet periods, was based on the traditions established in Ferghana as a center of military-colonial administration of Ferghana region: a high level of education of the population, the presence of theatre, reading and wide dissemination of the Russian language in the city. These factors became the basis of “Oldferghan’s identity”, which was acutely aware of the population of Fergana in a difficult post-Soviet period during the active rural-urban migration to the city. During the period of sovereignty in the city, as well as in the country, has changed the status of the Russian language, closed the main industrial enterprises, which were occupied by Russian, decreased the scope of employment, which ultimately led to mass migration from Fergana. If in 1926 in Ferghana lived 55 % of Russian, then in 2013 the share of Russian is 3.4 %. “Oldferghan’s Russian” still strives to maintain the high standards of the former culture of Fergana and at the same time adapting to the new realities of the city. The results showed that the Russian master the national language or know it within the minimum necessary for the job. However, conformity to the language question does not mean full integration in the Russian socio-cultural environment of post-Soviet Ferghana. Adapting to Russian conditions of Fergana, losing Soviet status of cultural capital and cosmopolitan city, is more complicated. Between indigenous people and visitors of Fergana there is alienation associated with complete-ly different lifestyle.

Keywords: Russian-speaking population, titular, language practice, state language, identity