Congressus XI Internationalis Fenno-Ugristarum III. [antikvár]

Symposium 1. Cypanov, Evgenij: The development and cultivation of literary languages in view of approaching globalisation / PasBHTHe h KyjibTHBauHH jiHTepaxypHbix nabiKOB b ycjioBHHX na^Bara-louieHcn rjio6ajiH3ai;HH Jââts, Indrek Tartu "LITTLE DEEDS" FOR HIS PEOPLE: GEORGIJ LYTKIN (1835-1907) WORKING FOR EMANCIPATION OF THE KOMI LANGUAGE The Komi (Zyrians) of 19'h century were a classic example what educated people of that time regarded as 'peasant people without history'. A great part of the Komi had russified already and educated Russians shared the belief that all the rest will switch to Russian soon. Central government's nationalities policy departed from this conception -all the factors counteracting to russification of the Komi should be eliminated at the very beginning. Russian dominated the public sphere in Komi area. Religious services were held in Church Slavonic. Rather limited translations of church literature were the only tolerated form of Komi printed word. Secular literary texts in Komi were regarded as useless or even harmful by the authorities. Georgij Lytkin was a Zyrian patriot, one of the first who started to work systematically for the emancipation of the Komi language. Lytkin started his activity in 1850s as a student of St. Petersburg University. He wrote some poems with great potential of national revival, but they remained unpublished. He realized that one had to use other ways to develop his mother tongue as modem literary language. He started to translate orthodox religious literature into Komi in 1870s as it was practically the only legal channel for publishing in Komi. He tried to outsmart Tsarist nationalities politics by introducing himself as a successor of Stephen of Perm's missionary work in Komi, and as a collaborator of famous Russian lay missionary Nikolai Il'minskii. As a purist, he was in opposition with the prevailing tradition of translation using lot of Russian loans. Lytkin managed to publish several books and booklets, in which he developed Komi literary language free of Russian influences, but had difficulties in spreading them because the authorities didn't support him in his effort. Nevertheless, Lytkin's ideas met response among the next generation of Zyrian intellectuals and had long-term impact on the evolution of Komi literary language.