In mid-June. Bill No. 468229-8 was approved and signed into law. This bill, known as the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language,introduces amendments to a number of federal laws concerning the use of the Russian language. At first glance, the amendments appear neutral. Indeed, the bill even declares: “The Russian Federation guarantees the preservation of the cultural identity of all peoples and ethnic communities of the Russian Federation, as well as ethnocultural and linguistic diversity.
But the reality looks very different. A closer examination of the long-term linguistic consequences reveals that these amendments pose a direct threat to Finno-Ugric and other indigenous languages. But the reality looks very different.
The first consequences are already visible. Small business owners in the Republic of Karelia are facing new financial burdens. Starting March 1, 2026, when the amendments to the law On the Protection of Consumer Rights come into force, it will no longer be legal for businesses to display information solely in a non-russian language. Shops that choose to use Karelian or another non-russian name will be forced to add an additional sign with the equivalent russian name. This means new costs for small businesses, and another step towards erasing minority languages from the public space.
Yet the financial costs are only the surface of the problem. The broader long-term consequences are far more serious. By mandating that russain must appear in every piece of consumer-facing information, the legislation reinforces the dominance of a language that already holds overwhelming power. Indigenous languages, by contrast, are relegated to a secondary, almost decorative position – if they are included at all.
This imbalance shapes social attitudes. Over time, communities come to see their own languages as unnecessary, impractical, even inferior. Children grow up surrounded by the constant, visible presence of Russian – in schools, in media, in every shop window – while the space for Finno-Ugric languages shrinks. Subconsciously, the message is clear: russian is modern and useful, while Finno-Ugric languages are “optional” at best. The result is a gradual shift in preference towards russian, accelerating assimilation and undermining cultural identity.
These developments build on earlier measures that have already weakened indigenous languages. The 2018 education reforms drastically reduced instruction in native languages. What once provided several hours a week of lessons in speaking, literacy, folklore, and cultural knowledge has now become optional. Many parents, under subtle pressure, prioritized Russian. In some schools, native language instruction was eliminated altogether. The effect has been a sharp decline in fluency and literacy among younger generations.
Taken together, there policies exact a deep social and psychological toll. They create a symbolic hierarchy: russian is “official”, “serious”, and “necessary” while Finno-Ugric languages are pushed into the margins for folklore, ceremonies, or family traditions. The message to children is unmistakable: your language, your heritage, is of lesser value.
The consequences extend beyond language. Each Finno-Ugric language encodes unique concepts, idioms, and worldviews. When these are stripped of functional relevance in education, media, and public life, they risk being reduced to cultural ornaments rather than living tools of thought and identity. Families may stop transmitting the language to their children. Communities may abandon it in daily life. Within a generation or two, entire cultural worlds may be lost.
The likely outcome is clear: Finno-Ugric languages will survive only in symbolic contexts, while Russian dominates all spheres of administration, education, and professional life. Literacy in native languages will decline further. Oral traditions, fold knowledge, and conceptual frameworks unique to our communities will fade irretrievably.
This is not an abstract concern. It is a lived reality for children in the Finno-Ugric territories of the Russian Federation, who are already growing up in environments where their ancestral languages are invisible or devalued. Such marginalization creates feelings of cultural inferiority and alienation. The erosion of language is inseparable from the erosion of dignity, belonging and self-determination.
In conclusion, the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language, combined with earlier reforms, threatens the survival of Finno-Ugric languages as living, functional systems of communication. By mandating russian in every sphere: consumer information, education, administration, while reducing opportunities for indigenous languages, the legislation diminishes their practical use and devalues their symbolic importance. It risks transforming Finno-Ugric languages into museum artifacts rather than vibrant tools of thought, identity, and continuity.
Even if this law does not explicitly violate binding domestic obligations, it undermines the spirit of both Russian law and international commitments – including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Article 27 on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee linguistic and cultural rights. The amendments marginalize the endanger native languages, contradicting the Russian Federation’s stated obligations to protect the rights of indigenous peoples.
In mid-June, Bill No. 468229-8, known as the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language, was approved and signed into law. It amends a number of federal laws regulating the use of the Russian language. At first glance, the amendments seem neutral. Moreover, the text of the law explicitly states: «The Russian Federation guarantees the preservation of the cultural identity of all peoples and ethniccommunities of the Russian Federation, as well as ethno-cultural and linguistic diversity The reality, however, turns out to be different. A closer look reveals that these changes pose a direct threat to the FinnoU Mountain and other indigenous languages. The reality is different.
The first effects are already visible. Small entrepreneurs in the Republic of Karelia have faced additional financial costs. From March 1, 2026, when amendments to the law «On Protection of Consumer Rights» come into force, it will become illegal to post consumer information exclusively in non-Russian. Store owners who use Karelian or other foreign-language names will be required to install additional signage with an equivalent name in Russian. This means new costs for small businesses, and another step towards pushing the languages of indigenous peoples out of public space.
But the financial costs are not the only issue. The long-term consequences are much more serious. Mandatory use of Russian in all consumer information reinforces the dominance of a language that already has an overwhelming advantage. The indigenous languages are relegated to secondary, decorative positions, if they are present at all.
This inequality shapes social attitudes. Over time, speakers come to see their own language as unnecessary, impractical, less valuable. Children grow up in an environment where Russian is visible everywhere: in schools, in the media, on every signboard, while the space for Finno-U mountain languages is narrowing. Subconsciously the idea is fixed: Russian language is modern and necessary, and Finno-Ugric languages — «option». The resultwill be a gradual shift to Russian, accelerating assimilation and destroying cultural identity.
These processes are reinforced by the measures of the past years. The 2018 education reforms significantly limited the teaching of nativeindigenous languages. Whereas children used to have several hours a week of mother tongue classes, learning has now become optional. Many parents, under overt or covert pressure, prefer to choose only Russian. In a number of schools the teaching of Finno-U Mountain languages has been completely stopped. As a result, literacy and proficiency in native languages among young people has fallen sharply.
Cumulatively, such measures cause serious social and psychological damage. They create a symbolic hierarchy: Russian, is «official», «serious» and «necessary» language, and Finno-U mountain languages fall by the wayside, only for folklore, rituals, or family traditions. The message to children is clear: your language and your culture have less value.
The implications go far beyond the linguistic sphere. Each FinnoUgorian language reflects unique concepts, idioms and ways of perceiving the world. When they are removed from education, media and public communication, they become symbolic paraphernalia rather than living tools of thought and identity. Families stop passing the language on to their children, and communities abandon it in the home. In one or two generations, entire cultural worlds may disappear. .
The prospects are clear: FinnoU mountain languages risk remaining only in symbolic contexts — at festivals, rituals or in individual villages, — while Russian will finally take hold in all spheres of government, education and professional activity. Literacy rates in native languages will continue to fall. Oral traditions, folk knowledge and worldviews of these communities may be irretrievably lost.
This is not an abstract threat. It is a reality for children in the Finno-Ugric regions of the Russian Federation who are growing up in an environment where their mother tongues are devalued and invisible. This displacement creates a sense of cultural inferiority and alienation. The loss of language here is inextricably linked to the loss of dignity, self-determination and a sense of belonging. .
Hence, the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language in combination with previous reforms poses a serious threat to the existence of FinnoUgorian languages as living and functional means of communication. The compulsory universal use of Russian in education, administration and consumer information, in parallel with a significant reduction in the teaching of native languages, deprives them of both their practical value and symbolic significance. This threatens to turn the FinnoU mountain languages into a museum piece rather than a full-fledged instrument of thinking, identity and continuity. F.
Even if this law does not directly violate mandatory domestic legislation, it contradicts the spirit of both Russian laws and international norms, including the United Nations Declaration on the PRights of KEndangered NPeople and Carticle 27 of the International PAct on GCivil and PPPPolitical PRavages. The amendments effectively marginalize and endanger indigenous languages, which is at odds with the Russian Federation's stated obligations to protect them. [ru]