Latinisation in the Soviet Union: Meanings, Finalities, Actions

Abstract

The paper presents the attempts of Soviet Bolsheviks, who, after the Great October Socialist Revolution, intended to replace the Russian writing and printing system with the Latin alphabet, unique for all peoples of the Soviet Union. In the vision of its promoters, this represented the first stage in the process of creating an international alphabet, with the purpose of securing the triumph of the
world proletarian revolution. During the 1920s and 1930s, philologists and political leaders defended or opposed Latinisation, seen by its supporters of a strong weapon and by its contesters as a Trojan horse for the stability of the Soviet Union. The final decision belonged to Stalin, who rejected Latinisation and “saved” the Cyrillic script.