Dynamics of linguistic identity of the Bashkir population: from Soviet language policy to modernity

the article presents a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the linguistic identity of the Bashkir population from the Soviet period to the present day. The main aim of the study is to identify the key stages in the evolution of language attitudes and to determine the role of institutional, family-based, and digital factors in shaping ethnolinguistic identity. The research objectives included the analysis of statistical and legal data, assessment of youth motivations for studying the Bashkir language, and evaluation of the dynamics of its functioning in educational and domestic settings. The empirical base consists of data from the 2010 and 2021 Russian population censuses and the results of an authorial sociological survey conducted in 2023 in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The methodological framework combines approaches from ethnosociology, historical ethnology, and sociolinguistics. The study reveals a stable trend toward the symbolic use of the Bashkir language, a growing emotional loyalty, and a simultaneous decline in its everyday use. The author argues for a shift in language policy from formal regulation toward the promotion of emotional, digital, and creative engagement. The findings can be applied in the development of regional programs for language preservation, youth education strategies, and intercultural communication practices.

Bashkirs, linguistic identity, bilingualism, native languages, language shift, youth, digital culture, language policy