U.S. English Foundation Research
KYRGYZSTAN
Language Research
6. Language in everyday life: The use of language in everyday life, e.g. education, broadcasting, and other
The improvement of the status of Russians in Kyrgyzstan, as well as difficult economic conditions in Russia, has caused a significant decline of emigration, with some ethnic Russians returning to the country.
University education is carried out largely in the Russian language. Kyrgyz instruction is possible in some departments, where textbooks are available. Russian language fluency remains an important skill for those who wish to pursue higher education.
In order to promote the development of the Slavic ethnic groups and safeguard their culture, language and traditions, a Kyrgyz-Russian (Slavic) University has been established.
Updated (April 2004)
BROADCASTING AND MINORITIES
The State Television and Radio Broadcasting Corporation (KRT) is the biggest television and radio broadcasting company. On its television channel 60/70 percent of broadcasting is in Kyrgyz and 30/40 percent in the Russian language (17 hours a day). There are also programs in the Dungan and Uigur languages.
The ratio of Kyrgyz to Russian-language programs on the state radio is the same as on the state television. There are two radio channels: the first channel broadcasting 17 hours a day also programs in the Uigur, Dungan and Ukrainian language, and news in German and the second channel (Radio of the 21st Century) broadcasting 16 hours a day.
Monthly Dungan language programs on the state television channel have a long tradition in Kyrgyzstan. Since 2001, a 30-minute program has been aired twice a month in Russian and Dungan. A 50-minute program in Dungan has been broadcast on the first channel of the state radio every week for more than 40 years. The same radio channel also broadcasts a weekly 60-minute program in the Uigur language. Soros Fund gave a grant to a Polish cultural enlightening association “Odrodzenie” and the KRT to produce a 20-minute weekly radio program.
Since January 1998, the Ukrainian national cultural society “Bereginya” has been broadcasting in the Ukrainian language. In the period between December 2000 and December 2001, 12 programs were broadcast in Kyrgyz, 13 in Russian and 32 in Ukrainian (each program lasted 30 minutes).
In the north (Chuisk Region), the population can watch the Kazakh television channel “Khabar”. The programs of the Uzbek television channel “Akhborot” are also available. “Manas” FM radio, which broadcasts in Turkish, has also been registered.
Most private televisions retransmit programs from Russian channels (from 16 to 21 hours of broadcasting a day). Their own broadcasting takes up only about 10 to 30 percent of the total broadcasting time (some do not have it at all). Because of this, private channels broadcast more in Russian than in Kyrgyz.1
In the south, fewer private television and radio companies are registered than in the north. A very limited circle of private television and radio companies broadcast in minority languages, except Russian. “Almaz” radio broadcasts daily several hours in Uzbek.
Source: Minority-language Related Broadcasting and Legislation in the OSCE, Program in Comparative Media Law and Policy (PCMLP), Center for Socio-Legal Studies, Wolfson College, Oxford University & Institute for Information Law (IViR) (http://www.ivir.nl/index-english.html), Universiteit van Amsterdam (Study commissioned by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities), April 2003, edited by T. McGonagle (IViR), B. Davis Noll & M. Price (PCMLP), http://www.ivir.nl/publications/mcgonagle/Minority-language%20broadcasting.pdf
1 For example, at the TV KOORT, up to 20 percent of broadcasting is in the Kyrgyz language and they also planned to broadcast a 5-minute newscast a day in Uzbek. At Pyramid TV, there is a daily 10-minute news program in Kyrgyz (3 percent of the total programming).
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