Language of the Empire, Languages of the Empire : The Formation and Institutionalization of the Ilminsky System, 1860-1917

Key Points

• This research investigates the formation and institutionalization of the Ilminsky educational system from the perspective of language ideology and cultural politics.
• Historical analysis of the Ilminsky system from 1860 to 1917
• Examination of educational reforms in the Volga-Ural region
• Review of religious and nationalist discourses during the period
• Evaluation of institutional developments, including the Kazan Central School and translation committees.
• The Ilminsky system emerged as a solution to the crisis of Islamic 'assimilation' among the Kryashen Tatars.
• It promoted mother-tongue education and missionary activities instead of Russian-language imposition.
• The creation of a transliteration system facilitated the standardization of ethnic languages.
• The system paradoxically triggered the literacy and cultural development of multiple ethnic groups, countering imperial integration efforts.