Factors of Russianization in Siberia and linguo-ecological strategies

While it is well known that most of the indigenous populations of Siberia are rapidly declining under the impact of Russian linguistic and cultural influence, the mechanism underlying this development has not been studied in detai1. In order to stop the on-going decline it is necessary to recognize the relationships that exist between the functional spheres of the indigenous languages and the social conditions of their speakers. 1. SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL PROLEGOMENA The continuous decline of minority languages in the North of the Russian Federation, and the dynamics of this process, result from the cumulative ･ action of two main factprs. The first one consists in the active penetrative influence of the Russian language, determined by the inj7ux ofRussian-speaking newcomens (now forming the majority of population in most administrative territories of the North) and the exposure to modern educational networks and mass media (which employ, exclusively or overwhelmingly, the Russian language). The second factor lies in the destruction of the traditional "ecological niches " of the minority languages due t