The role of pop music and other phenomena of modern culture in the preservation of Komi language

Abstract

The article examines the influence of pop music and other phenomena of mass culture on the preservation of Komi language in the Komi Republic, Russia in the last decade. For the majority of young people, Komi language is not prestigious; it is insufficiently represented in publishing, television and radio broadcasting, cinematography, showbusiness, virtual space, etc. These "elements of progress" (Bazhenova 2004) personify for the youth progress and prestige and should be Komified. Today it is necessary to introduce the application of Komi language more actively in the sphere of modern technologies as one of the "elements of progress". The Komi need to stop viewing their culture and language as second-rate, underdeveloped in relation to Russian culture and language. The article also discusses the activities targeted at expanding the spheres of use of the Komi language, the state support to the modern Komi culture, the influence of the phenomena of modern culture on the prestige of the Komi language, and other issues.