The Cross-Level Interaction of Language Policy Actors in Present-Day Karelia

Abstract

This article examines language policy in the Republic of Karelia as a complex interplay between topdown and bottom-up initiatives, focusing on the support of Karelian, Veps, and Finnish languages which, despite legislative guarantees, face low proficiency rates and prestige among the population. The study analyzes the role of education, language activism, and ethnic/cultural practices, emphasizing that the implementation of language policy often relies on the enthusiasm of local actors rather than on systemic measures, and that ethnic and cultural orientations of the policy tend to dominate over strictly linguistic ones. We note that the predominance of symbolic and targeted support for languages over their functional use by regional authorities does not hinder the work of language activists and formally sustains the educational infrastructure necessary for training language teachers. The motivations of the activists themselves at the micro-level are diverse and may not align with the dominant language ideologies within the community. The study shows that in Karelia, top-down and bottom-up initiatives do not operate in opposition but rather form a complementary relationship.