International Dictation in the Bashkir Language

On April 20, people from all over the world had the chance to take part in the international event “International Dictation in the Bashkir Language – 2023.” The event was held under the motto “Language: The Spiritual Heritage of the People.” Anyone, regardless of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, socioeconomic status, place of residence, religion, beliefs, or affiliation with social organizations, could participate in the event.

Participants could choose their proficiency level in the language for the dictation:

• “Beginner” level for participants with a basic command of the Bashkir language;
• “Advanced” level for participants who were fluent in the Bashkir language;
• “Northwestern dialect of the Bashkir language” for participants writing in the northwestern dialect of the Bashkir language.

At the House of Friendship in Leningrad Oblast, the dictation was conducted at the “Beginner” level, targeting those who speak the Bashkir language but do not write it. The dictation was administered by Gulnaz Ibragimova, the chairperson of the Regional Public Organization for the Support and Unity of Citizens in the Development of Bashkir Creative and Intellectual Heritage, known as the “Congress (Kurultay).” She explained, “Since this year is dedicated to the Year of Teacher and Mentor for us, an excerpt from an article about a teacher was chosen for the dictation.”

All participants received corresponding certificates upon completing and checking the dictation.

The Bashkir language is a Turkic language belonging to the kipchak branch. It is spoken by approximately 1.4 million native speakers in Russia, as well as in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Estonia, and other neighboring post-Soviet countries. It consists of three dialectal groups: the southern, eastern, and northwestern dialects.