Komi Language and Writing Day officially celebrated in Republic of Komi

The Head of the Republic of Komi, Vladimir Uiba, signed the decree on the establishment of the Komi Language and Writing Day in the Republic of Komi on April 14.

The day is celebrated on the third Sunday of May. On this day, the Komi Literary Language Day has been officially celebrated since 1992. At the same time, members of the NGO “Komi Voityr” (Komi Nation) have regularly raised the question of the need to establish a Komi Language Day.

According to the decree, responsibility of the new holiday will be given to the Komi Ministry of National Policy. The new wording of the holiday is hoped to increase the attention of the authorities and the wider audience to the state of the Komi language and help increase its social significance. The day is also connected with the UN-initiated celebration of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.

According to the 2021 census, there are 143,156 Komi, of whom 127,089 live in the Republic of Komi. According to the census, 64% of Komi master their national language and 66% of Komi regard the Komi language as their mother tongue. In comparison to the 2010 census, the number of Komi living in the Russian Federation has decreased by 37%.