The Graphic Basis of the Mongolian World: Language Policy and the Current Situation of Mongolian Vertical Writing

The article is a brief excursion into the history of the Mongolian vertical script (Mongol bichig, or Mongolian Uyghur – the Uyghur alphabet adapted to the Mongolian language in the 13th century), which passed through a number of attempts of reforming and adaptation to the spoken languages of peoples in different historical periods, but has survived to this day as a relevant communicative means, a universal method of communication between the Mongolian peoples and an element of national culture. The processes of translation of the languages of the Mongolian peoples into the Latin alphabet and Cyrillic alphabet, occurring in the 1920s–1940s in the USSR and the Mongolian People’s Republic, are touched upon. The problems of restoration of traditional vertical writing as the official graphic basis, as well as its revival in the art of calligraphy, the popularity of which has increased sharply in recent years are also considered. A review of modern language situations in the main regions of traditional Mongolian writing distribution – Russia, Mongolia, Inner Mongolia of China – shows that the ancient written tradition has not died out and, adapting to various conditions and realities of language policies pursued in the interests of states, is successfully taking on new forms , having a positive impact on the preservation and development of national languages today.