The Valuev Circular: Ban on the Language and Schools (1862–1869)
A state campaign to destroy the Ukrainian language and culture: in 1862 the authorities closed the Sunday schools that taught in Ukrainian - "for the alleged presence of revolutionary propaganda"[1], the ban on the national press, the official denial of the language's existence – the Valuev circular: "there was not, is not, and cannot be any distinct Little Russian language"[2] – and bonuses to officials "in the ten South-Western governorates for persons of Russian origin, excluding, however, local natives," fixed by the decrees of 1869 and 1886[3].
Actors
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| G0009 | Russian Empire | 5 |
Instruments Applied
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| S0008 | Government | 5 |
Procedures Carried Out
The liquidation of education in the native language: in 1859–1862 the intelligentsia and students founded 111 Sunday schools in Ukraine to teach adults literacy, with instruction conducted in Ukrainian; in 1862 the authorities closed these schools "for the alleged presence of revolutionary propaganda"[1].
The closure of the national press: the Ukrainian socio-political and literary journal "Osnova" (St. Petersburg, January 1861 - October 1862) came to an end: the plans to reorganize the publication were thwarted by the minister of internal affairs Valuev, who refused to sanction its publication under a renewed program[1].
Valuev's secret circular to the censorship committees (18 July 1863), which halted printing in the native language: "the clearance of books in the Little Russian language, whether of religious content, educational, or generally intended for the people's elementary reading, is to be suspended"[2].
The official refusal to recognize the language and identity – the formula of Valuev's circular (1863): "there was not, is not, and cannot be any distinct Little Russian language, and their dialect, used by the common folk, is the same Russian language, only spoiled by Poland's influence upon it"[2].
The introduction of bonuses for the policy of denationalization: by decrees of the tsarist administration of 1869 and 1886, officials "in the ten South-Western governorates - persons of Russian origin, excluding, however, local natives" - were assigned bonuses for successes in the Russification of Ukraine[3] - part of the authorities' systematic plans to strengthen the "Russian assimilatory potential" of the Western krai after the Polish uprising of 1863, which included material benefits for Russian officials and teachers[4].