1. Case-study No. & Title:
192. Implementation of the Programme for the Socio-economic and Cultural Development and Revival of Russian Germans, city of Syktivkar, Republic of Komi, Russian Federation (henceforth ‘The Programme’).

The aim of the Programme is to reduce Russian German emigration from Russia to Germany by creating the conditions for the preservation of German language and culture in the Republic of Komi.

Keywords:

w	Strategy Building
w	Social development
w	Education
w	Info dissemination
w	Partnership
w	Interethnic relations

2. Author information
2.1 Author’s Name
Valery Stepanov

2.2 Institutional Affiliation and Contact:
Institute of ethnology and anthropology
Russian Academy of Sciences
Leninsky prospekt, 32-a
117334 Moscow
Russia

Tel./Fax (095) 938-0043
E-mail: stepanov@eawarn.tower.ras.ru

2.3 Date recorded:
01/10/2000

3. Good Practice Information Sheet
3.1 Local Level Good Practice:
The Programme mentioned in the title, financially supported by the Federal and Republican budget, has been functioning relatively well ever since 1993 in the city of Syktivkar (capital of the Republic of Komi, Russian Federation).

Within the Programme framework several initiatives have been supported and carried out such as the construction of a new compact settlement of Russian Germans, the establishment of German schools, support for religious German communities, and for mass media in the German language.

3.2 Location:
The city of Syktivkar (Republic of Komi, Russian Federation).

The city has a community of about 4000 ethnic Germans out of the 12,000 residing in the Republic of Komi.

The local branch of the association ‘Wiеdеrgеburt’ (this is an association of Russian Germans active throughout the territory of the Russian Federation) works actively in the city, and also represents the communities residing in the neighbouring districts. The main goal of this organisation is ‘the revival of Russian Germans’ language and national culture’.

3.3 Minority/Target Groups:
Minority: Russian Germans. Target group: Russian German population of the city Syktivkar and of the nearest administrative districts.

3.4 Major Actors Involved:

w	Local Government
w	Ministry of the Republican-level Government
w	Media
w	Minority organisations
w	Private institutions or enterprises

N.B. Indirect involvement (financing) of authorities from a foreign country (Federal Republic of Germany)

The basic executors of the ‘Programme’ are:

w	Russian Germans’ association ‘Wiеdеrgеburt’
w	German national centre ‘Westphalia’
w	Ministry on Nationalities of the Republic of Komi, Ministry of Education and Secondary Schools of Republic of Komi, Ministry of Culture of Republic of Komi, the local authority of the city of Syktivkar.

3.5 Budget allocated by local government authorities and/or by other actors:
The total cost of the Programme so far has been financed with 75 per cent of the costs being met from the budget of Russian Federation and the budget of Republic of Komi.

3.6 Timeframe:
The decision to launch ‘The Programme’ was adopted on 25 February 1993 by decree N. 103 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Komi N103, as part of the implementation of a cooperation agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany

The decree established the Committee for ‘The development of economic and cultural cooperation with The Federal Republic of Germany’. The Committee included representatives of the Komi republican government, together with representatives of local associations of Russian Germans: O.P. Baimler (chairman of ‘Wiеdеrgеburt’) as vice chairman of the Committee, and E.G. Bartle (member of ‘Westphalia’) as secretary.

The Committee started preparatory work for the launch of the 'The Programme' to be submitted to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Komi. This preparatory work was actually carried out by 'Wiеdеrgеburt' in collaboration with Syktivkar local administration.

The Programme was then approved by Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and took effect on 20 April 1993 (Decree N. 52-14). The activities listed in the Programme started in the second half of 1993.

The Programme is still functioning it is expected to last at least until the year 2006.

3.7 Local level good practice relation to national level ethnic policy:
The development and implementation of the Programme in Republic of Komi are in accordance with the Russian Federation’s ethnic policy and related legislation.

The Programme represents a concrete application of the following Federal legislative acts:

1)	Law ‘On the Rehabilitation of the Repressed Peoples’* (26/04/1991);
2)	Law ‘On the Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repression’ (18/10/1991);
3)	President of Russian Federation decree ‘On Urgent Measures for the Rehabilitation of Russian (ethnic) Germans’ (N. 231, 21/02/1992);
4)	The federal laws on the federal budget of 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.

* Russian Germans were victims of Stalin’s deportations

The Programme also rests on several legislative acts of the Republic of Komi among which we mentioned the following two:

1)	The State Council of the Republic of Komi decree ‘On the Conception of State National (ethnic) Policy of the Republic of Komi’ (N. 1-7/27 10/10/1996);
2)	The law of the Republic of Komi ‘On National-Cultural Autonomy’ (N. 41-РЗ, 09/12/1996)

4. Good Practice Description
Brief background

Russian Germans were resettled in the Republic of Komi during the 1930s and after 1941 as a result of the Stalinist policy of repression and deportation of a number of nationalities considered disloyal.

In those years most of them became victim to the physical and moral destruction of the GULAG and labour camps. Until as recently as 1970 it was prohibited for them to return to their original places of settlement (Volga Region, Ukraine, Crimea) or to use their native language. In addition, their access to higher education was restricted as was access to other rights.

According to various research, as a result of these conditions, from 50 to 70 per cent of Russian Germans in the Republic of Komi lost the knowledge of German language and of their peculiar native culture.

In the 1960s Russian Germans started to emigrate from USSR as whole and from Komi to West Germany. This out-migration started to abate from the middle of 1990s. On the other hand, considering only the Republic of Komi, Russian Germans started to leave the northern areas of the republic and became concentrated in the city of Syktivkar

As a result of this migration trend within the republic, local authorities started to consider the possibility of helping to build compact settlements of Russian Germans (first of all in the old German settlement of Maksakovka), as well as to support the revival and re-creation of Russian Germans national language and culture.

The Programme for the Socio-Economic and Cultural Development and Revival of Russian Germans
Since 1993 when the Programme was adopted and launched, the following initiatives have been realised:

1)	Broadcasting of a daily German-language radio programme ‘Gutеn Аbеnd’. This Programme is jointly realised by the radio station ‘Komi Gor’ and ‘Wiеdеrgеburt’. The editorial work for the radio programme is carried out by ‘Wiеdеrgеburt’.
2)	German language courses for adults. A network of facilities and teachers for the teaching of these language course has been set up in Syktivkar (but also in other towns and districts of the Republic) which can accommodate 1,300 students yearly.
3)	Teaching of the German language for children at specialised schools in the city of Syktivkar. First to be established was the ‘Experimental German National School’, endowed with its own building and the necessary technical support (texts, computer, etc), as well as with a plan for the development of special educational programs and new training methods. The experimental school is expected to reach a capacity for training 900 students. Second, in March of 1997 in the city Syktivkar the kindergarten N.1 and the elementary school N. 42 were joined with the high school N. 21 to build a new teaching complex where the study of German language will be extended. Decree N. 4/903 April 1, 1999 of the city administration of Syktivkar allocated more resources for the development of the new complex created in 1997.
4)	A German language section added to Russian language newspaper 7 dney express. Russian Germans can now read the German Language section "Wiеdеrgеburt" daily included in the newspaper 7 dney ekspress.
5)	Construction of the German national centre "Westphalia. The construction is realised by financial means made available by "Wiеdеrgеburt".
6)	Construction of the German compact settlement Sloboda. Within the administrative jurisdiction of the city of Syktivkar in the district Maksakovka an area of 655 hectares was allocated for the establishment of the 1000 inhabitants. Currently all major infrastructures are being built (roads, water, gas, and power supply). The basic building construction has been financed and carried out by the city administration. The construction and financing of major infrastructures has been the taken care of by "Wiеdеrgеburt". The future inhabitants have carried out and paid for the internal development of individual flats. Finally the all project could also rely on the engineering design expertise and financial resources made available from the budget of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
7)	Support to religious community. A Lutheran religious community In is active in the city of Syktivkar. The city and district level administrations actively support various German church communities.
8)	Employment opportunities. About 430 new jobs for Russian Germans have been created as a result of the construction of small factories for the processing agricultural production and for the manufacturing of building materials.
9)	Children Summer Vacations in the Volga Region and in Germany. Summer programs are available for children to rest and study German language in the Volga Region (the place where the ancestors of today Russian Germans originally settled in the XVIII and XIX century) and in Germany.