The Efforts of USSR in Forcing Russian Language in Azerbaijan

In the first quarter of the XX.th century Azerbaijan was a messenger of important policies to be implemented in terms of language and nationalization of the distribution of the Tsarist regime and the establishment of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan. However, on April 26, 1920, the Red Army entered Baku, and the Republics of the Soviet Union was established in Azerbaijan which ruled for 71 years. Since 1828, Russification policies carried out by Tsarist Russia in Azerbaijan, one of the 15 states joined to Russia under the name of USSR, have been continued. In the early years of the establishment of the USSR, it was promised to give sovereign freedom to nations and languages, and the legal equality of the languages was mentioned. However, with the implementations made in the following years, it has been seen that all this was only an empty promise. In the official period of the USSR, no formal documentaries and correspondences mention Russian language as a state language. But with soft power politics, it has become a necessity in the life of Russian people without using force. Although not official, Russian has actually become the official language. This article covers the policies and methods applied on the language during the period of the USSR