Revitalization of the Karelian literary language

The history of the Karelian written language formation is rather complicated and contradictory. In the 1930s, attempts were made to create such language, but due to a number of extralinguistic factors, this work was interrupted for almost half a century. Only the late 1980s saw new opportunities for creating the Karelian written language on the basis of Latin graphics. Particular attention was paid to the processes of the Karelian language revitalization, creation of new terminology, and its introduction into social practice. Experts of the Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences were actively involved in the language construction process. They created ABC books, grammar guides, textbooks, and dictionaries of the Karelian languages which acquired their written form only in the 20th century. This article reflects the most important stages and results of the revitalization process from the late 1980s to the present day.