Endangered Finno-Ugric languages of Russian Federation by an example of Izhora language (an experience of field study)

A destiny of one of the smaller languages through the last century is described. The Izhora language remains a “clandestine” language for some hundreds of our fellow citizens. The article gives an analysis of two opposite tendencies: the dying out of the language because of assimilation of its native speakers, and its revival among young generation and cultural figures of the Finno-Ugric ethnos of the Russian Federation.