SUMMARY:

This essay is a contribution to the continuing forum “The Prospect of Studying World Russian Languages, Literatures, and Histories.” As a native speaker of the Izhem-Komi dialect and drawing on his recent life experience in Quebec, Nikolay Vokuev argues against the obsession with linguistic purity. He suggests that rigid standards of “clean” speech function as tools of colonial dominance and social exclusion. Vokuev proposes a shift toward viewing language as a “commons” – a shared resource enriched by hybridity and “xenophony.” He advocates for the pluralization of Russian languages to resist the static, dead norms imposed by the center. Vokuev concludes that embracing “dirty” language and peripheral dialects is essential for cultural dynamism and political decolonization, ensuring that Russian language remains a living tool belonging to a multitude of diverse voices.