Arefiev A.L. Cyrillic alphabet in geo-linguistic space. Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2022. Vol. 92. No. 3. Pp. 238-245.

Abstract

The article, which is of a debatable nature, analyzes the positions of the Cyrillic alphabet in the modern world and in historical retrospect. The reasons and consequences of abandoning the Cyrillic alphabet in a number of countries are considered. The calculations of the number of Cyrillic alphabet users since the beginning of the twentieth century and the forecast of changes in their number in the coming years are given. There is a steady decrease in the proportion of the inhabitants of the Earth using the Cyrillic alphabet, in comparison with the number of users of other alphabets (Latin alphabet, variants of Indian letters, hieroglyphs, Arabic). Estimates of the functioning of world languages and alphabets in 2020, including on the Internet, are given. It is noted that the position of the Cyrillic alphabet in the world is affected by the decrease in the number of people who speak Russian. Some suggestions are made to support the Cyrillic alphabet and increase its role in civilizational processes.