A Russian Neural Network Has Begun Learning the Crimean Tatar Language

A Digital Lifeline for Endangered Languages

Russia is increasingly using AI technologies to preserve linguistic and cultural heritage. According to Ruslan Yakubov, head of Crimea’s State Committee for Interethnic Relations, AI-based tools are being deployed to study and digitize the languages spoken by the peninsula’s Indigenous communities. He noted that the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs has already digitized more than 30 languages across Russia, and this approach is now being extended to Crimean languages.

Yakubov emphasized a broader shift toward full digital transformation: transitioning from printed dictionaries and textbooks to digital literature and automated linguistic tools. This shift opens the door to scalable preservation efforts that earlier required decades of manual academic work.

A Literary Approach to Training Neural Networks

To teach a neural network Crimean Tatar, developers will rely on parallel corpora consisting of phrases, expressions, and literary texts in both Russian and Crimean Tatar. The training process is expected to take about one year. Crucially, the goal is not a simple mechanical translation engine, but a system capable of conveying stylistic nuance—something Yakubov described as a “literary-quality approach.”

Yakubov noted that digitalization is becoming a decisive factor in safeguarding the languages of Crimean peoples, including small populations whose languages are at risk of disappearing.

A National Trend Toward Linguistic Digitalization

Earlier this year, Russia’s Yandex Translator announced upcoming support for several new minority languages: Abaza, Mansi, Nogai, and Chechen. Linguists estimate that more than one-third of Russia’s 155 languages face the threat of extinction. AI-powered tools may become essential to preserving this cultural diversity and ensuring continued linguistic transmission for future generations.