Языковой выбор и языковая идентичность в постсоветской Армении

Armenia is characterized by a strong national consciousness for which the Armenian language plays a major role. Nevertheless, Russian is also widely used in Armenia, with most speakers exhibiting bilingualism with Eastern Armenian and Russian to different extents. In our sociolinguistic study we investigate the role of Russian in Armenia and the factors that control the language choice between Armenian and Russian, answering the following key questions: 1. Do Armenians perceive Russian as a legitimate second language of Armenia, or exclusively as the language of Russia? [Language of Russia.] 2. Which identities are constructed by the choice of Russian in Armenia (staged and perceived identity)? [Russia-related identities.] 3. Are there tendencies to maintain or further develop Armenian-Russian bilingualism in Armenia? [Yes.]