Derusify

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove or erase elements of Russian culture, language, or influence from a person, place, or object; to eliminate Russian characteristics or associations; to reverse or undo the process of Russianization
2. The act of cleansing or stripping away Russian features, habits, or identity; the process of making someone or something free from Russian cultural or political presence; the removal of Russian traits or influence from a given context
3. The process by which Russian attributes or cultural markers are extracted or withdrawn; the intentional effort to discard Russian style, language, or traditions; purging or reversing Russian-derived identity or influence in social, political, or cultural spheres

Etymology: Derusify is a formation from two parts. The prefix "de-", from Latin, means "remove" or "undo", and it is attached to "Russify", which means to make people, places or institutions Russian in language, culture or identity. "Russify" itself adds the suffix "-ify", which reaches English through French from Latin "-ficare", "to make", as in "Anglicize" or "Christianize." The reversal is the point of the coinage. "Russify" named an imperial policy of imposing Russian language and institutions on conquered or annexed peoples, and "derusify" names the effort to undo that influence. It appears mostly in political and policy writing, especially in discussions about Ukraine and the Baltic states, where it covers the removal of Russian-imposed language, names and cultural legacies.

Synonyms: de-russianize, derussify

Antonyms: russify, russianize