A Monument to Language

by Lauren Nemec

I read the other day that the Russians have erected a monument to their language in Belgorod. The monument depicts a large bible opened to a page with letters of the Russian alphabet, symbolizing the holiness of the language and its links to the Orthodox Church. You can read more about it here.

The monument to Russian language. Photo Credit: kp.ru

I must admit... I had never heard of a monument to a language before. But it turns out that the Russian monument isn't the first of its kind.

Though not the first, the Afrikaans Language Monument in Western Cape Province, South Africa is surely the most dramatic. It was built in 1975 to commemorate the anniversary of Afrikaans becoming an official language of South Africa. The first monument built in honor of the Afrikaans language was the Burgesdorp monument, erected in 1893 and depicting a woman pointing to a book she is holding.

The Afrikaans Language Monument symbolizes the impact of culture and language on
Afrikaans and South Africa. Photo Credit: about.com

The Monument of Martyrs in Bangladesh (also called the Shaheed Minar) commemorates the people who lost their lives during the Language Movement of 1952 in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Every year on the 21st of February, people gather to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the movement to make Bengali an official language of Pakistan and affirm the culture and identity of the Bengali people.

Shaheed Minar, or the Monument of Martyrs, is a significant aspect of Bengali culture.

Know of any others?