“Somali syntax” in USSR, RF and USA

Abstract

The book Somali Syntax by Alexander Zholkovsky was published by the Moscow publishing house “Science” in 1971. It was the time of the Cold War, when the political, diplomatic and military confrontation between the USSR and the USA, which had peaked during the Caribbean crisis of 1962, had still not shown any signs of decline. The Somali Republic, which gained independence in 1960, was already following the path of “scientific socialism” under General Mohammed Siyad Barre, who had come to power in a military coup in 1969. Relations between the USSR and Somalia in all areas, including military, expanded and became stronger. Thousands of Somalis came to study in the USSR, many of them became cadets at military academies and schools. Moscow Radio started broadcasting in the Somali language. It was in this era that A. Zholkovsky became a pioneer in the study of this language in the USSR. Here is what he said about it in an interview: