Kuruch Rimma

About

Rimma Dmitrievna Kuruch (1938–2019) was a renowned Russian linguist and educator, specializing in the Saami languages, particularly the Kildin dialect. After graduating from the Bălți State Pedagogical Institute in 1961 with degrees in Russian language, literature, and English, she initially worked as a teacher in rural schools in Moldova. In 1967, she defended her candidate dissertation at the Institute of National Schools of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, and from 1968 to 1975, she held the position of docent at Chernivtsi State University. Her scientific career culminated after her move to Murmansk in 1975, where she became the head of an author group dedicated to the development of bilingual Saami education. Her major achievements in language planning were substantial and lasting. Under her leadership, the author group developed the Kildin-Saami alphabet (1982–1987), compiled the rules of Saami orthography and punctuation, and developed a comprehensive educational complex for primary Saami schools. Her most notable contribution was her participation as editor and co-author in the creation of the world's first Saami-Russian dictionary (1985), which contained 8,000 words, 400 proverbs and sayings, as well as extensive reference materials. This work became the foundation for the Kildin-Saami orthographic standard used to this day. Beyond her scientific work, Kuruch was actively involved in promoting and protecting Saami cultural heritage. She served as vice-chair of the Kola Saami Association from 1989 and participated in various civil and political organizations in Murmansk, including leading the regional branch of the Russian Party of Pensioners. In 2010, she was awarded the Medal "For Loyalty to the North" by the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, recognizing her outstanding contribution to the preservation and revitalization of the Kildin Saami language and mother-tongue education for the Saami people.