Kazakhstan Replacing Cyrillic Alphabet with Latin One

One of the biggest challenges of traveling through the former Soviet Union is tying to decipher the Cyrillic alphabet. The unnerving thing is that it shares many letters with the Latin alphabet, yet they are pronounced very differently. Like a "B" having a "V" sound, for example. This makes it very challenging to find Lvov on a map when it is actually spelled "????." 

Surprisingly, the Cyrillic alphabet is actually quite easy to learn and can be done so on your plane ride over. 

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Time to learn Latin alphabet…

 02.08.2004 text: Elina Alkova, exclusively for Gazeta.kz

I am a little shocked. What, we'll have to re-learn whatever we have managed to learn with such pains? Linguists believe that any complaints about the changes in the language are not justified. This problem has a global meaning and giant - proportions for them. Firstly, it is fifteen years that there have been talks about it. Secondly, all civilised countries vote for the Latin script. Even Russia according to scientists, who are in correspondence with the leading intellects of all countries say that they will revise Russian and correct it taking into consideration the Latin script. But why?

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Kazakh President Revives Idea Of Switching To Latin Script

October 24, 2006 

Kazakh President Nazarbaev (file photo) (RFE/RL)

October 24, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev today suggested that discussions resume on the expediency of adopting the Latin script for the Kazakh language.

Addressing a meeting of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan, an advisory presidential body, Nazarbaev said a number of former Soviet republics had already switched to the Latin script from the Cyrillic alphabet and that Kazakhstan should consider making a similar move.

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Kazakhstan changing to Latin alphabet

President Nursultan Nazarbayev revived the possibility of an alphabet switch last fall, requesting that the Ministry of Education and Science examine the experiences of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which have all changed to Latin letters. The ministry's proposed action plan is based primarily on the model used in Uzbekistan. It calls for a six-step program, outlining cost estimates for retraining the country's workforce to read Latin script, and changing signs on streets and public buildings. The overall cost of switching is estimated at

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