In Ufa, browser extension EthnoTech translates YouTube speech into Bashkir and Mari to boost native-language digital content

A new browser extension called EthnoTech, created in Ufa by Bashkir IT specialist Айгиз Кунафин, can automatically translate the spoken element of YouTube videos into Bashkir and Mari and play it back in the selected language without the need to re-edit the original video. The extension, which is installed as a browser add-on, processes speech in existing videos and reproduces it in the chosen language, the project’s authors say.

According to the developers, the technology does not require separate dubbing or the production of a new video file. EthnoTech analyzes and processes the speech track of a video and outputs the translated audio in real time. The team says the underlying system can technically provide support for at least 15 languages spoken across Russia and neighboring countries, and that adding further languages is planned.

The stated primary goal of EthnoTech is to expand the quantity of contemporary digital content available in native languages for children and young people. Айгиз Кунафин and his colleagues argue that even children who speak Bashkir at home often consume cartoons, games and other online video content mainly in Russian or English. By making such content accessible in minority languages online, they say, the project seeks to strengthen the presence of those languages in everyday digital life.

EthnoTech’s pricing model is modest according to Kunafin: technically processing one hour of video currently costs 100 rubles, while translating a one-and-a-half-hour cartoon costs about 150 rubles. The developers plan to make translations of content for children available for free, contingent on securing financial support from organizations and partners that want to help protect and promote minority languages.

Айгиз Кунафин is already known locally for work on a Bashkir-language smart speaker called "Һомай". That project, originally focused on the Bashkir language, was expanded and began operating officially in Mari in 2026. The smart speaker now understands and responds in Bashkir, Mari and Russian, its creators say, and the developers stress that the technological basis for these languages is the same, enabling future extension to additional languages.

The EthnoTech announcement follows other regional initiatives to improve access to native-language content. In January 2024, a Tatar-language project, Tatar Speech, was introduced in Tatarstan; the service is intended initially for use in schools and gymnasiums and aims to enable any user to watch chosen videos in Tatar over time. Tests conducted by Азатлык Радиосы in 2025 indicated that Tatar and Bashkir are already usable in popular neural-network systems, though specialists cautioned that artificial intelligence outputs should not be accepted as fully accurate without verification.

The developers say expanding native-language digital content matters for cultural and linguistic survival and for ensuring children and young people can access media in their mother tongues. EthnoTech’s creators plan to add more languages and are seeking partnerships and funding to make child-focused translations free. If scaled, the technology could increase the availability of minority-language content across online platforms, with potential implications for education, cultural transmission and digital inclusion among Russia’s smaller language communities.