Mostly subjects spoke Russian Empire. In total, there are about 150 million Russian-speaking people in the world. During the Soviet era, Russian was compulsory in schools and had the status of a state language, and therefore the number of people speaking it increased. By the beginning of perestroika, about 350 million people spoke Russian, most of whom lived in the territory Soviet Union.
After the collapse of the USSR, the number of people whose main language of communication was Russian decreased. By 2005, 140 million people spoke it in Russia, and about 278 million in the world. This language is native to 130 million people living in the territory Russian Federation, and for 26.4 million of those who permanently reside in the Baltic countries and the CIS republics. Just over 114 million people on the planet speak Russian as a second language or have learned it as a foreign language. The W3Techs company conducted a study in March 2013, during which it turned out that Russian is the second most common language on the Internet. Only English surpassed it.
In 2006, the journal Demoscope published the research of the director of scientific work Center sociological research Ministry of Education and Science of Russia A.L. Arefieva. He claims that the Russian language is losing its position in the world. In a new study, “The Russian language at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries,” which was published in 2012, the scientist predicts a weakening of positions. He believes that by 2020-2025 it will be spoken by about 215 million people, and by 2050 - about 130 million. In the countries of the former Soviet Union, local languages are elevated to the status of state languages; in the world, the decrease in the number of Russian-speaking people is associated with the demographic crisis.
Russian is considered one of the most translated languages in the world. According to the data electronic database translation register Index Translationum, it is currently in 7th place.
Official status of the Russian language
In Russia, Russian is the official state language. In Belarus it also has state status, but shares position with the Belarusian language, in South Ossetia - with Ossetian, in Transnistria - with Ukrainian and Moldavian.
In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Abkhazia, as well as a number of administrative-territorial units of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania, office work is carried out on. In Tajikistan it is used in lawmaking and is recognized as a language of interethnic communication. According to the laws of the American state of New York, some documents related to elections must be translated into Russian in mandatory. Russian is the working or official language of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation of Europe, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Eurasian Economic Society, International organization on standardization and others.
Russian-speaking (Russian speakers, Russophones) - people who use Russian as their native language.
The term is also used in a more specialized sense - to refer to people whose culture is associated with the Russian language, regardless of ethnicity or territorial affiliation. Among the Russian-speaking population, there are especially many Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tatars, Jews, Armenians, Kazakhs, Kurds, Georgians, Azerbaijanis, as well as descendants of mixed marriages of Russians (or Russian-speaking people) with Latvians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs and others.
The largest Russian-speaking country is Russia, the birthplace of the Russian language. Many nearby countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union have significant Russian-speaking communities. In Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Russian is the second state or official language; in Ukraine, Moldova, Estonia and Latvia, a significant part of the population is Russian-speaking. In Tajikistan, Russian is officially recognized as a language of international communication, and in Uzbekistan it is the de facto official language (along with Uzbek), and a significant number of its residents speak Russian. In Israel, Russian is the third most important language after the official languages of Hebrew and Arabic. Russian-speaking immigrant communities exist in various parts of the USA, Canada, China, Germany, and Greece.
The total number of Russian speakers around the world, according to an estimate in 1999, is about 167 million, and another 110 million people speak Russian as a second language.
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, post-Soviet space discrimination against the Russian-speaking population is noted, for example, in Estonia and Latvia.
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Status of the Russian language in the world
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The Russian language is the language of science, progress and culture. Silicon Valley and CERN speak Russian. Knowledge of spoken Russian is mandatory for all cosmonauts working on the International space station. The Russian language is the only state language of Russia and has the status of one of the state languages in Belarus and Transnistria, and in some CIS countries its status is called official. The global status of the Russian language is enshrined in the UN, where Russian is one of the six working languages.
In terms of prevalence, the Russian language ranks 4th in the world, second only to English, Chinese and Spanish.
A surge of interest in the Russian language has arisen since 2000. This is largely due to the fact that anti-Russian reactions and prejudices have become a thing of the past, giving way to cooperation and mutual economic interest between countries. With the active development of business, the creation of international corporations and companies, the increase in the number of tourists, both leaving Russia and those coming to our country, the number of people using the Russian language in communication is increasing every year.
Today, the prevalence of the Russian language on the planet can be assessed as follows: about 170 million people speak Russian. About 350 million people understand it perfectly.
More than 30 million people live outside their historical homeland (Russia) for whom Russian is their native language. 180 million people living in countries near and far abroad are learning Russian. The Russian language, one way or another, is taught in about 100 countries. 79 have academic university programs. In 54 it was included in the school education system.
There are countries with a high level of Russian language proficiency - Belarus (77%), Ukraine (65%) and Kazakhstan, where approximately two-thirds of the population speaks Russian fluently. In countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, and Estonia, about a quarter of residents use Russian as a means of communication. In Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and Lithuania, about 30% of the population speaks Russian.
In the former socialist countries of Europe, our closest neighbors - Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic - in the same 90s there was a certain decline in interest in the Russian language. However, today in Poland and Bulgaria the Russian language ranks second in the popularity ranking.
According to statistics, today the Russian language shares with Spanish the fourth place in the number of people who want to study it as a foreign language. On this moment the number of such applicants is 6% of the total population of the European Union. Interest in the Russian language abroad is also shown by those who do not know the language, but want to know more about the events taking place in Russia.
There are about 300 radio stations broadcasting in Russian in the world; there are also Russian publications that print news not only in Russian, but also in the language of partner countries, collaborating with the most famous foreign media.
Thus, the Russian language is gradually becoming a means of global communication, strengthening Russia’s position in the world.
The language barrier. Often it is because of this that many problems arise when crossing the borders of another state. Of course, many modern tourists are ready not only to arm themselves with a phrasebook, but also to learn a few phrases that will definitely be useful in everyday life. And yet, for many it is much easier to travel abroad, knowing that they will be understood there in the language they are used to speaking at home.
So in which countries can you hear the Russian language outside the hotel?
Belarus
The only former republic of the USSR that has retained the status of Russian as the state language is Belarus. Is it any wonder if even the president of the country uses only Russian in all his addresses, not to mention ordinary residents who speak their “native” language solely for the sake of formalities.
Belarus
A tourist from Russia will be understood here from Vitebsk to Brest, despite the fact that most of the official road signs, signs and other announcements will be written in Belarusian. But these words, for the most part, will differ from the Russian language only in a few letters or in a slightly unusual shape for the Russian ear and eye.
Abkhazia
Unrecognized by a number of countries, but recognized by Russia Abkhazia is a territory where Russian is de facto the main language of communication of local residents, but does not have state status. Moreover, even the Russian currency is used everywhere here, which allows us to talk about the special status of the language and the special attitude towards tourists from Russia.
At all resorts, the Russian language will be on the menus of cafes and restaurants, on the signs of official institutions, museums and entertainment centers. In addition, Abkhaz TV channels, radio and newspapers mostly use Russian, which is good news.
Kazakhstan
According to statistics, in Kazakhstan 80% of the population speaks Russian fluently, regardless of nationality. But this fact still has not promoted him to the level state language, leaving the status official. However, in cities such as Ust-Kamenogorsk or Alma-Ata, the Russian-speaking population is the majority even a quarter of a century after the collapse of the USSR.
Kazakhstan
In tourist areas, even small Kazakh children speak Russian, which has always been and will be to the advantage of those who travel independently in the neighboring republic. In cities, the signs of shops and most institutions are duplicated in two languages, but with TV channels and radio last years the trend is shifting in favor of Kazakh content.
Estonia
Despite the obvious pro-European and openly anti-Russian sentiments in the Baltic states, Estonia I continues to be a country where more than 50% of the population speak Russian fluently, even outside the tourist areas. Of course, the record holder is here - Narva and neighboring settlements on the border with Russia - this region is almost completely Russified.
How dangerous is it for a Russian tourist in the Baltics?
The partly fair statement that in recent years it is better for Russian-speaking tourists not to appear in the Baltic countries is being increasingly discussed on many forums and websites. For the most part, these are true facts, but not all of them are objective.
The problem, as experienced guests of the Baltics say, is often not in the Estonians, Lithuanians or Latvians, but in the very behavior of the Russian person. There are a lot of complaints on the Internet about Baltic customs officers that they are too biased towards Russians and often carry out full searches of luggage. In fact, a hasty tourist can rudely answer a question from a calm government official, which will not cause the most pleasant reaction at any airport in the world.
Reports of refusal to serve tourists simply because they are from Russia are isolated cases of provocations that are immediately suppressed by local authorities. Whatever the anti-Russian sentiment, tourist regions continue to generate profits precisely at the expense of ordinary Russian guests, of whom there are still many in Tallinn and Riga.
Serbia
Information about the notorious integration into Europe and the demonstrative refusal of ties with Russia in Serbia- one of the many provocations. Russians have always been loved here and continue to be loved, and understanding the language is connected not only with similarity, but also with the sincere desire of many Serbs to learn Russian as a foreign language.
Belgrade and some other tourist areas have their own Russian cafes and restaurants with staff without language barriers.
Bulgaria
But with another Balkan country - Bulgaria– Russian language “works” only in the tourist area. The rather long memory of Bulgarians helps the tourism industry make money from Russian-speaking guests. Therefore, even when leaving the hotel into the city, you don’t have to be afraid that you won’t be understood. True, this now works only with the Black Sea region - in Sofia there are fewer and fewer people who speak Russian at least at an elementary level every year.
Bulgaria
Mongolia
You can joke a lot about the Tatar-Mongol invasion, but the facts show that the Russian language in Mongolia is the third most popular among foreign languages, after Chinese and English. Since 2007, it has been compulsory in schools, and even the President of Mongolia speaks Russian fluently. For this reason, when traveling around Mongolia, the chance to hear your native speech from the “locals” is growing every year.
The language barrier. Often it is because of this that many problems arise when crossing the borders of another state. Of course, many modern tourists are ready not only to arm themselves with a phrasebook, but also to learn a few phrases that will definitely be useful in everyday life. And yet, for many it is much easier to travel abroad, knowing that they will be understood there in the language they are used to speaking at home.
So in which countries can you hear the Russian language outside the hotel?
The only former republic of the USSR that has retained the status of Russian as the state language is. Is it any wonder if even the president of the country uses only Russian in all his addresses, not to mention ordinary residents who speak their “native” language solely for the sake of formalities.
A tourist from Russia will be understood here from Vitebsk to Brest, despite the fact that most of the official road signs, signs and other announcements will be written in Belarusian. But these words, for the most part, will differ from the Russian language only in a few letters or in a slightly unusual shape for the Russian ear and eye.
Unrecognized by a number of countries, but recognized by Russia, this is a territory where the Russian language is de facto the main language of communication of local residents, but does not have state status. Moreover, even the Russian currency is used everywhere here, which allows us to talk about the special status of the language and the special attitude towards tourists from Russia.
At all resorts, the Russian language will be on the menus of cafes and restaurants, on the signs of official institutions, museums and entertainment centers. In addition, Abkhaz TV channels, radio and newspapers mostly use Russian, which is good news.
According to statistics, 80% of the population speaks Russian fluently, regardless of nationality. But this fact has not yet promoted it to the level of the state language, leaving it with official status. However, in cities such as Ust-Kamenogorsk or Alma-Ata, the Russian-speaking population is the majority even a quarter of a century after the collapse of the USSR.
In tourist areas, even small Kazakh children speak Russian, which has always been and will be to the advantage of those who travel independently in the neighboring republic. In cities, store signs and most institutions are duplicated in two languages, but with television channels and radio in recent years, the trend has been shifting in favor of Kazakh content.
Despite the obvious pro-European and openly anti-Russian sentiments in the Baltic states, Estonia I continues to be a country where more than 50% of the population speak Russian fluently, even outside the tourist areas. Of course, the record holder is here - Narva and neighboring settlements on the border with Russia - this region is almost completely Russified.
How dangerous is it for a Russian tourist in the Baltics?
The partly fair statement that in recent years it is better for Russian-speaking tourists not to appear in the Baltic countries is being increasingly discussed on many forums and websites. For the most part, these are true facts, but not all of them are objective.
The problem, as experienced guests of the Baltics say, is often not in the Estonians, Lithuanians or Latvians, but in the very behavior of the Russian person. There are a lot of complaints on the Internet about Baltic customs officers that they are too biased towards Russians and often carry out full searches of luggage. In fact, a hasty tourist can rudely answer a question from a calm government official, which will not cause the most pleasant reaction at any airport in the world.
Reports of refusal to serve tourists simply because they are from Russia are isolated cases of provocations that are immediately suppressed by local authorities. Whatever the anti-Russian sentiment, tourist regions continue to generate profits precisely at the expense of ordinary Russian guests, of whom there are still many in Tallinn and Riga.
Information about the notorious integration into Europe and the demonstrative refusal of ties with Russia in Serbia- one of the many provocations. Russians have always been loved here and continue to be loved, and understanding the language is connected not only with similarity, but also with the sincere desire of many Serbs to learn Russian as a foreign language. Belgrade and some other tourist areas have their own Russian cafes and restaurants with staff without language barriers.
But with another Balkan country - Bulgaria– Russian language “works” only in the tourist area. The rather long memory of Bulgarians helps the tourism industry make money from Russian-speaking guests. Therefore, even when leaving the hotel into the city, you don’t have to be afraid that you won’t be understood. True, this now works only with the Black Sea region - in Sofia there are fewer and fewer people who speak Russian at least at an elementary level every year.
You can joke a lot about the Tatar-Mongol invasion, but the facts show that Russian in Mongolia is the third most popular foreign language, after Chinese and English. Since 2007, it has been compulsory in schools, and even the President of Mongolia speaks Russian fluently. For this reason, when traveling around Mongolia, the chance to hear your native speech from the “locals” is growing every year.
8 countries for tourism where they speak Russian
In most countries, knowledge of at least broken English will help travelers communicate with the population. But not all Russian travelers can express themselves on this international language, despite the fact that almost every Russian school teaches the basics of English. For such people, we have compiled the top popular countries for tourism, in which Russian-speaking travelers can feel “at ease” even without knowledge of foreign languages.
1. Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine.
In most CIS countries, which at one time were part of the USSR, the majority of the population can speak Russian. And in countries such as Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus, residents continue to communicate with each other in everyday life on the great and powerful. Despite the current political situation, Russian tourists continue to travel to Ukraine in considerable numbers. Despite the fact that in countries such as Azerbaijan, Georgia or Armenia, quite a few locals also understand Russian, the flow of tourists there is much less.
2. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
The Baltic countries, although they wanted to completely isolate themselves from Russia and the Russian language after the collapse of the Union, they still did not fully succeed. A large part of the population, especially the older generation, speaks Russian very well. Also, people working in the tourist services sector speak excellent Russian. And this is natural - most of the tourists coming to these countries are Russians. So you can confidently go there, and there will definitely be no problems with understanding.
3. Czech Republic.
One of the countries in demand in Russian travel agencies- Czech Republic. In this country, you will also not encounter a language barrier, because after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the borders with Europe were open, and many Russians emigrated there. In Czech restaurants you will most likely find a Russian-language menu, and the staff will probably be able to communicate with you. The same applies to shops, and simply communication with the local population.
4. Bulgaria.
Previously, in Bulgaria, Russian was included in the program secondary schools, therefore, when communicating with Russian tourists, Bulgarians are happy to recall their school knowledge. So don’t worry, placing an order in a restaurant, making a purchase in a store or asking how to get to the library will not be a global problem for you. But the younger generation practically doesn’t know the Russian language anymore, so it’s better to turn to older people, they will definitely understand and help you. And further! Don't forget that in Bulgaria the gestures "yes" and "no" are opposite. That is, if a Bulgarian nods, this is a denial, and if he shakes his head, then he agrees with you. This is such a funny little thing.
5. Montenegro.
The situation is similar to Bulgaria. In Yugoslav schools, Russian was compulsory to study. Therefore, again, the older generation will definitely understand you. But at the very least, a representative of the younger generation can help you, because Russian and Serbian languages are similar in many ways.
6. Greece and Cyprus.
Today, Greece and Cyprus are becoming increasingly popular among tourists, which means that local hotels have already made efforts and trained staff. In addition, there are many Russian emigrants in Greece who will be happy to help their former compatriots.
7. Resorts of Turkey.
In Turkish cities popular among Russian tourists, Russian speech sounds almost the same as in its homeland. Hoteliers, waiters in restaurants and sellers in markets and shops understand Russian fluently and speak it well, because the flow of Russian tourists to Turkey is large and inexhaustible.
8. Israel.
About 30% of the population of all Israel are former Russian citizens. Therefore, problems with communication in this country simply cannot arise - you can easily find a person who speaks your native language well.
