View source for Geographical distribution of Russian speakers

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[[File:Russian language in the Russian Empire (1897).svg|thumb|300px|Russian language in the Russian Empire and its satellite states according to the [[Russian Empire census|1897 census]]]]
This article details the '''geographical distribution of Russian-speakers'''. After the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, the status of the [[Russian language]] often became a matter of controversy. Some [[Post-Soviet states]] adopted policies of [[Derussianization|derussification]] aimed at reversing former trends of [[Russification]], while Belarus under [[Alexander Lukashenko]] and the Russian Federation under [[Vladimir Putin]] reintroduced Russification policies in the 1990s and 2000s, respectively.

After the [[Russian Revolution|collapse of the Russian Empire]] in 1917, derussification occurred in the newly-independent [[Poland]], [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]] and the [[Kars Oblast]], the last of which became part of [[Turkey]].

The new [[Soviet Union]] initially implemented a policy of [[Korenizatsiya]], which was aimed in some ways at the reversal of the Tsarist Russification of the non-Russian areas of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sras.org/empire__nationalities__and_the_collapse_of_the_ussr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103111112/http://www.sras.org/empire__nationalities__and_the_collapse_of_the_ussr|url-status=dead|title="EMPIRE, NATIONALITIES, AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE USSR", ''VESTNIK, THE JOURNAL OF RUSSIAN AND ASIAN STUDIES'', May 8, 2007|archive-date=November 3, 2012}}</ref> [[Vladimir Lenin]] and then [[Joseph Stalin]] mostly reversed the implementation of Korenizatsiya by the 1930s, not so much by changing the letter of the law, but by reducing its practical effects and by introducing ''de facto'' Russification. The Soviet system heavily promoted Russian as the "language of interethnic communication" and "language of world communism".

Eventually, in 1990, [[Russian language|Russian]] became legally the official all-Union language of the [[Soviet Union]], with constituent republics gaining the right to declare their own regional languages.<ref name="google.nl">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Nn3xDTiL0PQC&q=%22official+language%22&pg=PA1|title= Language Policy in the Soviet Union|access-date= 23 April 2016|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160424154304/https://books.google.com/books?id=Nn3xDTiL0PQC&pg=PA1&dq=official+languages+Soviet+Union&client=firefox-a&cd=6#v=onepage&q=%22official%20language%22&f=false|archive-date= 24 April 2016|isbn= 9781402012983|last1= Grenoble|first1= L. A.|date= 2003-07-31|publisher= Springer}}</ref><ref name="narod.ru">{{cite web|url= http://legal-ussr.narod.ru/data01/tex10935.htm|title= СССР. ЗАКОН СССР ОТ 24.04.1990 О ЯЗЫКАХ НАРОДОВ СССР|access-date= 23 April 2016|url-status= dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508201331/http://legal-ussr.narod.ru/data01/tex10935.htm|archive-date= 2016-05-08}}</ref>

After the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, about 25 million Russians (about a sixth of the former Soviet Russians) found themselves outside [[Russia]] and were about 10% of the population of the [[post-Soviet states]] other than Russia. Millions of them later became refugees from various interethnic conflicts.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Efron|first1=Sonni|title=Case Study: Russians: Becoming Strangers in Their Homeland: Millions of Russians are now unwanted minorities in newly independent states, an explosive situation.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-08-wr-791-story.html|access-date=26 November 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|date=8 June 1993|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206190957/http://articles.latimes.com/1993-06-08/news/wr-791_1_ethnic-russian|archive-date=6 December 2013}}</ref>

==Statistics==
[[File:Russian ex-USSR 2004.PNG|thumb|Competence of Russian in the countries of the former USSR outside of the [[Russian Federation]], 2004]]

===Native speakers===
{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable col2right col3right"
! rowspan=2|Country !!colspan=2| Speakers!! rowspan=2|Year !! rowspan=2| Ref.
|-
! Number !! Percentage
|-
| {{flag|Russia}} ||118,581,514
| 85.7% || 2010 || <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/vol4pdf-m.html|title=Население наиболее многочисленных национальностей по родному языку|website=gks.ru|access-date=2018-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320210639/http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/vol4pdf-m.html|archive-date=2018-03-20|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Ukraine}} || 14,273,670||29.6%||2001||<ref name=undata/>
|-
| {{flag|Belarus}} || 6,672,964||70.2%||2009||<ref name="undata" /><ref group="note">Data note: "Data refer to mother tongue, defined as the language usually spoken in the individual's home in his or her early childhood." (From the Footnotes section in the cited source)</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Kazakhstan}}|| 3,793,800 || 21.2% || 2017 || <ref name="rbthlang">{{cite news|last1=Zubacheva|first1=Ksenia|title=Why Russian is still spoken in the former Soviet republics|url=https://www.rbth.com/international/2017/05/16/why-russian-is-still-spoken-in-the-former-soviet-republics_763684|access-date=10 June 2017|work=Russia Beyond The Headlines|date=16 May 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615220446/https://www.rbth.com/international/2017/05/16/why-russian-is-still-spoken-in-the-former-soviet-republics_763684|archive-date=15 June 2017}}</ref><ref group="note">Based on a 2016 population of 17,855,000 ([http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=Kazakhstan UN Statistics Division] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125143327/http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=Kazakhstan|date=2014-01-25}})</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Uzbekistan}} || 720,300 || 2.1% || 2021||<ref name="автоссылка1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2021/08/20/ethnic-groups/|title=Опубликованы данные об этническом составе населения Узбекистана|date=August 20, 2021|website=Газета.uz}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Latvia}} || 698,757 || 33.8% ||2011||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
| {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}} || 482,200 || 8.9% || 2009 || <ref name="kyrcen">{{cite web|title=Population And Housing Census Of The Kyrgyz Republic Of 2009 |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/census/2010_phc/Kyrgyzstan/A5-2PopulationAndHousingCensusOfTheKyrgyzRepublicOf2009.pdf |publisher=UN Stats |access-date=1 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710092216/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/census/2010_PHC/Kyrgyzstan/A5-2PopulationAndHousingCensusOfTheKyrgyzRepublicOf2009.pdf |archive-date=10 July 2012 }}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Estonia}} || 383,118||29.6%||2011||<ref name="undata" /> 
|-
| {{flag|Turkmenistan}} || 135,565||1.9%||2022||<ref name=":1" />
|-
| {{flag|Moldova}} || 264,162 || 9.7% || 2014 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Structure of population by mother tongue, in territorial aspect in 2014|url=http://www.statistica.md/public/files/Recensamint/Recensamint_pop_2014/Rezultate/Tabele/Caracteristici_populatie_RPL_2014_rom_rus_eng.xls|publisher=Statistica.md|access-date=10 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703004142/http://www.statistica.md/public/files/Recensamint/Recensamint_pop_2014/Rezultate/Tabele/Caracteristici_populatie_RPL_2014_rom_rus_eng.xls|archive-date=3 July 2017}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Lithuania}} || 190,733 ||6.8%||2021||<ref name="undata" /><ref name="StatLIT">{{cite web |title=Population and Housing Census 2021 |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/en/gyventoju-ir-bustu-surasymai1 |publisher=[[Statistics Lithuania]] |access-date=27 September 2022}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Azerbaijan}} || 77,190||0.8%||2019||<ref name=":2" />
|-
| {{flag|Georgia}} || 45,920 || 1.2% || 2014 ||<ref name="undata" /> 
|-
| {{flag|Tajikistan}} || 40,598||0.5%||2012||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
| {{flag|Armenia}} || 23,484||0.8%||2011||<ref name="undata">{{cite web|title=Population by language, sex and urban/rural residence|url=http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a27%3bareaCode%3a0%3bsexCode%3a0&c=2,3,5,7,9,11,13,14,15&s=_vcvv2:asc,_countryEnglishNameOrderBy:asc,refYear:desc&v=1|publisher=UNdata|access-date=13 October 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519181010/http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3A27%3BareaCode%3A0%3BsexCode%3A0&c=2%2C3%2C5%2C7%2C9%2C11%2C13%2C14%2C15&s=_vcvv2%3Aasc%2C_countryEnglishNameOrderBy%3Aasc%2CrefYear%3Adesc&v=1|archive-date=19 May 2016}}</ref> 
|-
| {{flag|Australia}} || 54,874||0.2%||2022||<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://profile.id.com.au/australia/language|title=Language spoken at home &#124; Australia &#124; Community profile|website=profile.id.com.au}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Austria}} || 8,446||0.1%||2001||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
| {{flag|Canada}} || 220,360||0.6%||2021||<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021 |title=Mother tongue by single and multiple mother tongue responses: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810018001 |publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Croatia}} || 1,592||0.04%||2011||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
| {{flag|Cyprus}} || 21,642||2.3%||2021||<ref>{{cite web |title=Population Enumerated by Language, Sex, District and Urban/Rural Area, 1.10.2021 |url=https://cystatdb.cystat.gov.cy/pxweb/en/8.CYSTAT-DB/8.CYSTAT-DB__Population__Census%20of%20Population%20and%20Housing%202021__Population__Population%20-%20Language,%20Religion,%20Ethnic%20Religious%20Group/1891610E.px/ |publisher=Cyprus Statistical Service}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Czech Republic}} || 96,361||0.9%||2021||<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021 |title=Population by selected mother tongue, sex and regions |url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt&pvo=SLD21010-KR&z=T&f=TABULKA&skupId=4329&katalog=33524&pvo=SLD21010-KR&str=v111&evo=v97_!_SLD21F1010-H2_1#w= |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531022324/https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt&z=T&f=TABULKA&pvo=SLD21010-KR&skupId=4329&katalog=33524&pvo=SLD21010-KR&str=v111&evo=v97_!_SLD21F1010-H2_1 |archive-date=2022-05-31 |access-date= |publisher=Czech Statistical Office}}</ref><ref group="note">Included people with two mother tongues. </ref>
|-
| {{flag|Finland}} || 87,552||1.6%||2021||<ref>{{cite web |title=Language according to age and sex by region, 1990-2021 |url=https://pxdata.stat.fi/PxWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11rl.px/ |publisher=Statistics Finland |access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref>
|-
|{{Flag|Germany}} || 1,877,000 || 2.3% || 2024 ||<ref name=":22">{{Cite journal |date= |title=Statistischer Bericht - Mikrozensus - Bevölkerung nach Migrationshintergrund - Erstergebnisse 2024 |trans-title=Statistical report - Microcensus - Population by migration background - First results 2024 |url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bevoelkerung/Migration-Integration/Publikationen/Downloads-Migration/statistischer-bericht-migrationshintergrund-erst-2010220247005.xlsx?__blob=publicationFile&v=4 |journal=Statistisches Bundesamt |page= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250520165518/https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bevoelkerung/Migration-Integration/Publikationen/Downloads-Migration/statistischer-bericht-migrationshintergrund-erst-2010220247005.xlsx?__blob=publicationFile&v=4 |archive-date=20 May 2025}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Guinea-Bissau}} || 2,104 || 0.14% || 2009 ||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
|{{flag|Israel}}
|1,155,960
|15%
|2011
|<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/newhodaot/hodaa_template.html?hodaa=201319017|title=Selected Data from the 2011 Social Survey on Mastery of the Hebrew Language and Usage of Languages (Hebrew Only)|author=Israel Central Bureau of Statistics|access-date=12 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013135223/http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/newhodaot/hodaa_template.html?hodaa=201319017|archive-date=13 October 2013|url-status=dead|author-link=Israel Central Bureau of Statistics}}</ref><ref group="note">Based on a 2011 population of 7,706,400 ([http://www1.cbs.gov.il/ts/ID6032c5229b0e92/ Central Bureau of Statistics of Israel]{{dead link|date=September 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}})</ref>
|-
|{{Flag|Luxembourg}}
|3,325
|0.6%
|2021
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-08 |title=RP2021 - Une Diversité linguistique en forte hausse |url=https://statistiques.public.lu/dam-assets/recensement/publication-8/docs/rp08-diversit-linguistique-fr.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250422224644/https://statistiques.public.lu/dam-assets/recensement/publication-8/docs/rp08-diversit-linguistique-fr.pdf |archive-date=2025-04-22 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=statistiques.public.lu |language=fr}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Mauritius}} || 40 || 0.003% || 2011 ||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
| {{flag|New Zealand}} || 7,896||0.2%||2006||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
| {{flag|Norway}} || 16,833||0.3%||2012||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
| {{flag|Poland}} || 63,271||0.17%||2021||<ref>{{cite report |url=https://stat.gov.pl/download/gfx/portalinformacyjny/en/defaultaktualnosci/3701/6/1/1/national_population_and_housing_census_2021_population_2.pdf |title=Size and demographic-social structure in the light of the 2021 Census results |access-date=2025-04-26}}</ref><ref group="note">Included all people who declared that they spoke Russian at home; 58,451 of them also spoke another language at home.</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Romania}} || 23,487 || 0.11% || 2011 ||<ref name="ro">{{cite journal|url=https://www.revistadesociologie.ro/pdf-uri/nr.3-4-2014/05-MConstantin.pdf|title=The ethno-cultural belongingness of Aromanians, Vlachs, Catholics, and Lipovans/Old Believers in Romania and Bulgaria (1990–2012)|first=Marin|last=Constantin|journal=Revista Română de Sociologie|location=[[Bucharest]]|volume=25|issue=3–4|pages=255–285|year=2014}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Serbia}} || 3,179||0.04%||2011||<ref name=undata/> 
|-
| {{flag|Slovakia}} || 4,947||0.10%||2021||<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.scitanie.sk/themes/web-sodb/assets/public/disem/extreports/RV_O_029_EN.zip |title=Population by sex, age groups (0 - 14, 15 - 64, 65+) and mother tongue |publisher=Statistical Office of Slovak Republic 2021 Census}}</ref>
|-
|{{flag|Spain}}
|147,864
|0.3%
|2021
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=INEbase / Demografía y población /Cifras de población y Censos demográficos /Encuesta de Características Esenciales de la Población y las Viviendas / Microdatos |url=https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/es/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736177092&menu=resultados&idp=1254735572981# |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=INE |language=es}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Sweden}} || 29,000||0.3%||2012||<ref>{{cite web |title=Här är 20 största språken i Sverige |url=https://spraktidningen.se/2016/03/har-ar-20-storsta-spraken-i-sverige/ |website=Språktidningen |date=28 March 2016 |access-date=10 January 2023 |language=Swedish}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || 1,004,815 || 0.3% || 2023 || <ref>{{Cite web |title=ACS 2023 5-year estimate - Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2023.B16001 |website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
|-
!Total
!151,214,523
!
!
!
|}

====Subnational territories====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Territory !! Country !! [[First language|L1]] speakers !! Percentage !! Year !! Reference 
|-
| [[Harju County]] || {{flag|Estonia}} || 208,517 || 37.7% || 2011 ||<ref name="statsest">{{cite web |title=RL0433: Population by mother tongue, sex, age group and administrative unit, 31 December 2011 |url=http://andmebaas.stat.ee/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=RL0433 |website=Statistics Estonia |access-date=20 November 2018}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ida-Viru County]] || {{flag|Estonia}} || 121,680 || 81.6% || 2011 ||<ref name="statsest"/>
|-
| [[Statistical regions of Latvia|Riga Region]] || {{flag|Latvia}} || 326,478 || 55.8% || 2011 || <ref name="latviastat">{{cite web |title=TSG11-071. Ethnicities of resident population in statistical regions, cities under state jurisdiction and counties by language mostly spoken at home; on 1 March 2011 |url=https://data1.csb.gov.lv:443/sq/24081 |website=Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia |access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
|-
| [[Statistical regions of Latvia|Pieriga Region]] || {{flag|Latvia}} || 87,769 || 25.9% || 2011 || <ref name="latviastat"/>
|-
| [[Statistical regions of Latvia|Vidzeme Region]] || {{flag|Latvia}} || 16,682 || 8.4% || 2011 || <ref name="latviastat"/>
|-
| [[Statistical regions of Latvia|Kurzeme Region]] || {{flag|Latvia}} || 47,213 || 19.3% || 2011 || <ref name="latviastat"/>
|-
| [[Statistical regions of Latvia|Zemgale Region]] || {{flag|Latvia}} || 54,761 || 23.3% || 2011 || <ref name="latviastat"/>
|-
| [[Statistical regions of Latvia|Latgale Region]] || {{flag|Latvia}} || 165,854 || 60.3% || 2011 || <ref name="latviastat"/>
|-
| [[Klaipėda County]] || {{flag|Lithuania}} || 34,074 || 10.57% || 2021 || <ref name="StatLIT"/>
|-
| [[Utena County]] || {{flag|Lithuania}} || 18,551 || 14.54% || 2021 || <ref name="StatLIT"/>
|-
| [[Vilnius County]] || {{flag|Lithuania}} || 109,045 || 13.45% || 2021 || <ref name="StatLIT"/>
|-
|}

===Native and non-native speakers===
====Former Soviet Union====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Country !! Speakers !! Percentage !! Year !! Reference 
|-
| {{flag|Armenia}} || 1,906,327 || 65.3% || 2022 || <ref>{{cite web |date=2022 |title=Բաժին 5. ՄՇՏԱԿԱՆ ԲՆԱԿՉՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԱԶԳԱՅԻՆ ԿԱԶՄԸ, ԼԵԶՈՒՆԵՐԻՆ ՏԻՐԱՊԵՏԵԼԸ ԵՎ ԿՐՈՆԱԿԱՆ ԴԱՎԱՆԱՆՔԸ |trans-title=CHAPTER 5. ETHNIC STRUCTURE, FLUENCY IN LANGUAGES AND RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF PERMANENT POPULATION |url=https://www.armstat.am/file/article/sector_5_.7z |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629083222/https://www.armstat.am/file/article/sector_5_.7z |archive-date=29 June 2024 |access-date=9 May 2025 |publisher=ArmStat |language=Armenian}}</ref><ref group="note">Included 13,146 native speakers and 1,893,181 non-native speakers. Number of native speakers was likely to be an undercount since it only explicitly counted ethnic Russians. </ref>
|-
| {{flag|Azerbaijan}} || 643,737 || 6.7% || 2019 || <ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=Population Census in the Republic of Azerbaijan 2019 |url=https://www.stat.gov.az/menu/6/statistical_yearbooks/source/Siyahiyaalinma-2019,%20Cild%20B.zip |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705092802/https://www.stat.gov.az/menu/6/statistical_yearbooks/source/Siyahiyaalinma-2019,%20Cild%20B.zip |archive-date=5 July 2024 |access-date=9 May 2025 |publisher=State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan}}</ref><ref group="note">Excluded territory controlled by {{Flag icon|Nagorno-Karabakh|variant=2019}}[[Republic of Artsakh]] at that time, and included only those who spoke Russian fluently</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Estonia}} || 887,270 || 66.6% || 2021 || <ref>{{cite web |title=RL21431: POPULATION, 31 DECEMBER 2021 by Year, Mother tongue, Place of residence and Sex |url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__rahvus-emakeel/RL21431 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619183058/https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__rahvus-emakeel/RL21431 |archive-date=19 June 2022 |access-date=9 May 2025 |publisher=Stat.ee}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RL21438: POPULATION, 31 DECEMBER 2021 by Year, Place of residence, Command of foreign languages and Sex |url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__voorkeeleoskus-murded/RL21438 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519003221/https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__voorkeeleoskus-murded/RL21438 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref><ref group="note">Includes 379,210 native and 508,060 non-native speakers.</ref>
|- 
| {{flag|Kazakhstan}} || 14,391,085 || 83.7% || 2021 || <ref>{{cite web |title=National composition, religion and language proficiency in the Republic of Kazakhstan - 2021 census |url=https://stat.gov.kz/upload/medialibrary/cee/3rsfg8ps3xo19orb284esg4rx27ihqf7/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9%20%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301055758/https://stat.gov.kz/upload/medialibrary/cee/3rsfg8ps3xo19orb284esg4rx27ihqf7/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9%20%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2.pdf |archive-date=1 March 2024 |access-date=9 May 2025 |publisher=Kazakhstan Bureau of National statistics}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}} || 3,432,633 || 49.5% || 2022 || <ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=НАСЕЛЕНИЕ КЫРГЫЗСТАНА |trans-title=Population of Kyrgyzstan |url=https://stat.gov.kg/media/publicationarchive/0f717d2d-5078-4e18-8b56-fb2a530462a2.pdf |access-date=9 May 2025 |publisher=Kyrgyzstan Statistical Committee |pages=118, 120 |language=Russian}}</ref><ref group="note">Data referred to the resident population. Included 321,947 native speakers (of which 282,777 were ethnic Russians and 39,170 were of other ethnic groups) and 3,110,686 L2 speakers (of which 61,460 were ethnic Russians 3,049,226 were of other ethnic groups).</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Lithuania}} || 1,894,158 || 67.4% || 2021 || <ref name="StatLIT"/><ref group="note">Includes 190,733 native and 1,703,425 non-native speakers.</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Russia}}|| 134,319,233||99.4%||2021||<ref name=undata/><ref group="note">Data note: "Including all of persons who stated each language spoken, whether as their only language or as one of several languages. Where a person reported more than one language spoken, they have been counted in each applicable group."

Percentage excluded 12,056,452 people who didn't report language proficiency.</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Tajikistan}} || 1,963,857 || 25.9% || 2010 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Национальный состав и владение языками, гражданство населения Республики Таджикистан|url=http://www.stat.tj/img/526b8592e834fcaaccec26a22965ea2b_1355500027.pdf|publisher=Агентство по статистике при Президенте Республики Таджикистан|access-date=27 November 2017|page=58|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113220950/http://www.stat.tj/img/526b8592e834fcaaccec26a22965ea2b_1355500027.pdf|archive-date=13 January 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|-
|{{Flag|Turkmenistan}}
|1,359,455
|19.3%
|2022
|<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=4. National Composition of the Population and Language Proficiency |url=https://www.stat.gov.tm/population-census-pdfs/results/en/4.pdf |access-date=9 May 2025 |publisher=State Committee of Turkmenistan on Statistics}}</ref><ref group="note">Included 135,565 native speakers and 1,183,890 non-native speakers</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Ukraine}} || || 68% || 2006 || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://regnum.ru/news/749712.html|title=Украинцы лучше владеют русским языком, чем украинским: соцопрос|website=ИА REGNUM}}</ref>
|}

====Other countries====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Country !! Percentage !! Year !! Reference 
|-
|{{flag|Bulgaria}}
|0.24% native
|2012
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| {{flag|Bulgaria}} || 23% can have a conversation || 2012 || <ref name="ebs386" />
|-
| {{flag|Cyprus}} || 2.8% || ||
|-
| {{flag|Hungary}} || 1.6% || 2011 || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ksh.hu/nepszamlalas/tablak_teruleti_00|title=Központi Statisztikai Hivatal|website=www.ksh.hu}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Poland}} || 18% || 2012 || <ref name="europe">{{Cite web |date=20 June 2013 |title=Europeans and their languages |url=https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/f551bd64-8615-4781-9be1-c592217dad83 |publisher=Publications Office of the EU}}</ref>
|}

==Asia==
===Armenia===
{{see also|Languages of Armenia#Russian}}
In [[Armenia]], Russian has no official status but is recognized as a minority language under the [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities]].<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 15,000 native speakers of Russian in the country, and 1 million active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251"/> 30% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 2% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/> Russian is spoken by 1.4% of the population according to a 2009 estimate from the World Factbook.<ref name="bookoffact">{{cite web|title=Languages|url=https://www.cia.gov/Library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2098.html|publisher=The World Factbook|access-date=26 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513125710/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2098.html|archive-date=13 May 2009}}</ref>

In 2010, in a significant pullback to derussification, Armenia voted to re-introduce Russian-medium schools.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.russkiymir.ru/russkiymir/en/publications/commentary/commentary0027.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525153537/http://www.russkiymir.ru/russkiymir/en/publications/commentary/commentary0027.html|url-status=dead|title="Armenia introduces Russian-language education", Russkiy Mir, Dec, 10, 2010|archive-date=May 25, 2013}}</ref>

===Azerbaijan===
{{main|Russian language in Azerbaijan}}
In [[Azerbaijan]], Russian has no official status but is a lingua franca of the country.<ref name="fundeh1">{{cite web |url=http://www.fundeh.org/files/publications/90/vedenie_obshchee_sostoyanie_russkogo_yazyka.pdf |title=Русский язык в новых независимых государствах |access-date=2015-10-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304122143/http://www.fundeh.org/files/publications/90/vedenie_obshchee_sostoyanie_russkogo_yazyka.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 250,000 native speakers of Russian in the country, and 2 million active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251"/> 26% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 5% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/>

Research in 2005–2006 concluded that government officials did not consider Russian to be a threat to the strengthening role of the [[Azerbaijani language]] in independent Azerbaijan.  Rather, Russian continued to have value given the proximity of Russia and strong economic and political ties. However, it was seen as self-evident that to be successful, citizens needed to be proficient in Azerbaijani.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://biweekly.ada.edu.az/issues/vol3no19/20101010010545114.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213515/http://biweekly.ada.edu.az/issues/vol3no19/20101010010545114.html|url-status=dead|title=Biweekly|archive-date=March 3, 2016|website=biweekly.ada.edu.az}}</ref>
The Russian language was co-official in the breakaway Armenian-populated [[Republic of Artsakh]].

===China===
In the 1920s, the Chinese Communist Party and the [[Chinese Nationalist Party]] sent influential figures to study abroad in the Soviet Union, including [[Deng Xiaoping]] and [[Chiang Ching-kuo]], who both were classmates and fluent in Russian.<ref>{{cite book|title=孤岛落日: 蒋介石与民国大佬的黄昏岁月|publisher=[[团结出版社]]|date=2010|last=王先金|chapter=Chapter 3: 蒋经国主政台湾, under subheading "邓小平与蒋经国是同学"}} The relevant paragraph is included as an excerpt in {{cite news|title=蒋经国曾把邓小平当大哥 称"吃苏联的饭"|newspaper=新浪历史——reprinted from 人民网|date=2013-10-14|url=http://history.sina.com.cn/bk/lszh/2013-10-14/094456583.shtml}}</ref> Now, Russian is only spoken by the [[Russians in China|small Russian communities]] in the northeastern [[Heilongjiang]] province and the northwestern [[Xinjiang]] province.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Israel===
{{main|Russian language in Israel}}
Russian is also spoken in [[Israel]] by at least 1,000,000 ethnic [[Aliyah from the Commonwealth of Independent States in the 1990s|Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union]], according to the 1999 census. The Israeli [[mass media|press]] and [[websites]] regularly publish material in Russian, and there are Russian newspapers, television stations, schools, and social media outlets based in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/russians-in-israel/|title=Russians in Israel}}</ref>

===Kazakhstan===
In [[Kazakhstan]], Russian is not a state language, but according to Article 7 of the [[Constitution of Kazakhstan]], its usage enjoys equal status to that of the [[Kazakh language]] in state and local administration.<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 4,200,000 native speakers of Russian in the country and 10 million active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251"/> 63% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 46% used it as the main language with family, friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/> According to a 2001 estimate from the World Factbook, 95% of the population can speak Russian.<ref name=bookoffact/> Large Russian-speaking communities still exist in northern Kazakhstan, and ethnic Russians comprise 25.6% of Kazakhstan's population.<ref>{{cite web|title=Population Grows to 15.4 Million, More Births, Less Emigration Are Reasons|url=http://prosites-kazakhembus.homestead.com/042007.html|website=Kazakhstan News Bulletin - Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan|date=20 April 2007|access-date=6 May 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194130/http://prosites-kazakhembus.homestead.com/042007.html|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> The 2009 census reported that 10,309,500 people, or 84.8% of the population aged 15 and above, could read and write well in Russian and understand the spoken language.<ref name="kazcensus">{{cite web|title=Results Of The 2009 National Population Census Of The Republic Of Kazakhstan|url=http://liportal.giz.de/fileadmin/user_upload/oeffentlich/Kasachstan/40_gesellschaft/Kaz2009_Analytical_report.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615010100/https://liportal.giz.de/fileadmin/user_upload/oeffentlich/Kasachstan/40_gesellschaft/Kaz2009_Analytical_report.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 15, 2021|publisher=Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit|access-date=31 October 2015}}</ref>

===Kyrgyzstan===
In [[Kyrgyzstan]], Russian is an official language per Article 5 of the [[Constitution of Kyrgyzstan]].<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 600,000 native speakers of Russian in the country, and 1.5 million active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251"/> 38% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 22% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/>

The 2009 census states that 482,200 people speak Russian as a native language, including 419,000 ethnic Russians, and 63,200 from other ethnic groups, for a total of 8.99% of the population.<ref name="kyrcen"/> Additionally, 1,854,700 residents of Kyrgyzstan aged 15 and above fluently speak Russian as a second language, 49.6% of the population in that age group.<ref name=kyrcen/>

Russian remains the dominant language of business and upper levels of government. Parliament sessions are only rarely conducted in Kyrgyz and mostly take place in Russian. In 2011, President [[Roza Otunbaeva]] controversially reopened the debate about Kyrgyz getting a more dominant position in the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/language_a_sensitive_issue_in_kyrgyzstan/24246394.html|title=Language A Sensitive Issue In Kyrgyzstan|work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|date=27 June 2011 |access-date=23 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423102018/http://www.rferl.org/content/language_a_sensitive_issue_in_kyrgyzstan/24246394.html|archive-date=23 April 2016}}</ref>

===Tajikistan===
In [[Tajikistan]], Russian is the language of interethnic communication under the [[Constitution of Tajikistan]].<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 90,000 native speakers of Russian in the country and 1 million active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251"/> 28% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 7% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/> The World Factbook notes that Russian is widely used in government and business.<ref name=bookoffact/>

After independence, [[Tajik language|Tajik]] was declared the sole state language, and until 2009, Russian was designated the "language for interethnic communication". The 2009 law stated that all official papers and education in the country should be conducted only in the Tajik language. However, the law also stated that all minority ethnic groups in the country have the right to choose the language in which they want their children to be educated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajikistan_Drops_Russian_As_Official_Language/1846118.html|title=Tajikistan Drops Russian As Official Language|work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|access-date=23 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055202/http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajikistan_Drops_Russian_As_Official_Language/1846118.html|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

===Turkmenistan===
Russian lost its status as the official lingua franca of [[Turkmenistan]] in 1996.<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 150,000 native speakers of Russian in the country and 100,000 active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251"/> Russian is spoken by 12% of the population, according to an undated estimate from the World Factbook.<ref name=bookoffact/>

Russian television channels have mostly been shut down in Turkmenistan, and many Russian-language schools were closed down.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/in_post_soviet_central_asia_russian_takes_a_back_seat/24342710.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203163217/http://www.rferl.org/content/in_post_soviet_central_asia_russian_takes_a_back_seat/24342710.html?page=2|url-status=dead|title=In Post-Soviet Central Asia, Russian Takes A Backseat|archive-date=December 3, 2012|website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty}}</ref>

===Uzbekistan===
In [[Uzbekistan]], Russian has no official status but is a lingua franca and a de-facto language throughout the country.<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 1,200,000 native speakers of Russian in the country and 5 million active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251"/> Russian is spoken by 14.2% of the population, according to an undated estimate from the World Factbook.<ref name=bookoffact/> Throughout the country, there are still signs with Uzbek and Russian.

After the independence of [[Uzbekistan]] in 1991, [[Uzbek culture]] underwent the three trends of derussification, the creation of an Uzbek national identity, and [[westernization]]. The state has primarily promoted those trends through the [[Education in Uzbekistan|educational system]], which is particularly effective because nearly half the Uzbek population is of school age or younger.<ref name="Dollerup">{{cite book|chapter=Language and Culture in Transition in Uzbekistan|first=Cay|last=Dollerup|title=Post-Soviet Central Asia|editor1-first=Touraj|editor1-last=Atabaki|editor2-first=John|editor2-last=O'Kane|publisher=Tauris Academic Studies|pages=144–147}}</ref>

Since the [[Uzbek language]] became official and privileged in hiring and firing, there has been a [[brain drain]] of [[ethnic Russians]] in Uzbekistan. The displacement of the Russian-speaking population from the industrial sphere, science and education has weakened those spheres. As a result of emigration, participation in Russian cultural centers like the [[Navoi Theater|State Academy Bolshoi Theatre in Uzbekistan]] has seriously declined.<ref name="Dollerup"/>

In the capital, [[Tashkent]], statues of the leaders of the [[Russian Revolution]] were taken down and replaced with local heroes like [[Timur]], and urban street names in the Russian style were Uzbekified. In 1995, Uzbekistan ordered the [[Uzbek alphabet]] changed from a [[Russian alphabet|Russian]]-based [[Cyrillic script]] to a modified [[Latin alphabet]], and in 1997, Uzbek became the sole language of state administration.<ref name="Dollerup"/>

===Rest of Asia===
In 2005, Russian was the most widely taught foreign language in [[Mongolia]],<ref>{{cite news|first= James|last= Brooke|agency= [[New York Times]]|title= For Mongolians, E Is for English, F Is for Future|work= The New York Times|date= February 15, 2005|access-date= May 16, 2009|url= https://nytimes.com/2005/02/15/international/asia/15mongolia.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110614225411/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/international/asia/15mongolia.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all|archive-date= June 14, 2011}}</ref> and is compulsory in Year 7 onward as a second foreign language in 2006.<ref>{{cite news|agency=New Region|script-title=ru:Русский язык в Монголии стал обязательным|trans-title=Russian language has become compulsory in Mongolia|language=ru|date=21 September 2006|access-date=16 May 2009|url=http://www.nr2.ru/83966.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009170315/http://www.nr2.ru/83966.html|archive-date=2008-10-09}}</ref>

Russian is also spoken as a second language by a small number of people in [[Afghanistan]].<ref>Awde and Sarwan, 2003</ref>

==Oceania==
===Australia===
Australian cities [[Melbourne]] and [[Sydney]] have Russian-speaking populations, most of which live in the southeast of [[Melbourne]], particularly the suburbs of [[Carnegie, Victoria|Carnegie]] and [[Caulfield, Victoria|Caulfield]]. Two-thirds of them are actually Russian-speaking descendants of [[German people|Germans]], [[Greeks]], [[Jews]], [[Azerbaijani people|Azerbaijanis]], [[Armenians]] or [[Ukrainians]], who either were repatriated after the Soviet Union collapsed or are just looking for temporary employment.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

==Europe==
===Belarus===
{{main|Russian language in Belarus}}
[[File:BelarusHomeLanguages2009.PNG|thumb|Languages of Belarus according to 2009 census (blue - Russian)]]
In [[Belarus]], Russian is co-official alongside Belarusian per the [[Constitution of Belarus]].<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 3,243,000 native speakers of Russian in the country and 8 million active speakers;<ref name="demoscope251"/> 77% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 67% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329">{{cite web|url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2008/0329/tema03.php|title=Русскоязычие распространено не только там, где живут русские|publisher=Demoscope.ru|access-date=2016-08-19|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023011719/http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/2008/0329/tema03.php|archive-date=2016-10-23}}</ref>

Initially, when Belarus became independent in 1991 and the Belarusian language became the only state language, some derussification started.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} However, after [[Alexander Lukashenko]] became president, a [[1995 Belarusian referendum|referendum held in 1995]], which was considered fraudulent by the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]], included a question about the status of Russian. It was made a state language, along with Belarusian.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In most spheres, the Russian language is by far the dominant one. In fact, almost all government information and websites are in Russian only.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

===Bulgaria===
[[Bulgaria]] has the largest proportion of Russian-speakers among European countries that were not part of the Soviet Union.<ref name="ebs386">{{cite web|title=Eurobarometer 386 |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |publisher=European Commission |access-date=15 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2016 }}</ref> According to a 2012 [[Eurobarometer]] survey, 19% of the population understands Russian well enough to follow the news, television, or radio.<ref name="ebs386"/> Native Russian speakers are 0.24%.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Население, Демографски и социални характеристики |publisher=National Statistical Institute |year=2012 |edition=Том 1: Население |location=Bulgaria |pages=33–34, 190 |language=Bulgarian}}</ref>

===Estonia===
{{see also|Languages of Estonia#Russian}}
[[File:Russophone population in Estonia.png|thumb|left|Russophone population in [[Estonia]], 2000 census]]
In [[Estonia]], Russian is officially considered a foreign language.<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 470,000 native speakers of Russian in the country, and 500,000 active speakers,<ref name="demoscope251"/> 35% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 25% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/> Russian is spoken by 29.6% of the population, according to a 2011 estimate from the World Factbook.<ref name=bookoffact/>

Ethnic Russians are 25.5% of the country's current population<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/igraph/MakeGraph.asp?gr_type=5&gr_width=600&gr_height=400&gr_fontsize=12&menu=y&PLanguage=2&pxfile=RV02222012112275739.px&wonload=600&honload=400&rotate= |title=Diagram |publisher=Pub.stat.ee |access-date=2013-06-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222125827/http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/igraph/MakeGraph.asp?gr_type=5&gr_width=600&gr_height=400&gr_fontsize=12&menu=y&PLanguage=2&pxfile=RV02222012112275739.px&wonload=600&honload=400&rotate= |archive-date=2012-12-22}}</ref> and 58.6% of the native Estonian population is also able to speak Russian.<ref name="PopLangEE">{{cite web |title=Population census of Estonia 2000. Population by mother tongue, command of foreign languages and citizenship |publisher=[[Statistics Estonia]] |url=http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PC227&ti=POPULATION+BY+MOTHER+TONGUE%2C+COMMAND+OF+FOREIGN+LANGUAGES+AND+CITIZENSHIP&path=../I_Databas/Population_census/08Ethnic_nationality._Mother_tongue._Command_of_foreign_languages/&lang=1 |access-date=2007-10-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808012200/http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PC227&ti=POPULATION+BY+MOTHER+TONGUE%2C+COMMAND+OF+FOREIGN+LANGUAGES+AND+CITIZENSHIP&path=..%2FI_Databas%2FPopulation_census%2F08Ethnic_nationality._Mother_tongue._Command_of_foreign_languages%2F&lang=1 |archive-date=August 8, 2007 }}</ref> In all, 67.8% of Estonia's population could speak Russian.<ref name="PopLangEE" /> The command of Russian, however, is rapidly decreasing among younger Estonians and is primarily being replaced by the command of English. For example, 53% of ethnic Estonians between 15 and 19 claimed to speak some Russian in 2000, but among the 10- to 14-year-old group, command of Russian had fallen to 19%, about one third the percentage of those who claim to command English in the same age group.<ref name="PopLangEE" />

In 2007, [[Amnesty International]] harshly criticized what it termed Estonia's "harassment" of Russian-speakers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur51/001/2007/en/ |title="ESTONIA: LANGUAGE POLICE GETS MORE POWERS TO HARASS", 27 February 2007, Amnesty International |date=27 February 2007 |access-date=2018-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122062950/https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur51/001/2007/en/ |archive-date=2018-11-22 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, the language inspectorate stepped up inspections at workplaces to ensure that state employees spoke Estonian at an acceptable level. That included inspections of teachers at Russian-medium schools.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/world/europe/08estonia.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917144558/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/world/europe/08estonia.html?_r=0|url-status=dead|title=Estonia Raises Its Pencils to Erase Russian|first=Clifford J.|last=Levy|date=June 7, 2010|archive-date=September 17, 2017|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> Amnesty International continues to criticize Estonian policies: "Non-Estonian speakers, mainly from the Russian-speaking minority, were denied employment due to official language requirements for various professions in the private sector and almost all professions in the public sector. Most did not have access to affordable language training that would enable them to qualify for employment."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/europe/estonia|title=Estonia|work=Amnesty International USA|access-date=23 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414135009/http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/europe/estonia|archive-date=14 April 2016}}</ref>

The percentage of Russian speakers in Estonia is still declining, but not as fast as in the most of ex-Soviet countries. After overcoming the consequences of [[2008 financial crisis]], the tendency of emigration of Russian speakers has almost stopped, unlike in Latvia or in Lithuania.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

===Finland===
{{see also|Languages of Finland#Russian}}
Russian is spoken by about 1.4% of the population of [[Finland]], according to a 2014 estimate from the World Factbook.<ref name="bookoffact"/> Making Russian language one of the most-spoken immigrant language in Finland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.helsinki.fi/varieng/series/volumes/05/evarieng-vol5.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-03-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930031402/http://www.helsinki.fi/varieng/series/volumes/05/evarieng-vol5.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-30 }}</ref>

Until 2022 the popularity of Russian language was growing because of an increase in trade with and tourism from the Russia and other Russian-speaking countries and regions.<ref>{{cite web |author=Levan Tvaltvadze |url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/ministr_kultury_predlagaet_izuchat_russkii_alfavit_v_shkole/6949432 |title=Министр культуры предлагает изучать русский алфавит в школе |date=22 November 2013 |publisher=Yle Uutiset |access-date=2016-08-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034852/http://yle.fi/uutiset/ministr_kultury_predlagaet_izuchat_russkii_alfavit_v_shkole/6949432 |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> However after the year of 2022, various statistics show a notable decline in the popularity of Russian language in Finnish society. There was steadily-increasing demand for the knowledge of Russian in the workplace, which was also reflected in its growing presence in the Finnish education system, including higher education.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-28 |title=Venäjän kielen opetuksen määrä romahtaa alakouluissa syksyllä |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20019618 |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}</ref> In [[Eastern Finland]], most prominently in its border towns, Russian has already begun to rival Swedish as the second most important foreign language due to high tourism rate from Russia throughout the past decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/munitsipalitety_khodataistvuyut_ob_alternativnom_russkom_yazyke_v_shkole/6597559|title=Муниципалитеты ходатайствуют об альтернативном русском языке в школе| date=31 March 2011 |publisher=Yle Uutiset|access-date=2016-08-19|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602004625/http://yle.fi/uutiset/munitsipalitety_khodataistvuyut_ob_alternativnom_russkom_yazyke_v_shkole/6597559|archive-date=2016-06-02}}</ref>
===Georgia===
In [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], Russian has no official status but is recognized as a minority language under the [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities]].<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 130,000 native speakers of Russian in the country, and 1.7 million active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251"/> 27% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 1% used it as the main language with family, friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/> Russian is the language of 9% of the population according to the World Factbook.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/georgia/ Georgia]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].</ref> Ethnologue cites Russian as the country's de facto working language.<ref name="ethn">{{cite web |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/rus |title=Russian |access-date=2015-01-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109050303/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/rus |archive-date=2015-01-09 }}</ref>

Georgianization has been pursued with most official and private signs only in the [[Georgian language]], with English being the favored foreign language. Exceptions are older signs remaining from Soviet times, which are generally bilingual Georgian and Russian. Private signs and advertising in the [[Samtskhe-Javakheti]] region, which has a majority Armenian population, are generally in Russian only or Georgian and Russian.{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}} In the [[Kvemo Kartli]] borderline region, which has a majority ethnic Azerbaijani population, signs and advertising are often in Russian only, in Georgian and Azerbaijani, or Georgian and Russian. Derussification has not been pursued in the areas outside Georgian government control: [[Abkhazia]] and [[South Ossetia]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}}

The Russian language is co-official in the breakaway republics of [[Republic of Abkhazia|Abkhazia]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Constitution of Abkhazia |url=https://unpo.org/article/697 |website=UNPO |date=2 November 2009 |access-date=15 November 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115113031/https://unpo.org/article/697 |archive-date=2018-11-15 |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[South Ossetia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Конституция Республики Южная Осетия |url=http://www.parliamentrso.org/node/13 |website=Парламент Республики Южная Осетия |access-date=15 November 2018 |language=ru |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910200238/http://www.parliamentrso.org/node/13 |archive-date=2018-09-10 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Germany===
{{see also|Russians in Germany}}
[[Germany]] has the highest Russian-speaking population outside the former Soviet Union, with approximately 3 million people.<ref>See Bernhard Brehmer: ''Sprechen Sie Qwelja? Formen und Folgen russisch-deutscher Zweisprachigkeit in Deutschland.'' In: Tanja Anstatt (ed.): ''Mehrsprachigkeit bei Kindern und Erwachsenen.'' Tübingen 2007, S.&nbsp;163–185, here: 166&nbsp;f., based on [https://web.archive.org/web/20070820124909/http://www.bmi.bund.de/Internet/Content/Common/Anlagen/Broschueren/2006/Migrationsbericht__2005%2CtemplateId%3Draw%2Cproperty%3DpublicationFile.pdf/Migrationsbericht_2005.pdf Migrationsbericht 2005] des Bundesamtes für Migration und Flüchtlinge. (PDF)</ref> They are split into three groups, from largest to smallest: [[Russia Germans|Russian-speaking ethnic Germans]] ([[:de:Aussiedler|''Aussiedler'']]), ethnic Russians, and Jews.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Latvia===
{{see also|Russian language in Latvia|Language policy in Latvia}}
[[File:Use of Russian language at home in Latvia (2011).svg|thumb|Percent of Russian speakers in different regions of Latvia, 2011 census]]

The [[Constitution of Latvia|1922 Constitution of Latvia]], restored in 1990, enacted Latvian as the sole official language.<ref name="Declaration of independence">{{in lang|lv}} [http://www.historia.lv/alfabets/L/la/neatkar_atj/dok/1990.05.04.htm Declaration of independence of 4 May 1990] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905015949/http://www.historia.lv/alfabets/L/la/neatkar_atj/dok/1990.05.04.htm |date=5 September 2007 }} (Retrieved on 24 December 2006)</ref>

Despite large Russian-speaking minorities in Latvia (26.9% ethnic Russians, 2011),<ref name="csb.gov.lv">{{Cite web|url=https://stat.gov.lv/en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610225219/http://www.csb.gov.lv/en/statistikas-temas/population-census-2011-key-indicators-33613.html|url-status=dead|title=Statistics Portal|archive-date=June 10, 2012|website=stat.gov.lv}}</ref> the Russian language has no official status.<ref name="fundeh1"/> According to Russian sources, 55% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 26% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/>{{Better source needed|date=June 2023|reason=Russian state media}}

A [[2012 Latvian constitutional referendum|constitutional referendum]], held in February 2012, proposed amendments to the [[constitution of Latvia]] to make Russian the second state language of Latvia, but 821,722 (75%) of the voters voted against and 273,347 (25%) for. There has been criticism that about 290,000 of the 557,119 (2011) ethnic [[Russians in Latvia]] are non-citizens and do not have the right to vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/world/europe/latvia-rejects-bid-to-adopt-russian-as-second-language.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306044807/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/world/europe/latvia-rejects-bid-to-adopt-russian-as-second-language.html|url-status=dead|title=Latvians Reject Russian as Second Language|first=David M.|last=Herszenhorn|date=February 19, 2012|archive-date=March 6, 2017|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> Since 2019, [[language of instruction|instruction]] in Russian is gradually discontinued in private colleges and [[private university|universities]], as well general instruction in public [[high schools]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baltic-course.com/eng2/education/?doc=141256|title=Latvian president promulgates bill banning teaching in Russian at private universities|date=April 7, 2018|publisher=[[The Baltic Course]]|access-date=August 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811200557/http://www.baltic-course.com/eng2/education/?doc=141256|archive-date=2018-08-11|url-status=live}}</ref> except for subjects related to [[Russian culture|culture]] and [[Russian history|history]] of the Russian minority, such as Russian language and [[Russian literature|literature]] classes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/education/government-okays-transition-to-latvian-as-sole-language-at-schools-in-2019.a265290/|title=Government okays transition to Latvian as sole language at schools in 2019|date=January 23, 2018|publisher=[[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]]|access-date=August 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816125825/https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/education/government-okays-transition-to-latvian-as-sole-language-at-schools-in-2019.a265290/|archive-date=2018-08-16|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Lithuania===
In 1992 [[Constitution of Lithuania]], the [[Lithuanian language]] was declared as the sole state language.<ref name=andrlik/> This was also the case in the 1922—1938 [[Interwar period|interwar]] constitutions.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Official Lithuanian Language in the Interwar Years|url=https://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/lietuviu-kalba/article/view/34922/33266|first=Aldonas|last=Pupkis|year=2023|website=Vilnius University}}</ref>

In [[Lithuania]], Russian has no official or any other legal status, but the use of the language has some presence in certain areas. A large part of the population (63% as of 2011), especially the older generations, can speak Russian as a foreign language.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://in.mfa.lt/in/en/news/statistics-lithuania-785-of-lithuanians-speak-at-least-one-foreign-language|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106145651/https://in.mfa.lt/in/en/news/statistics-lithuania-785-of-lithuanians-speak-at-least-one-foreign-language|url-status=dead|title=Statistics Lithuania: 78.5% of Lithuanians speak at least one foreign language &#124; News &#124; Ministry of Foreign Affairs|archivedate=January 6, 2021}}</ref> Only 3% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work, though.<ref name="demoscope329"/> English has replaced Russian as ''[[lingua franca]]'' in Lithuania and around 80% of young people speak English as the first foreign language.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://investlithuania.com/news/employees-fluent-in-three-languages-its-the-norm-in-lithuania/ |title=Employees fluent in three languages – it's the norm in Lithuania |publisher=Invest Lithuania |date= |access-date=2022-04-05}}</ref> Russian is still available to take in some schools in Lithuania, but is not mandatory like during the Soviet period. They have options to take German, French, Spanish, etc.{{cn|date=May 2024}} In contrast to the other two Baltic states, Lithuania has a relatively small Russian-speaking minority (5.0% as of 2008).<ref name="andrlik">{{cite web|title=''Ethnic and Language Policy of the Republic of Lithuania: Basis and Practice'', Jan Andrlík|url=http://alppi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Andrlik_2009.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403213425/http://alppi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Andrlik_2009.pdf|archive-date=3 April 2016}}</ref>

Unlike Latvia or Estonia, Lithuania has never implemented the practice of regarding some former Soviet citizens as [[Alien (law)#Other jurisdictions|non-citizens]].

===Moldova===
{{see also|Languages of Moldova#Russian}}
In [[Moldova]], Russian has a status similar to the other recognized minority languages;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deschide.md/ro/stiri/politic/78929/Pre%C8%99edintele-CCM-Constitu%C8%9Bia-nu-confer%C4%83-limbii-ruse-un-statut-deosebit-de-cel-al-altor-limbi-minoritare.htm |title= Președintele CCM: Constituția nu conferă limbii ruse un statut deosebit de cel al altor limbi minoritare |publisher=Deschide.md |access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref> it was also considered to be the language of interethnic communication under a Soviet-era law.<ref name="fundeh1"/>

According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 450,000 native speakers of Russian in the country and 1.9 million active speakers.<ref name="demoscope251">{{cite web|url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2006/0251/tema01.php|title=Падение статуса русского языка на постсоветском пространстве|publisher=Demoscope.ru|access-date=2016-08-19|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025204352/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2006/0251/tema01.php|archive-date=2016-10-25}}</ref> 50% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 19% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/> According to the 2014 census, Russian is the native language of 9.68% of Moldovans, and the language of first use for 14.49% of the population.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Russian has a co-official status alongside [[Romanian language|Romanian]] in the autonomies of [[Gagauzia]] and [[Transnistria]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Romania===
{{see also|Languages of Romania#Russian}}
According to the 2011 Romanian census, there are 23,487 Russian-speaking [[Lipovans]]  practicizing the [[Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church]]. They are concentrated in [[Dobruja]], mainly in the [[Tulcea County]] but also in the [[Constanța County]]. Outside Dobruja, the Lipovans of Romania live mostly in the [[Suceava County]] and in the cities of
[[Iași]], [[Brăila]] and [[Bucharest]].<ref name="ro" />

===Russia===
According to the [[Russian Census (2010)|census of 2010 in Russia]], Russian skills were indicated by 138 million people (99.4% population), and according to the [[Russian Census (2002)|2002 census]], the number was 142.6 million people (99.2% population). Among urban residents, 101 million people (99.8%) had Russian language skills, and in rural areas, the number was 37 million people (98.7%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2011/0491/perep01.php |title=Демоскоп Weekly. Об итогах Всероссийской переписи населения 2010 года. Сообщение Росстата |publisher=Demoscope.ru |date=2011-11-08 |access-date=2014-04-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018055149/http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/2011/0491/perep01.php |archive-date=2014-10-18}}</ref> The number of native Russian-speakers in 2010 was 118.6 million (85.7%),{{citation needed|date=November 2018}} a bit higher than the number of ethnic Russians (111 million, or 80.9%).{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Russian is the official language of [[Russia]] but shares the official status at regional level with other languages in the numerous ethnic autonomies within Russia, such as [[Chuvashia]], [[Bashkortostan]], [[Tatarstan]], and [[Sakha Republic|Yakutia]], and 94% of school students in Russia receive their education primarily in Russian.<ref>{{cite web|script-title= ru:Об исполнении Российской Федерацией Рамочной конвенции о защите национальных меньшинств. Альтернативный доклад НПО.|publisher= MINELRES|format= Doc|page= 80|url= http://www.minelres.lv/reports/russia/FCNM%20-%20Russian%20NGO%20report%20-%20rus_28mar06.doc|language= ru|access-date= 2009-05-16|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090325104105/http://www.minelres.lv/reports/russia/FCNM%20-%20Russian%20NGO%20report%20-%20rus_28mar06.doc|archive-date= 2009-03-25}}</ref>

In [[Dagestan]], [[Chechnya]], and [[Ingushetia]], derussification is understood not so much directly as the disappearance of Russian language and culture but rather by the exodus of Russian-speaking people themselves, which intensified after the [[First Chechen War|First]] and the [[Second Chechen War]]s and [[Islamization]]; by 2010, it had reached a critical point. The displacement of the Russian-speaking population from industry, science and education has weakened those spheres.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/1202.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917144558/http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/1202.html|url-status=dead|title=How many Russians are left in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia? |archive-date=September 17, 2017|website=vestnikkavkaza.net}}</ref>

In the [[Republic of Karelia]], it was announced in 2007 that the [[Karelian language]] would be used at national events,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.karelia.ru/News/2009/07/0722_07_e.html|title=22.07.2009 - Karelian language to be used for all national events|access-date=23 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611024209/http://www.gov.karelia.ru/News/2009/07/0722_07_e.html|archive-date=11 June 2016}}</ref> but Russian is still the only official language (Karelian is one of several "national" languages), and virtually all business and education is conducted in Russian. In 2010, less than 8% of the republic's population was ethnic [[Karelian people|Karelian]].
 
Russification is reported to be continuing in [[Mari El]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eesti.ca/?op=article&articleid=22138|title=Russification Efforts in Mari El Disturb Hungarians|last=Goble|first=Paul|website=Estonian World Review|date=December 17, 2008|access-date=January 9, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110161344/http://www.eesti.ca/?op=article&articleid=22138|archive-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref>

===Ukraine===
[[File:UkraineNativeLanguagesCensus2001detailed-en.png|thumb|[[Ukrainian Census (2001)]]: {{legend|red|50–80% native Russian speakers}}{{legend|maroon|80–100% native Russian speakers}}]]
{{see also|Russian language in Ukraine|Russification of Ukraine|Derussification in Ukraine|Law of Ukraine "to ensure the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the State language"}}
In [[Ukraine]], Russian is seen as a minority language under the 1996 [[Constitution of Ukraine]]. According to estimates from Demoskop Weekly, in 2004 there were 14,400,000 native speakers of Russian in the country and 29 million active speakers;<ref name="demoscope251"/> 65% of the population was fluent in Russian in 2006, and 38% used it as the main language with family or friends or at work.<ref name="demoscope329"/>

In 1990, Russian became legally the official all-Union language of the Soviet Union, with constituent republics having rights to declare their own official languages.<ref name="google.nl"/><ref name="narod.ru"/> In 1989, the [[Ukrainian SSR]] government adopted Ukrainian as its official language, which was affirmed after the [[fall of the Soviet Union]] as the only official state language of the newly-independent Ukraine. The educational system was transformed over the first decade of independence from a system that was overwhelmingly Russian to one in which over 75% of tuition was in Ukrainian. The government has also mandated a progressively increased role for Ukrainian in the media and commerce.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In 2012 poll by [[Sociological group "RATING"|RATING]], 50% of respondents consider Ukrainian their native language, 29% - Russian, 20% consider both Ukrainian and Russian their mother tongue, another 1% considers a different language their native language.<ref name="RatingJuly12">[http://ratinggroup.com.ua/en/products/politic/data/entry/14004/ The language question, the results of recent research in 2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709203803/http://ratinggroup.com.ua/en/products/politic/data/entry/14004/ |date=2015-07-09}}, [[Sociological group "RATING"|RATING]] (25 May 2012)</ref>). However, the transition lacked most of the controversies that surrounded the derussification in several of the other [[former Soviet Republics]].{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

In some cases, the abrupt changing of the language of instruction in institutions of secondary and higher education led to charges of [[cultural assimilation|assimilation]], which were raised mostly by Russian-speakers.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} In various elections, the adoption of Russian as an official language was an [[election promise]] by one of the main candidates ([[Leonid Kuchma]] in [[1994 Ukrainian presidential election|1994]], [[Viktor Yanukovych]] in [[2004 Ukrainian presidential election|2004]], and the [[Party of Regions]] in [[2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election|2012]]).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=zzbelxtHoBEC&dq=Viktor+Yanukovych+2004+promised&pg=PA149 Migration, Refugee Policy, and State Building in Postcommunist Europe] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917144558/https://books.google.com/books?id=zzbelxtHoBEC&pg=PA149&dq=Viktor+Yanukovych+2004+promised&hl=en&sa=X&ei=shi-UKONNom70QXJ-4HYAw&redir_esc=y|date=2017-09-17}} by [[Oxana Shevel]], [[Cambridge University Press]], 2011,{{ISBN|0521764793}}</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/05/ukraine-war-of-words-russian Ukraine's war of the words] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817095444/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/05/ukraine-war-of-words-russian |date=2016-08-17}}, [[The Guardian]] (5 July 2012)</ref><ref>[http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/en/news/topic/503b6606c4ca42ee400001fe FROM STABILITY TO PROSPERITY Draft Campaign Program of the Party of Regions] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224122831/http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/en/news/topic/503b6606c4ca42ee400001fe |date=December 24, 2012 }}, [[Party of Regions]] Official Information Portal (27 August 2012)</ref><ref>[http://www.novostimira.com.ua/news_28570.html "Яценюк считает, что если Партия регионов победит, может возникнуть «второй Майдан»", ''Novosti Mira'' (Ukraine)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103235134/http://www.novostimira.com.ua/news_28570.html |date=2012-11-03 }}</ref> After the introduction of the 2012 [[legislation on languages in Ukraine]], Russian was declared a "regional language" in several southern and eastern parts of Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/yanukovych-signs-language-bill-into-law-311230.html|title=Yanukovych signs language bill into law| date=8 August 2012 |access-date=23 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106072352/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/yanukovych-signs-language-bill-into-law-311230.html|archive-date=6 January 2016}}</ref> On 28 February 2018, the [[Constitutional Court of Ukraine]] ruled that legislation to be unconstitutional.<ref name="bKSU10ZZ117">[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/2412584-constitutional-court-declares-unconstitutional-language-law-of-kivalovkolesnichenko.html Constitutional Court declares unconstitutional language law of Kivalov-Kolesnichenko] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627033949/https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/2412584-constitutional-court-declares-unconstitutional-language-law-of-kivalovkolesnichenko.html |date=2018-06-27 }}, [[Ukrinform]] (28 February 2018)</ref>

A poll conducted in March 2022 by [[Sociological group "RATING"|RATING]] found that 83% of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian should be the only state language of Ukraine. This opinion dominates in all macro-regions, age and language groups. On the other hand, before the war, almost a quarter of Ukrainians were in favour of granting Russian the status of the state language, while today only 7% support it. In peacetime, Russian was traditionally supported by residents of the south and east. But even in these regions, only a third of them were in favour, and after [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia's full-scale invasion]], their number dropped by almost half.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/language_issue_in_ukraine_march_19th_2022.html | title=Шосте загальнонаціональне опитування: мовне питання в Україні (19 березня 2022) }}</ref>

According to the survey carried out by [[Sociological group "RATING"|RATING]] on 16-20 August 2023, almost 60% of the polled usually speak Ukrainian at home, about 30% – Ukrainian and Russian, only 9% – Russian. Since March 2022, the use of Russian in everyday life has been noticeably decreasing. For 82 per cent of respondents, Ukrainian is their mother tongue, and for 16 per cent, Russian is their mother tongue. [[Internally displaced person|IDPs]] and [[Ukrainian refugee crisis (2022–present)|refugees living abroad]] are more likely to use both languages for communication or speak Russian. Nevertheless, more than 70 per cent of IDPs and refugees consider Ukrainian to be their native language.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/soc_olog_chne_dosl_dzhennya_do_dnya_nezalezhno_uyavlennya_pro_patr_otizm_ta_maybutn_ukra_ni_16-20_se.html | title=Соціологічне дослідження до Дня Незалежності: УЯВЛЕННЯ ПРО ПАТРІОТИЗМ ТА МАЙБУТНЄ УКРАЇНИ (16-20 серпня 2023) }}</ref>

===Rest of Europe===
[[File:LEMESOS.07.01.21.Ala rosijski produkty.JPG|thumb|left|Russian minimarket in [[Limassol]], [[Cyprus]]; translation: "Teremok market. Russian products. Phone number: 96 74 19 63"]]
In the 20th century, Russian was a mandatory language taught in the schools of the members of the old [[Warsaw Pact]] and in other [[communist countries]] that used to be Soviet satellites, including [[Poland]], [[Bulgaria]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Hungary]], [[Albania]], the former [[East Germany]] and [[Cuba]]. However, younger generations are usually not fluent in it because Russian is no longer mandatory in schools. According to the Eurobarometer 2005 survey,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/pdf/doc631_en.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521033643/http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/pdf/doc631_en.pdf|archive-date=2009-05-21|title=Europeans and their Languages|date=2006|work=europa.eu}}</ref> fluency in Russian remains fairly high, however, at (20–40%) in some countries, particularly those whose people speak a [[Slavic language]] and so have an edge in learning Russian (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Bulgaria).{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Significant Russian-speaking groups also exist in other parts of [[Europe]]{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}} and have been fed by several waves of immigrants since the beginning of the 20th century, each with its own flavor of language. The [[United Kingdom]], [[Spain]], [[Portugal]], [[France]], [[Italy]], [[Belgium]], [[Greece]], [[Norway]], and [[Austria]] have significant Russian-speaking communities.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

According to the 2011 census of [[Ireland]], there were 21,639 people using Russian at home. However, only 13% were Russian nationals. 20% held Irish citizenship, while 27% and 14% were Latvian and Lithuanian citizens respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldirish.com/listening-post/view/ten-facts-from-irelands-census-2011-829|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331230059/http://www.worldirish.com/listening-post/view/ten-facts-from-irelands-census-2011-829|archive-date=2012-03-31 |title=Ten Facts from Ireland's Census 2011 |publisher=WorldIrish |date=2012-03-29 |url-status=usurped|access-date=2013-06-18}}</ref>

There were 20,984 Russian-speakers in [[Cyprus]] according to the 2011 census of 2011 and accounted for 2.5% of the population.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mof.gov.cy/mof/cystat/statistics.nsf/All/548284B11BF2A3B1C2257A06003204B2?OpenDocument&print |script-title=el:Στατιστική Υπηρεσία - Πληθυσμός και Κοινωνικές Συνθήκες - Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Ανακοινώσεις - Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού, 2011 |language=el |publisher=Demoscope.ru |access-date=2013-06-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507080606/http://www.mof.gov.cy/mof/cystat/statistics.nsf/All/548284B11BF2A3B1C2257A06003204B2?OpenDocument&print |archive-date=2013-05-07}}</ref>

Russian is spoken by 1.6% of the people of [[Hungary]] according to a 2011 estimate from the World Factbook.<ref name=bookoffact/>

==Americas==
{{see also|Russian language in the United States}}
The language was first introduced in [[North America]] when [[Russian explorers]] voyaged into [[Alaska]] and claimed it for Russia in the 1700s. Although most Russian colonists left after the [[United States]] bought the land in 1867, a handful stayed and have preserved the Russian language in the region although only a few elderly speakers of their unique dialect are left.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://languagehat.com/ninilchik/ |title=Ninilchik |publisher=languagehat.com |date=2009-01-01 |access-date=2013-06-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107112220/http://languagehat.com/ninilchik/ |archive-date=2014-01-07}}</ref> In [[Nikolaevsk, Alaska|Nikolaevsk]], Russian is more spoken than English. Sizable Russian-speaking communities also exist in [[North America]], especially in large urban centers of the US and [[Canada]], such as [[Russian Americans in New York City|New York City]], [[Philadelphia]], [[Boston]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], [[San Francisco]], [[Seattle]], [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]], [[Toronto]], [[Calgary]], [[History of the Russians in Baltimore|Baltimore]], [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Chicago]], [[Denver]] and [[Cleveland]]. In a number of locations, they issue their own newspapers, and live in [[ethnic enclave]]s (especially the generation of immigrants who started arriving in the early 1960s). Only about 25% of them are ethnic Russians, however. Before the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]], the overwhelming majority of Russophones in [[Brighton Beach, Brooklyn]] in New York City were Russian-speaking [[Jews]]. Afterward, the influx from the countries of the former [[Soviet Union]] changed the statistics somewhat, with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians immigrating along with some more Russian Jews and Central Asians. According to the [[United States Census]], in 2007 Russian was the primary language spoken in the homes of over 850,000 individuals living in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/language/data/acs/ACS-12.pdf |title=Language Use in the United States: 2007, census.gov |access-date=2013-06-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614060228/http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/language/data/acs/ACS-12.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-14 }}</ref>

Russian was the most popular language in Cuba in the second half of the 20th century. Besides being taught at universities and schools, there were also educational programs on the radio and TV. It is now making a come-back in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://russkiymir.ru/en/news/244089/|title=Russian language returns to Cuba|website=russkiymir.ru}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Russian world]]
* [[Russian diaspora]]
* [[Dialect continuum]]
* [[List of lingua francas |List of link languages]]
* [[Geolinguistics]]
* [[Language geography]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091027084632/http://geocities.com/ojoronen/FINCOOP.HTM  Uralic family home page]
* [http://www.iwpr.net/?p=rca&s=f&o=258200&apc_state=henh Language Controversy in Kyrgyzstan] - [[Institute for War and Peace Reporting]], 23 November 2005
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060630154229/http://www2.pravda.com.ua/en/news/2005/11/28/4896.htm Ukrainian language - the third official?] - [[Ukrayinska Pravda]], 28 November 2005

{{Russian language}}
{{Geographical distribution of languages}}

[[Category:Geographical distribution of the Russian language| ]]
[[Category:Geographical distribution of Slavic languages|Russian]]