The number of people speaking Russian has decreased by 50 million in the past 25 years, especially in the former Soviet republics and former socialist countries, Vyacheslav Nikonov, chairman of the education and science committee of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house and chairman of the board of the Russian World foundation, said on Friday at the 11th Russian World Assembly.
The Russian news agency TASS quoated the senior lawmaker as saying that "the older Russian-speaking generation in the former Soviet republics and former socialist countries, where Russian was taught at school, has practically gone over the past 25 years. The younger generation in these countries does not speak Russian, and this is a serious problem," he said.
However, in his words, the Russian language is regaining its positions, especially in the countries of the former Soviet Union, as the knowledge of Russian opens good opportunities, including in terms of employment. The interest to the Russian language is growing in foreign countries too. "Serious interest to the Russian language is seen in China, with more and more people studying it. And China is the world's biggest nation," he said. "We are doing our best to ensure possibility of studying Russian everywhere, even in those countries where it has never been studied, such as Indonesia or Nicaragua. Now Russian classes are offered there too."
The 11th Russian World Assembly is taking place in Nizhny Novgorod from 2-4 November. It is attended by delegates from 73 countries, and from all Russian regions.
source: commonspace.eu with TASS news agency
