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The Russian Language

The History of the Language

The Russian language developed as a result of migration in Europe and originated from the European Slavic languages. In the seventh century the Slavic people of Poland migrated towards and occupied the majority of the Balkans. Over the years other settlers also moved in this direction and Russian settlers gradually migrated too, into the Ukraine area. In the tenth century significant changes in language occurred when the Slavonic languages became divided into three distinct languages belonging to the West, South and Eastern areas. The languages were linked as they retained common features such as the grammatical structure. These languages gave rise to modern Russian, Ukranian and Bebrussian.

It was two famous missionaries, Constantine and Methodius, who were tasked to record the scriptures in Slavic language and invented the Slavonic alphabet which was loosely based on the Greek Alphabet with the addition of some letters representing Slavic sound. This was called Old Church Slavonic which was the standard written language until the eighteenth century. The Cossack rebellion caused shifts in the geographical distribution of Russians as more settled in Ukraine which was further exacerbated by the development of industrialism and creation of jobs in Ukraine towns.

In the eighteenth century there was a need to re-unify the Russian written language due to this migration. M V Lamonosov distinguished three styles of written language: the high style of Old Church Slavonic used for religion and poetry, the middle style used for lyrics and prose and the low style used for personal correspondence. The Middle style was used to combine the Church Slavonic written language and Eastern Slavonic vernacular and this now forms the basis of Modern Russian. After the 1800s Russian became standardised with the Moscow dialect becoming the official language. The Russian government sought to promote the language as much as possible and was particularly successful in introducing the language to Ukraine. It has also influenced other areas of Europe and been influenced in turn. Much of the vocabulary is related to other European languages where words have been absorbed by the Russian language or given to other languages.

Russian is the most important of the Slavic languages as it is one of the official languages of the United Nations. In a recent census 273 million listed Russian as their first language and around 220 million speak the language worldwide. More than a quarter of all Scientific literature is published in Russian and up to 70% of world information. It is the official language of Russia and Kazakhistan and it is a necessary accessory of world and space communications. Russia is also a nation that is a superpower which is why it is also an official language of the United Nations.

Learning Russian

Russian is not a difficult language for Europeans to learn and simple phrases are useful when visiting Russia. 'Zdra stvu-eetee' is the way to greet people and ask 'kak pazhivayete?' (how are you?) and reply 'spasiba, harasho' (fine, thanks). You could also say, 'Rada tebya videt!' or more formally, 'Rada vas videt!' (Glad to see you!). Other simple words to use may include, 'Da' (yes), 'Net' (no), 'yzveeneete' (excuse me), 'vy' (you), 'spaseebo' (thank you) and 'Da-svi-da-niya' (goodbye).

Some questions that you may need to ask include, 'Vy gavareeteh pa ru-sky?' (Do you speak Russian?) or 'Vy gavareeu na angliyskom?' ( Do you speak English) or ask, 'Kak tebya zavut?' (What is your name?) and reply, 'Menia zavut.' (My name is.) and 'Moya familya' (My surname is.). If you are having trouble communicating in Russian you could say, 'Ya ne panneemau' (I don't understand) or 'Gavareeteh medlenie?' (Could you speak more slowly?).

Other vocabulary useful for travelling includes the words 'gotinitsa' (hotel), 'poezd' (train), 'posolstvo' (embassy), 'militsia' (police), 'pochta' (post office), 'magazin' (shop), 'auto bus' (bus) 'restoran' (restaurant), 'aeroport' (airport) and some words that are the same in the English language such as taxi, telephone and bank.

Russian Culture

Russia used to be under the rule of communism which did not allow for public displays or practices of any religion. During the second world war the government needed the support of Christian countries and allowed the practice of Christianity in Russia. As a result of this and the decline of communism other religions came to be practiced in Russia and it is estimated that there are around eight main religions practiced today yet no dominant, primary religion. The decline of communism has affected culture in other ways. Some embrace capitalism whereas others stand by old traditions and as a result Russia has retained many former traditions and is still a male dominated country.

Russia is more famous for its art and history. There are many great museums and galleries in Russia such as the Heritage Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery which is visited the world over. Russia has contributed greatly to the Arts and seen the birth of several influential people in this area. Leo Tolstoy is famous for contributing to literature, in particular the novel, 'War and Peace', Peter Tchaikovsky is famous for his contributions to classical music and Aleksandr Pushkin is famous for his poetry while Colonel Yuri Gargarin is famous for being the first man in space.

In terms of business culture Russia is a growing centre of international business as its economy is increasingly stronger and it has strong links with America and the rest of Europe. As collectivism is part of its tradition business culture is based on teamwork and co-operation rather than rivalry and competition.

Russian business is conducted in the interests of long term relationships and building customer loyalty. It is important to deal with reputable companies only that usually have their own offices. If doing business with these companies ensure that meetings are attended promptly and accept the company's offer of a guide. Someone will usually be appointed to give what is similar to a tour guide and show you around the area in which you are staying. It is impolite to refuse and be prepared to go to bars and museums. In return you can always give a gift as generosity is much appreciated in this culture.
Learning Russian can be a valuable skill particularly as international business is growing, many speak the language and due to its origins much of the vocabulary can be learned more easily where other European languages including English, have been absorbed.
Further Russian Language references

Learn Russian in Russia - CESA helps language students learn Russian in Russia. The firm provides information on courses offered, Russian language exams, travelling to Russia, visa and accommodation details and much more. Locations available include St Petersburg....  
cesalanguages.com

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