The United Nations (UN)’s Russian Language Day is annually observed across the globe on 6th June to highlight the significance of the Russian language as a symbol of national identity and cultural heritage and honour the richness and beauty of the Russian language.
- The day marks the birth anniversary of the great Russian poet, novelist, and playwright Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (1799 to 1837), the father of modern Russian literature.
Note: The Russian Language is one of the 6 official languages of the UN and UN Russian Language Day is a part of the UN Language Days.
Significance:
i.6th June 2024 marks the 225th birth anniversary of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
ii.Russia annually celebrates the 6th June as Pushkin Day to celebrate the life and work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
Background:
i.The decision to hold language days was made by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) (now the Department of Global Communications).
ii.In 2010, on the eve of International Mother Language Day, the DPI announced the launch of “Language Days at the UN”, a new initiative to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity.
iii.The celebration of Russian Language Day, along with the days of the other official UN languages, was welcomed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2017.
iv.In 2022, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) 215th Executive Board (2022) highlighted the significance of proclaiming and celebrating language days.
Note: International Mother Language Day, initiated by the UNESCO, is celebrated annually on 21 February.
Purpose of the UN Language Day:
i.The purpose of the UN Languages Days is to raise awareness of the history, culture, and development of each of the 6 official UN languages among the staff of the Organisation.
ii.One of the primary goals of this initiative is to promote the equal use of all 6 official languages within the UN.
2024 Events:
On 5th June 2024, a Concert was organised to celebrate Russian Language Day at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
2024 marks the 2nd UN Russian Language Day celebration at the UNESCO Headquarters, the 1st being in 2023.
Significance of Russia:
i.Russian is an Indo-European language widely used in the Baltic States, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Russian is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
ii.Russian and English are the 2 official languages aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
iii.As of March 2024, Russian is the 9th most spoken language in the world with 255 million native speakers.
Other UN Language Days:
- UN French Language Day- March 20;
- UN Chinese Day- April 20;
- UN English Language Day- April 23;
- UN Spanish Language- April 23;
- UN Arabic Language Day- December 18
