The United Nations (UN’s) Russian Language Day is annually observed across the globe on June 6 to promote awareness of the Russian language’s cultural richness, and its role as a symbol of national identity and literary heritage.
- The date also marks the 226th birth anniversary of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (1799–1837), the renowned Russian poet, novelist, and playwright, regarded as the father of modern Russian literature.
Background:
i.The UN Department of Public Information (DPI) (now Department of Global Communications, DGC) initiated the “Language Days at the UN” in 2010, launching the concept around International Mother Language Day.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) formally welcomed the celebration of days for all six official languages, including Russian, in 2017.
iii.The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), during its 215th Executive Board session (2022), underscored the importance of proclaiming and celebrating language days.
Significance of June 6 in Russia:
Russia nationally celebrates June 6 as Pushkin Day, dedicated to honouring the life and literary contributions of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
Purpose of UN Language Days:
i.Raise Awareness: Educate UN staff about the history, culture, and development of each of the six official UN languages.
ii.Promote Equality: Advocate for the equal use of all six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish) within the UN system.
About the Russian Language:
i.Russian is one of the six official languages of the UN along with Arabic, Chinese, English, French, and Spanish.
ii.The language uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which originated in the 9th century and has influenced many languages in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
iii.Russian is a major Indo-European language and is widely spoken across the Baltic States, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
iv.It serves as the official language in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. With over 258 million speakers globally, Russian ranks as the 8th most spoken language in the world.
v.Russian serves as an official language of space communication, and astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are required to learn Russian alongside English as part of their pre-mission training.
2025 Events:
The Russian Language Day is celebrated at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France for the third time (first – in 2023) in line with the Executive Board Decisions 215EX/29 and 217EX/26.
Other UN Language Days:
- French Language Day: March 20.
- Chinese Language Day: April 20.
- English Language Day: April 23.
- Spanish Language Day: April 23.
- Arabic Language Day: December 8.
