Russian is one of the most widespread languages in the post-Soviet space. But different CIS countries have their own official languages.
In some countries - languages are similar to Russian. For example, Ukrainian and Belarusian. And in some - the roots of the language are taken from completely other nations. For example, in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other eastern countries.
But the Russian language itself has been transforming and acquiring its own dialect in different CIS countries. This has been happening since the creation of the Russian Empire and the USSR.
Why Russian is different in CIS countries
After the collapse of the USSR, each republic went its own way: national languages were developed, its own media environment was formed, and school curricula changed. All this affected the Russian language, which continued to be used by millions of people.
The main factors of regional peculiarities of Russian:
Language environment: in countries with a strong influence of the national language (Kazakh, Armenian, Georgian) borrowings, calques, phonetic peculiarities penetrate into Russian speech.
Media and education: In Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan, Russian-language media remain close to the Moscow norm, while in Ukraine and Georgia their share has decreased.
Household speech: here the most striking differences are manifested, because the native-national words are substituted for the Russian words.
The differences in the Russian language hardly affect grammar. Cases, tenses, syntax remain common. The difference is in vocabulary, pronunciation and stylistics.
Common features of the Russian language in the CIS
| Aspect | General norm | Commentary |
| Grammar | Unified | All countries adhere to academic grammar |
| Written norm | Literary Russian | Spelling and punctuation - according to the «Russian Orthographic Dictionary» |
| Basic vocabulary | Matches on 95%+ | Bread, water, school, bus, thank you - everywhere is the same |
| Mutual understanding | Complete | Speakers from different countries understand each other without difficulty |
Even with local words, the peculiarities of the Russian language in the CIS do not create barriers. Much more important are the subtleties that make speech natural for the locals.
Russian language in Kazakhstan
The Russian language in Kazakhstan has the status of a language of inter-ethnic communication and is officially used in government agencies, courts, and education.
Here it retains its closeness to the Moscow norm, but with noticeable inclusions of Kazakh vocabulary:
- bastau is the beginning,
- ashar - fundraising for relief efforts,
- tastau - to leave something somewhere,
- bauyrsak is a traditional dish, also mentioned in Russian speech without translation.
Russian language in Belarus
Russian is one of the two state languages in Belarus. Despite this, the influence of Belarusian can be felt in everyday speech:
- soft articulation: door instead of door,
- vocabulary: draaniki, zakuson (light snack), pad'ezd (not entryway - because of Belorussian pad'ezd),
- intonation - smoother, with a decrease at the end of the phrase (in contrast to the Russian «rising» intonation of the question).
Russian language in Ukraine
The Russian language in Ukraine today is primarily a language of everyday communication in some regions. There are a lot of Ukrainianisms in it:
- hotel → hotel (calque),
- to throw → kidati (meaning to call: “I'll throw you” = I'll call you),
- generous evening → generous evening (but in Russian speech - Svyatvecher or Sotschelnik),
- zrobiti → zdelat: “Take a photo” instead of “Take a photo”.
In the eastern and southern regions - more Russian-speaking forms, in the central and western regions - stronger Ukrainian influence.
Russian language in Armenia
The Russian language in Armenia is widely used in education, science and business. Many universities teach in Russian. There are vivid borrowings from Armenian in speech:
- lahmajun is the national flatbread,
- loris is a traditional sausage,
- lavash - meaning any bread,
- A dacha is a country house, often with a vineyard.
Regional peculiarities of Russian are not «mistakes», but signs of a living, adaptive language. They make speech richer and help you feel at home in any CIS country. If you plan to study, work, or simply immerse yourself in the culture, it is important not just to know the norm, but also to understand the local context.
Want to master not only literary Russian, but also its lively variants? Sign up for a free introductory class and start speaking so that you can be understood everywhere.
