Russian is a Slavic language spoken primarily in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is the official language of Russia and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian has a rich literary tradition, with famous writers such as Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Anton Chekhov. The Russian alphabet is based on the Cyrillic script, which was developed in the 9th century by Saints Cyril and Methodius. The language has a complex grammar with six cases, three genders, and two numbers. Russian is known for its phonetic pronunciation, with words generally pronounced as they are written.