ACTR has created a resource designed to assist institutions in the formation of web pages that promote the study of the Russian language in a manner that is comprehensive and holds relevance to the contemporary world.
Why Study Russian as an American?
Why Study Russian Right Now?
“I asked her, why did you hire me? Because the position required like three to five years of experience – I didn’t have it.… She was like ‘It was because you learned Russian. I can teach someone how to manage grants in, you know, let’s say 6 to 9 months, depending. I can’t teach someone how to speak Russian in 6 to 9 months.”
Andrew Kirkpatrick posing in front of a Church during a work trip to Georgia.
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– An alum of the Russian program at Friends School of Baltimore and the Eastern European Slavic Studies program at Georgetown University, Andrew Kirkpatrick, on the reason he was hired to his first and current job after undergraduate study. His official position is called “the Coordinator of Grants and Ukraine War Response for the Collection on Aid to the Church and State of Central Eastern Europe at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.”
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Andrew Kirkpatrick and his friend, Fr. Sergei, taking a selfie during an FC Astana game. They attended the soccer match with some seminaries that Andrew worked with during his work trip in Kazakhstan.
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Critical Need Language
Critical Language Scholarship students present their final research projects to the class in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
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Russian is a critical language as designated by the US Department of State. But, what does this mean? Critical languages are crucial for national security and economic prosperity but are not spoken commonly by Americans. Therefore, there is a much higher demand for speakers of the language than there is a supply. Such languages also fit under the broader category of “less commonly taught languages.”
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A student from the Critical Language Scholarship program poses for a photo in traditional warfare attire during a cultural excursion to the famous lake, Issykul, in Kyrgyzstan.
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Russian’s status as a critical language is due both to its strategic role in U.S. political, intelligence, scientific, technological, cybersecurity, and economic systems, as well as to its versatility as the lingua-franca of many countries and regions, including the Baltics, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Whether you are aspiring to make a career in government, business, or the nonprofit sector, proficiency in Russian will set you apart from other candidates. 
Two Critical Language Scholarship students commemorate their farewell celebration in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
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For more on Russian as a language of critical and strategic importance and a critical asset for the US Government, please see here.
Communication on a Global Scale
The current geopolitical context has made the study of Russian language and culture more urgent than ever before. At a time when the Russian Federation has descended into a dangerous political order, experts on Russian politics, warfare, security, financial sector, communications, and international relations are vital to ensuring the safety of others. In addition, Russian is a global diaspora language, making it relevant to an even wider geopolitical stage. You will hear Russian spoken all over the world, from San Francisco and New York to Berlin and Buenos Aires.
High school students have a traditional Kyrgyz meal in the countryside during their spring break study abroad trip.
Russian has over 270 million native speakers worldwide. Approximately 142.6 million native speakers are from the Russian Federation. It is important to bear in mind that the Russian-speaking world is quite vast, home to a variety of different communities. Communities of Russian-speakers stretch across two continents, from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Please check here to find out in which countries Russian is spoken. The Russian-speaking diaspora in the US has been growing after the Russian full-scale attack on Ukraine.
A Russian Overseas Flagship student in Almaty, Kazakhstan, poses for a picture with her host-sister-in-law, the bride, and the other wedding guests who were selected for an entertainment activity set up by the "tamada"/"toastmaster."
Career Booster
Of great political importance, Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian’s status as an international mode of communication is the product of its widespread relevance to communities across Europe and Asia. Proficiency in Russian speaks to one’s ability to foster connections worldwide.
Kyrgyz school children in class.
Therefore, Russian not only attracts students who pursue careers in international relations, but also many other kinds of professionals from domains, such as journalism, business, science, marketing, advertising, aerospace, computer engineering, cybersecurity, military, law, and human rights, as well as academia.
Why Should US School Students Choose Russian?
A Russian Overseas Flagship student snaps a selfie in front of the Kazakh Fund for Cultural, Social and Educational Development where they completed their spring internship requirement for the program in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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Proficiency in Russian can indeed increase earning potential in various fields. Here is an overview of how Russian language skills can impact paychecks.
Type “Russian” into the search bar on the USAJobs site. You will be able to browse the current job opportunities that use Russian with salaries ranging from around $70,000 to $164,000 per year.
Culture
The classical tradition of Russian literature, film, visual art, theater, opera, music and dance is world-renowned. The works of iconic authors, such as Pushkin, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, remain highly- acclaimed today.
Three girls enjoy dancing "The Waltz of Flowers" from "The Nutcracker" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky in 2022.
Beyond Russian cultural heritage, Russian students have access to a plethora of cultures from varying Russian-speaking ethnic groups – each with their own unique language as well.
A high school student plays the traditional Kyrgyz stringed instrument, the komuz.
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For example, Kazakhstan has been home to many different ethnic populations who found a common means of communication through the Russian language (to learn more, read here). As many Kazakhs are native speakers of Russian, modern pop culture often incorporates both Kazakh and Russian languages (view a list of references here).
Two Russian Overseas Flagship students play a traditional Kazakh game, Assyks, during the national spring holiday, Nauryz, in Turkestan, Kazakhstan. National Assyks championships were held for the first time in 2015, and UNESCO recognized the game as "part of the intangible cultural heritage" in 2017.
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It is also important to note that many Russian students go on to pursue other languages from countries where Russian is either an official language or the lingua-franca. For those who would like to be introduced to the vast array of cultures in the post-Soviet world, we have collected contemporary and classical literary or artistic works by members of such cultures: Cultures Across the Post-Soviet Space.
Another student on the Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program in Yerevan rolls out lavash, a flatbread considered Armenia's national bread, while wearing traditional headwear.
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In Chisinau, students on the National Security Language Intiative for Youth dig into traditionalMoldovan cuisine, "mamaliga," before touring the historical-archeological complex, "Orheiul Vechi"/"Old Orhei." A student on the Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program visits the Blue Mosque on a cultural excursion in Yerevan, Armenia.
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Foreign language comprehension equips students with the skills to understand other worldviews and symbolic systems of communication. In turn, students are able to think critically about how language shapes human consciousness and uncover new ways of perceiving modern culture, both foreign and domestic.
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Proficiency in Russian will give you access to information from Russian language sources. You will be able to compare reports from domestic and foreign news sources on the same subjects. Your conclusions will become more nuanced and your critical thinking skills will be enhanced. In turn, you will bring highly refined perspectives to conversations surrounding political conflicts. This will allow you to easily dispel disinformation and become a voice of truth in the propaganda wars.
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Here is a list of trustworthy independent Russian language news sources. To read about Russian current events from a trustworthy English language source, view Russian Life Magazine and Russia Beyond.