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September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Everyday Life • Language

Russian language

Russian is an East Slavic language written in the Cyrillic alphabet and spoken by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Russian is an East Slavic language spoken by more than 300 million people worldwide, written in the Cyrillic alphabet. It is the official language of Russia and widely used across former Soviet states and diaspora communities.

What it is

Russian belongs to the Indo-European language family and is the best-known Slavic language. It uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which has 33 letters, and is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, among others.

Key details

Russian has about 150 million native speakers and over 300 million total speakers. It is often classified as challenging for English speakers due to its grammar, pronunciation, and writing system. The U.S. Foreign Service Institute estimates around 1,100 hours of study for proficiency.

Why it matters

Russian is a major world language tied to literature, music, and culture. In Canada, it is a heritage language spoken in immigrant communities, reflecting the country’s multilingual population.

In short

  • Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet with 33 letters.
  • Spoken by over 300 million people globally.
  • Considered difficult for English speakers due to grammar and script.
  • Official language in Russia and several other states.
Canadian angle

Russian is spoken in Canadian immigrant communities and is one of the heritage languages found in Canada’s multilingual population.

Quick questions

How do you learn Russian?
Start with the Cyrillic alphabet, then build vocabulary and grammar through daily practice, listening, and speaking with native speakers.
Is Russian hard to learn?
Yes, it is commonly considered difficult for English speakers because of the Cyrillic script, pronunciation, and complex grammar like cases and verb aspects.
What is the Russian alphabet?
The modern Russian alphabet has 33 letters and is written in the Cyrillic script.

Sources

  1. wikiHow — https://www.wikihow.com/Speak-Russian
    Supports: Russian alphabet details, speaker estimates, and beginner learning steps
  2. Preply — https://preply.com/en/blog/how-to-learn-russian/
    Supports: Russian speaker estimate, Cyrillic alphabet size, and learning advice
  3. wikiHow — https://www.wikihow.com/Learn-Russian
    Supports: Learning steps including alphabet, pronunciation, grammar, and daily practice
  4. italki — https://www.italki.com/en/blog/5-proven-techniques-to-learn-russian-easily
    Supports: Flashcards and study methods for learning Russian
  5. Lingopie — https://www.lingopie.com/blog/best-way-to-learn-russian/
    Supports: Difficulty level and approximate study hours for English speakers
  6. The Linguist — https://blog.thelinguist.com/tips-for-learning-russian/
    Supports: Difficulty classification and approximate study hours
  7. All Language Resources — https://www.alllanguageresources.com/learn-russian/
    Supports: FSI study-hour estimate and learning approach