Russophones

Russophones are individuals who use Russian as their primary language of communication, whether as native speakers or as a dominant second language. The term often includes people who identify with Russian culture and linguistic heritage, regardless of ethnicity.

Russia contains the largest Russophone population, where Russian is the predominant language of daily life and schooling. In former Soviet states, Russian generally remains a common lingua franca in urban areas, in business, media, and interethnic communication, even when other official languages exist.

Communities of Russophones are sizable in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Moldova. In Ukraine, Russian is widely spoken in many regions; in the Baltic states, Russian is common among older generations and urban residents. In Central Asia, Russian remains important for education and administration despite local language policies.

Beyond Eurasia, large Russophone diasporas exist in Israel, the United States, Canada, Germany, and other countries, reflecting multiple waves of migration during the 20th and 21st centuries. While many Russophones maintain strong ties to Russian language and culture, their linguistic practices are often influenced by local languages and by integration into multilingual communities.

Scholarly and policy discussions about Russophones often address language rights, bilingualism, and the role of Russian as a regional lingua franca. The term thus describes a linguistic community rather than a single ethnolinguistic group.