Russian Speakers In Azerbaijan: A Significant Number?

Russian is the most common immigrant language in Azerbaijan, with around 1.5 million people speaking it as a first or second language. Russian is the first language of more than 150,000 people in Azerbaijan, predominantly ethnic Russians, as well as Russified Azeris, Ukrainians, Jews, and other minorities. Russian became prevalent in Azerbaijan during the Soviet era when the country was a republic of the USSR. Even after the USSR dissolved in 1991, Russian remained an important language in Azerbaijan due to the country's close ties with Russia.

Russian is the first language of more than 150,000 people in Azerbaijan

By 1830, there were schools with Russian as the language of instruction in the cities of Shusha, Baku, Elisabethpol, and Shamakhi. However, education in Russian was unpopular among ethnic Azeris until 1887, when the first Russian-Azeri school was founded in Baku. This school offered a secular education, with instruction in both Russian and Azeri, and its programs were designed to align with the cultural values and traditions of the Muslim population.

During the Soviet era, the large Russian population of Baku, increased access to Russian literature, and other factors contributed to the intensive Russification of Baku's population. This resulted in the emergence of an urban community of Azerbaijani-born ethnic Azeris who considered Russian their native language. In 1970, 57,500 Azeris (1.3%) identified Russian as their native language.

Today, Russian continues to be a prominent language in Baku, particularly among the intellectuals and élite of the nation. There are more than 300 schools across Azerbaijan that provide instruction in Russian, and Baku is home to the Baku Slavic University, which was founded on the basis of the Akhundov Pedagogical Institute of Russian Language and Literature.

The Russian vernacular spoken in Azerbaijan, known as the Azerbaijani dialect, differs from standard Russian due to the influence of the Azeri language. It is characterised by distinct features in phonetics, vocabulary, and prosody, such as the initial lengthening of vowels and the use of the voiced palato-alveolar affricate.

Russian is the second most widely spoken foreign language in Azerbaijan

The Russian language first gained prominence in Azerbaijan during the 19th century, following the colonisation of the South Caucasus by the Russian Empire. By 1830, there were schools with Russian as the language of instruction in several cities, and in 1887, the first Russian-Azeri school was founded in Baku. During the Soviet era, the large Russian population of Baku, improved access to Russian education and literature, and other factors contributed to the intensive Russification of the city's population. This resulted in the emergence of a supra-ethnic, Russian-speaking Baku subculture.

Outside of Baku, the use of Russian declined after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, Russian continues to be widely spoken in the city, particularly among intellectuals and elites. There are more than 300 schools across Azerbaijan that provide instruction in Russian, and several Russian-language newspapers continue to be published in Baku.

Azerbaijan has a substantial Russian-speaking population due to historical factors such as tsarist expansion into Northern Iran (modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan) during the 18th century, and the Soviet era, when Russian became a second language for many Azeris. Additionally, Azerbaijan shares a border with Russia, and Russian television and radio stations remain popular in the country.

Russian was introduced to Azerbaijan following its colonisation in the 19th century

The history of Azerbaijan is tied to the history of the region now forming the Republic of Azerbaijan. The territories of the republic of Azerbaijan and Iran have usually shared the same history until the coming of the Russians in the 19th century. After the Russo-Persian wars of 1804–1813 and 1826–1828, Qajar Iran was forced to cede its Caucasian territories to the Russian Empire. The treaties of Gulistan in 1813 and Turkmenchay in 1828 defined the border between Czarist Russia and Qajar Iran. The region north of the Aras River was Iranian until it was occupied by Russia during the 19th century.

The introduction of Russian to the South Caucasus followed Qajar Iran's cession of its Caucasian territories. By 1830, there were schools with Russian as the language of instruction in the cities of Shusha, Baku, Elisabethpol, and Shamakhi. Later, such schools were established in Quba, Ordubad, and Zagatala. Education in Russian was unpopular among ethnic Azeris until 1887, when Habib bey Mahmudbeyov and Sultan Majid Ganizadeh founded the first Russian-Azeri school in Baku. This was a secular school with instruction in both Russian and Azeri, and its programs were designed to be consistent with the cultural values and traditions of the Muslim population. Eventually, 240 such schools for both boys and girls, including a women's college founded in 1901, were established prior to the "Sovietization" of the South Caucasus. The first Russian-Azeri reference library opened in 1894.

In the Soviet era, the large Russian population of Baku, the quality and prospects of education in Russian, increased access to Russian literature, and other factors contributed to the intensive Russification of Baku's population. This resulted in the formation of a supra-ethnic urban Baku subculture, uniting people of Russian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Jewish, and other origins. The widespread use of Russian led to the emergence of an urban community of Azerbaijani-born ethnic Azeris who considered Russian their native language. In 1970, 57,500 Azeris (1.3%) identified Russian as their native language.

Today, Russian is the first language of more than 150,000 people in Azerbaijan, predominantly ethnic Russians, as well as Russified Azeris, Ukrainians, Jews, and other minorities. In 1994, 38% of Azerbaijanis spoke Russian fluently as a second language. Russian-language media and entertainment continue to be consumed in Azerbaijan, and there are more than 300 schools across the country that provide instruction in Russian.

Russian is a significant language of education and communication in Azerbaijan

Russian is a significant language in Azerbaijan, with a notable number of people speaking it as a first or second language. It is one of the country's official languages, alongside Azerbaijani and English, and plays an essential role in education and communication.

The presence of the Russian language in Azerbaijan dates back to the 19th century when the region was colonised by the Russian Empire. The first schools with Russian as the language of instruction were established in the early 1800s, and by the mid-19th century, the formation of a Russian-speaking subculture in Baku emerged, encompassing people of various ethnic backgrounds. This period also witnessed the publication of literary works by Azerbaijani authors in Russian, contributing to the propagation of the language.

During the Soviet era, the influence of Russian intensified in Azerbaijan. The large Russian population in Baku, coupled with improved access to Russian education and literature, led to the intensive Russification of the city's population. This resulted in a significant number of "Russian-speaking Azeris", referring to ethnic Azeris who considered Russian their native language. The use of Russian extended beyond the capital, with Russian-language schools established across the country.

Today, Russian continues to hold prominence in Azerbaijan, particularly in Baku. It is estimated that around 1.5 million people in the country speak Russian as a first or second language. Russian-language media, such as newspapers, periodicals, and literature, remain in circulation. Additionally, Russian is taught as a foreign language in lower grades of state-sponsored schools, and there are private educational institutions offering instruction in Russian.

The influence of Russian in Azerbaijan extends beyond language. Russian loanwords have been incorporated into the Azerbaijani language, and cultural exchanges have occurred through music and film. The presence of a sizeable Russian-speaking community in Azerbaijan underscores the importance of Russian as a language of education and communication in the country.

The Russian vernacular spoken in Azerbaijan differs from standard Russian

Russian is the first language of more than 150,000 people in Azerbaijan, predominantly ethnic Russians, as well as Russified Azeris, Ukrainians, Jews, and other minorities. In 1994, 38% of Azerbaijanis spoke Russian fluently as a second language. In 1970, 57,500 Azeris (1.3%) identified Russian as their native language.

Russian was introduced to the South Caucasus following its colonisation in the first half of the nineteenth century. By 1830, there were schools with Russian as the language of instruction in the cities of Shusha, Baku, Elisabethpol, and Shamakhi. However, education in Russian was unpopular among ethnic Azeris until 1887, when the first Russian-Azeri school was founded in Baku.

The Russian vernacular spoken in Azerbaijan (the Azerbaijani dialect) differs from standard Russian due to the influence of the Azeri language. At the phonetic level, this influence can be observed in the initial lengthening of vowels, a sharp rise in intonation at the end of a question, and the use of the voiced palato-alveolar affricate. On the lexical level, slang terms of both Azeri and Russian origin are gradually penetrating print media.

During the Soviet era, the large Russian population of Baku, access to quality education in Russian, and other factors contributed to the intensive Russification of Baku's population. This resulted in the emergence of 'Russian-speaking Azeris', an urban community of Azerbaijani-born ethnic Azeris who considered Russian their native language.

Today, the use of Russian in Azerbaijan is concentrated among the intellectuals and "élite" of the nation. Russian loanwords have become increasingly common in Azerbaijani since the 16th century, when the two cultures came into contact. Consequently, Russian speakers make up about 26% of the population.

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