Yelena Yampolskaya delivered the main report covering the progress of efforts to implement the President’s instructions and the Council’s main areas of focus.
Proposals were also submitted for discussion regarding further support of the Russian language and the languages of the peoples of Russia, including editorial and educational public projects.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.
As per tradition, we hold this council’s meetings ahead of Pushkin Day in Russia, or Russian Language Day. First of all, congratulations on the upcoming holiday. Thank you for your activism and especially for developing the fundamentals of the state language policy of the Russian Federation.
For the first time, our country has a strategic plan that determines the priorities and main areas of focus with regards to the preservation, development and support of the Russian language as well as the languages of other peoples living in Russia.
The action plan for the implementation of these fundamental principles has been approved. I would like to ask the Government to ensure its funding and execution.
I also believe it important to grant the report on the state language policy the status of a state report. It is a significant project that should be delivered annually.
Colleagues, next autumn, on September 8, our wonderful poet Rasul Gamzatov’s birthday, we will mark the Day of the Languages of the Peoples of Russia for the first time. It is symbolic that this initiative is being launched during the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia.
It is equally important to start the publishing project called The Library of Russian Peoples’ Literature Masterpieces this year. This library will include Russian translations of the best works by ethnic authors and will make them available to a broader readership.
This book series is included in the instructions on supporting the Russian language and the languages of the Russian peoples that I issued on February 3, 2026. I would like to highlight some more instructions as well.
First, work will soon begin on developing an academic module for higher education institutions titled “Russian as a State Language.” This module will cover, among other things, the constitutional status of the Russian language and issues related to Russia’s language policy. It would be prudent if, in the future, this subject became part of the core curriculum in higher education.
Second, it is observed that many of our higher education institutions lack a separate faculty of Russian language and Literature. Russian philology, German philology, and English philology are all, on an equal basis, components of a single faculty of philology. This is clearly inconsistent with the perception of the Russian language as one of the core values of modern Russia.
I am aware that last year, an independent faculty of Russian language and literature was established at the Vladimir Vernadsky Crimean Federal University. I hope that other federal universities will follow the example of our colleagues in Crimea, particularly those that train future language and literature teachers.
Third, it is necessary to improve the quality of training for primary school teachers. The number of hours allocated to the study of the Russian language and literature, as well as teaching methodologies, should certainly be increased.
These subjects directly affect the development of the general and speech culture of future primary school teachers and their aesthetic sensibilities, which ultimately affects the upbringing and education of children. Indeed, the level of proficiency in the Russian language, articulate speech, and the ability to read and comprehend texts significantly contributes to a student’s high academic performance in all other subjects. It is no coincidence that the task of improving the system of teaching the Russian language and literature in educational institutions has been designated as a priority of state language policy.
One of the solutions to this task is the preparation of unified state textbooks on the Russian language and literature for the secondary education system. I ask that you report today on the progress of this work.
Allow me to remind you that all test and examination materials must be aligned with the content of these textbooks. This will ensure that only the material that has been studied – what the students covered in class – is tested.
One further proposal. The summer holidays have begun. In recent years, an increasing number of children’s recreational camps have been organising themed sessions: geographical, historical, and cultural. I have no doubt that sessions dedicated to the Russian language and national literature will also attract considerable interest among children, adolescents, their parents, and teachers. I ask the Ministry of Education and the Federal Agency for Youth to participate in implementing this idea, starting with federal children’s camps.
In conclusion, I would note that many of the instructions issued following previous meetings of the Council have been implemented, and many are in progress. I hope that new proposals will be put forward today, including those aimed at supporting people with disabilities, for example, those with hearing or speech impairments who use Russian Sign Language. There are nearly 200,000 speakers of this language in our country. It is crucial to ensure an appropriate quality and quantity of teachers and interpreters in this field.
Let us begin our work.
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