When you learn a new language, you open a door to a new life. You open your heart and your mind, and you draw closer to the mindset and the way of life of a different people.

So one might ask: why not a Western European language, but Russian?

My answer is this: because the Russian soul and culture are deeply connected to the Greek. By learning Russian, you come to realize that, in the end, what we share is far greater than what divides us.

A Language That Spans the Globe

Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most spoken of the Slavic languages, the most widely spoken native language in Europe, and the second most used language on the internet after English. More broadly, the rapid growth of Russia’s online world is remarkable. Russians have their own Facebook, VK, their own messenger, Telegram, and now their own YouTube, Rutube.

It belongs to the eastern branch of the Slavic languages, is the official language of Russia, and ranks fifth in the world by number of speakers, after Chinese, English, Hindi, and Spanish.

A Global Power and Its Opportunities

In modern history, whether imperial, as a republic of the Soviet Union, or as today’s Russian Federation, Russia has been a decisive factor in world events.

It is the largest country in the world by area, with immense natural wealth and economic and political power. In culture, on the battlefield, in ideological confrontations, in religious belief, and now in the energy and economic sphere, its role is central. In effect, it dominates the scientific and technological activity of space, while also offering remarkable opportunities for free higher education at the country’s best known universities.

To become an astronaut, knowledge of the Russian language is essential.

The Ties Between Greece and Russia

So let us discover how the two countries are connected. Our shared religious faith is a very important reason to want to learn Russian. Ioannis Kapodistrias was also a significant unifying figure between the two peoples, since he served as foreign minister of the Russian Empire and later, of course, left his mark on Greece as the first Governor of our country. In addition, the Russian army sent considerable aid to Greek lands so that they could win their independence in the years 1827 to 1830.

The relationship between Greece and Russia is also evident in the Russian church on Filellinon Street, the Russian naval station in Poros, and the Russian cemetery in Piraeus, all signs of the historical depth of the Russian presence in our country.

Russian natural gas, as well as the Onassis island of Skorpios, are points of reference today. The political refugees of the Civil War in the Soviet Union, who formed mixed families and were repatriated in the 1960s and 1970s, the returning émigrés, and the economic migrants of the 1990s form the backbone of the Russian speaking population in Greece, which numbers hundreds of thousands of people. Russian tourists and the Russian investments being sought, together with all of the above, confirm the presence of a Russian element in our country.

Opportunities in Education

Finally, another very important incentive to learn Russian is the many opportunities in education. Russia offers scholarships for every level of study, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral, as well as a wealth of educational seminars. This means that those who know Russian have access to excellent educational institutions and to prospects for professional development, strengthening their opportunities at both an academic and a professional level.