Russia's Permanent Mission to the United Nations is diligently monitoring the equality of the Russian language with other official languages of the organization. Dmitry Chumakov, the Russian Deputy Permanent Representative, told TASS during the opening of an exposition at the UN headquarters, dedicated to Russian Language Day.
“The mission’s task is to ensure that the Russian language is protected on par with other official languages in terms of resources. It’s true that within the secretariat, communication primarily occurs in English, occasionally in French. There are also field missions where French or other languages are more frequently used. However, we ensure that translation services have adequate staffing, that sufficient funds are allocated for translations, and that the release of translations is synchronized,” Chumakov emphasized. “Ensuring the availability of official documentation and meetings in Russian is a crucial aspect of our work. We strive to ensure that the Russian language holds equal status with other official languages everywhere,” the diplomat added.
Chumakov provided an example of attempts to undermine Russian culture through language. “There has been a debate about the correct way to refer to Ukraine—whether as ‘na Ukraine’ or ‘v Ukraine' (both options are translated into English as 'in Ukraine'; the debate centered around the use of the appropriate Russian preposition - ed). Thanks to the professionalism of the translators here at the UN and our Pushkin Institute, which has demonstrated that when discussing the Russian language, ‘na Ukraine’ is the correct usage, this debate has been resolved. This discussion was often fueled, including by the Ukrainian post-presidency here, but it has now come to an end,” he stated.
As part of the Russian Language Day celebrations, the Russian Permanent Mission organized an exposition in the headquarters hall, featuring a full-size replica of Sputnik-1, the first Soviet spacecraft launched into orbit in 1957. The exhibition aims to acquaint visitors with Russian folk tales such as “The Firebird and Vasilisa Tsarevna,” “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf,” “Kolobok,” “Repka,” and “Baba Yaga.” Students from the General Education School of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the UN also addressed the visitors, performing scenes from Alexander Pushkin's “The Tale of Tsar Saltan.” The exposition will be open for a week.
Russian Language Day is celebrated on June 6. The UN established this day in 2010, and a year later, it was officially recognized as a memorable date in Russia by presidential decree. The celebration coincides with the birthday of Pushkin (1799-1837), considered the founder of the modern Russian literary language.
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Based on materials from TASS