Learning Russian in the current climate

[Pythian]

I started learning Russian a couple of years ago as something to do during lockdown. I was only planning to get good enough to read it, but I then got really into the language and decided I wanted to get better at writing and speaking it too, so I started having lessons with a teacher. This is someone who's been in the UK for 30+ years now, so she's been here for longer than she lived in Russia.

I'm not pro-Russia in any way, I just love the literature from the Tsarist era and was hoping to get good enough to read some of it in the original. I'm very aware of Russia's long history of problematic behaviour and I don't personally think that knowing the language is supportive of that. But I feel a bit like it's just a dodgy thing to do at the moment and I'm definitely not telling people about it. My teacher is very upset about what's happening in Ukraine and is worried about being condemned for it. I don't want to add to that by stopping my lessons and anyway, I enjoy them.

Would you judge someone in my position?

Of course not, in fact I think I’d judge you a bit for stopping.

This is not the fault of the Russian people nor Russian literature.

We need people to engage with Russians and Russia.

I am somewhat concerned that universities are cutting their ties with Russian universities. I know that a lot of countries have been suggesting that their citizens come home from Russia asap - safety reasons is one thing to get students and exchange staff to return to the UK. But the lines of engagement should be left open.

Don't be soft. You are learning a language not slipping Putin state secrets.

Carry on, OP. The Russian people are not responsible for the atrocities carried out by their leaders, and the literature doesn't become any less great as a result of all that is going on at present. Good luck with it.

I studied Russian many moons ago, and used to be quite proficient. Sadly I've forgotten most of it now but I'd like to pick it up again one day.

@FourTeaFallOut

Don't be soft. You are learning a language not slipping Putin state secrets.

I don't think I'm proficient enough to do that... unless he's particularly interested in my imaginary plans to spend the summer at Lake Baikal.

Wow. Are you me OP?

i learned a European language through lockdown just so I could read a particular author in their own language.

I enjoyed the experience so much, I had put learning Russian on my wish list. Yesterday the weather was shit so I fired up and skimmed through the online course but was riddled with doubt about making a start.

In the end I did tentatively go for it, after reading some news reports in my ‘second‘ language and finding the difference in reporting compared to the English speaking world absolutely fascinating.

I did consider starting with Ukrainian, but it is less widely spoken (so less use overall and harder to find resources) . I’ve reconciled myself in that if I get a grasp of Russian then Ukrainian is a natural follow on from there.

I feel very sorry for students learning Russian at the moment at university. If they don’t get the time living there, they’re studies will be majorly affected. For people like you, there is no reason to stop. In fact, I’d have thought they’d be a higher demand for Russian speakers in the next few years.

I think it's really important that people outside of Russia can speak Russian.

Pushkin isn’t invading the Ukraine... I think you can carry on 😄

Get really fluent and MI6 will be needing you…

Russia is not Putin. The more Russia and Russian people can be normalised and integrated the better for everyone. And people learning the language is a great way to do that.

Why would anyone judge someone else for learning any language? Which languages are problematic and which are unproblematic?

This is even more ridiculous than the previous most ridiculous Russia thing, which was about Russian cats being banned from a cat show!

@LaMagdalena

Why would anyone judge someone else for learning any language? Which languages are problematic and which are unproblematic?

People thought 5G caused Covid.

There will definitely be people who think learning Russian makes you complicit with Putin.

Thankfully those people are in the minority.

I agree with PPs, just enjoy learning and get on with it. Just because Hitler was a Nazi, that is not reason not to speak German, although during the WW2, there were certainly issues with exactly that, and the DORA. Let’s not go back to that.
I taught myself Russian years ago, so I could read Pushkin in the original, and it was wonderful! However, these days I’d struggle to say ‘Cheers!’

@NuffSaidSam I see your point.

I think you should keep going. There's a lot of wisdom in Russian writing and being able to read classic Russian texts in the original language would be so rewarding.

In all history there is no war which was not hatched by the governments, the governments alone, independent of the interests of the people, to whom war is always pernicious even when successful.

Tolstoy

Absolutely not. I think you’ve shamed me into brushing up mine! (It’s exceedingly rusty).

I actually did 2 years post A level Russian (long ago now) and often regret that I didn’t keep it up and have very rarely used it.

I still have a lot of my books, including some dual-language classics, and the Penguin Teach Yourself Russian, which we were given at school before the summer holidays and told to cover the first 5 chapters on our own before the autumn term.
We did O level in just one year! Did have a fantastic teacher, though.

Well a lot of Ukrainians speak Russian! Nothing wrong with learning any language OP.

I'm glad that the general consensus is that I'm being daft. I'd just come from reading a thread about boycotting Russian goods and there were a few posts on there that made me think that having anything to do with the country would be frowned upon. It's a beautiful, fascinating language even though some of the grammar rules are insane.

I'm very aware of Russia's long history of problematic behaviour

Much the same as the English speaking world...

@ThatsNotMyGolem

This is even more ridiculous than the previous most ridiculous Russia thing, which was about Russian cats being banned from a cat show!

No way!!

@LizDoingTheCanCan

I'm very aware of Russia's long history of problematic behaviour

Much the same as the English speaking world...

Of course. And any other nation that's ever had an empire and colonies. Those are currently less immediate than what Russia is doing though!

Any recommendation on how to start learning Russian? Thank you