6 countries unite to promote the Russian language worldwide
The new ‘International Organization for the Russian Language’ began its work in April 2026. What is its goal and what will it do?
Did you know which language ranks 2nd on the internet after English in terms of the number of websites and channels? And which language is one of the official languages of the UN? It’s Russian! And now, it is getting its own global headquarters.
The ‘International Organization for the Russian Language’ (IORL) has united six countries: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The initiative to create such an intergovernmental organization came from the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Representatives of the IORL countries
The first conference of delegates was opened by Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia. According to him, the organization is open to any interested states, both in Eurasia and on other continents. In other words, any country that wants to support the Russian language can join the ranks of the IORL.
“This is undoubtedly a landmark event for our countries and, naturally, for all those who know, value and cherish the language of Alexander Pushkin and Leo Tolstoy, as well as the great Russian culture built upon it,” Lavrov stated.
Sergei Lavrov
What’s the goal of the ‘International Organization for the Russian Language’?
On April 1, 2026, the IORL officially began to operate. Its main goal is to promote the Russian language worldwide and strengthen partnerships between countries that can use Russian as a means of access to global knowledge bases in the fields of culture, science, literature and history.
The IORL plans to hold conferences at least once a year, to which students and postgraduates from different countries who use Russian as their primary language in their studies and research will be invited.
The first conference took place in April
Among the practical tasks of the IORL are:
- Supporting quality education in Russian and training teachers and researchers
- Strengthening the infrastructure of the educational process and scientific research in the field of the Russian language
- Organizing translations, book exhibitions, conferences and competitions for member states
Natalia Bocharova, director for Special Assignments at the Rostec State Corporation, was appointed as the IORL’s Secretary-General. The organization will be based in the Sirius cluster in Sochi.
