Moscow, Sept 15: Russia is experiencing a growing interest in Hindi among students, three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union.The Russian Ministry of Education and Science is taking steps to expand the number of educational institutions teaching the language, as more Indians are using Hindi in their daily lives instead of English. Indira Gaziyeva of Russian State University of Humanities (RSUH) said that the younger generation of Russians is taking interest in deeper study of modern India and its ancient civilizational heritage.
The Russian Ministry of Education and Science plans to create more opportunities for students to study oriental languages, particularly Hindi, which has already grown significantly among modern students.
In Moscow alone, there are several universities teaching Hindi, including MGIMO School of International Relations, RSUH, the Institute of Asian and African Studies of Moscow State University, and the Moscow State Linguistic University.
The number of students enrolled in Hindi courses is increasing, and the number of groups is two to three times larger.
After the Soviet collapse, the oldest boarding school teaching Hindi in Moscow was shut down by the city government due to the closure of Radio Moscowâs Hindi broadcasts and the ceased publication of translations of Russian authors by âProgressâ and âRadugaâ publishing houses.
The Moscow International Book Fair invited India as the â Guest of Honour Country,â and the release of the unique âHindi-Russian Idioms Dictionaryâ has been welcomed by local scholars.