Only two languages in Russia are not in danger of extinction: Russian and Russian Sign Language.
Of the 155 languages spoken fluently in Russia today, 15 are in critical condition, and another 39 are at serious risk of extinction. According to the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, only Russian and Russian Sign Language are completely safe.
Languages on the brink of extinction: from Kamchatka to the Leningrad region
In particular, the Aleut-Mednov and Itelmen languages, historically spoken by the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka, each have only one living speaker. Furthermore, eight other languages of Russia's minority peoples are currently teetering on the same precarious edge.
Among the languages facing an extremely critical situation are the languages of the peoples of the Far East—Uilta, Negidal, Udege, and Southern Yukaghir. Linguists also place in this category the Southern Selkup language, spoken by the indigenous people of the Tomsk region, as well as Votic, the unique language of the small Vot people living in the Leningrad region.
The decline of school education and the position of scientists
Consequently, the situation worsened sharply after the abolition of mandatory study of native languages in 2018. As a result, their teaching in national schools was significantly curtailed, and educational institutions often chose "native Russian" as the default language of instruction. By 2022, only 10 languages were available as fully-fledged languages of instruction in the country.
As the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences officially notes, local projects by regional activists who are trying their best to preserve native languages are not saving the system:
In an ideal situation, every language would need everything that has been created for the Russian language to date.
Linguists emphasize that Russian and Russian Sign Languages are not in danger of disappearing completely today. In fact, Varvara Korkina, an expert on indigenous peoples, previously noted this:
For languages to be vital, they need to be spoken.
