Hindi in Russia: Language powering century-old friendship

Russia is pushing for stronger academic and cultural ties with India by expanding Hindi studies in its universities.

Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, called on institutions to increase opportunities for students to learn Hindi, pointing to a sharp rise in demand.

"We have to have more students learn Hindi," Mogilevsky said, emphasizing that the language, spoken by more people in India than English, could not be overlooked.

Major universities in Moscow, including MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations), the Russian State University for the Humanities, the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, and the Moscow State Linguistic University, already run several Hindi study groups.

According to Mogilevsky, the number of such groups has grown two to three times compared to previous years.

Interest has also spread beyond the capital, with St Petersburg State University and Kazan Federal University introducing Hindi courses for their students.

Officials reported that the number of applications for these programs continues to rise steadily each year.

The move comes against a backdrop of shifting global dynamics. On Aug 27, the Trump administration raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50% in response to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude oil.

Despite such pressures, Moscow and New Delhi have drawn closer since 2022, with India emerging as a major buyer of Russian oil in defiance of sanctions.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently reaffirmed India’s long-standing trust in Moscow.

"We believe that relations between India and Russia have been among the steadiest of the major relations in the world after the Second World War," he said in August.

The Kremlin has also confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will visit India in December, underlining the political stability of the partnership.

The expansion of Hindi studies is now being seen as part of a broader strategy to anchor cultural and academic collaboration, with the language evolving from a niche subject to a central element of Russia’s engagement with India.