Thank you for sharing these thoughts. You are absolutely right that Russian’s presence in many regions has complex historical roots, including colonization, conquest, and the suppression of local languages and cultures. Diverse Russian is rooted in an awareness of these histories and aims to reflect critically on them, rather than to celebrate or ignore them.
The purpose of this textbook is to present Russian as it exists today—a language spoken by many people from diverse backgrounds, who use it in ways that reflect their unique cultural identities and lived experiences. We aim to bring visibility to voices within and outside of Russia, emphasizing that Russian is not solely the language of ethnic Russians or the state, but also of individuals who negotiate and reshape it according to their own perspectives.
This approach allows students to encounter Russian as a dynamic language that encompasses stories of resilience, adaptation, and self-expression. We believe this broadens their understanding of both Russian and the historical forces behind its spread, as well as the diverse identities of people who use it today.
-Shannon Quinn and Anna Tumarkin