This is a genuine question. I’ve always had an interest in learning languages and I have a list I want to learn. I am already somewhat decent in Spanish, so I’m picking up that, practicing my Portuguese, going to learn French and Italian, maybe German, learning Polish, and possibly Russian.
I already canceled the idea of living in Russia due to obvious reasons, but will I have any need to learn the language? Will it be useful? Will that be offensive? Many people HATE Russia and the language.
I learned Russian when I was in school - after having family who left during the pograms. Learning the Russian language, or any language, should not be about politics. You don’t learn the language to embrace government policies, you do it in order to better understand the artists and the art they created. I don’t have my Russian keyboard, so you’ll forgive me - but there are works which work best when untranslated and understanding some context. “We” by Zamyatin, “Master & Margarita” by Bulgakov, a bunch of Tolstoy’s works, “Diary of a Madman” by Gogol, “Roadside Picnic” by the Strugatsky brothers, and movies like Solaris and Stalker. Not to mention the poetry.
Learn the language for the art. If it does make you political at all, it’ll make you even more opposed to the Chekist in charge.
I mean, actual Russians are native Russian speakers and majority sees through Chekist bullshit, so this checks out!