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Russian- and Ukrainian-Speaking Communities and Healthcare

Russian is the most widely spoken language in Europe and the most widespread of the Slavic languages. It is the first language of about 145 million people and the second language of an additional 110 million. Sizeable Russian-speaking communities also exist in the U.S. (especially in large urban centers such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago). According to the United States 2000 Census, Russian was reported as the language spoken at home by 1.5% of the population, or about 4.2 million, making Russian the tenth most spoken language in the United States. Deciding when and how to translate material into Russian or Ukrainian can be invaluable to communicating with immigrant students and their families.

Russian is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan and is one of the official languages of the United Nations. It belongs to the family of Indo-European languages, and is therefore related to Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin, as well as the modern Germanic, Romance, and Celtic languages including English, French, and Irish, respectively.

Today Russian is primarily spoken in Russia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once part of the USSR, where it was widely taught in school. However, younger generations are usually not fluent in it, because Russian is no longer mandatory in the school system. It was widely taught in Asian countries such as Laos, Vietnam, and Mongolia due to the Soviet influence, and is still used as a lingua franca in Afghanistan by various tribes.

Russian is written using a modified version of the Cyrillic alphabet, consisting of 33 letters. Setting up Russian documents as Word files and as content on websites requires some preparation and knowledge of Cyrillic typesetting issues. To read Russian correctly in HTML format and on the Internet, one needs to choose the option "Cyrillic (Windows 1251)" option under "Multilingual Unicode" in whatever software or browser you will be using.

Using standard Windows-based Unicode fonts and choosing Cyrillic encoding does the trick for Russian text in most cases. There are certain Unicode fonts for Windows that contain correctly addressed Russian characters. (For example Arial, Courier, Tahoma, Times and Times New Roman.) Please keep in mind that Cyrillic will not display correctly if Unicode fonts are not used.

When translating into Russian it is important to know your target audience and where they are located to reach them effectively. For example, when deciding how to communicate with immigrants from the former USSR, Russian should be your first choice because Russian was the official language. However, for many immigrants, Russian is not their native tongue, but rather their second language. This includes Ukrainians, the largest non-Russian ethnic group of the former USSR. Even though both languages are written in the Cyrillic alphabet and are similar, they are not mutually understandable. Belarusian is between the two and is often understood by both Russians and Ukrainians.

Russians are family-oriented and multi-generational families are common in the United States. Most recent Russian immigrants are highly educated and many speak English, however, there still may be significant barriers to communicating with older immigrants and families from lower socioeconomic circumstances in the former USSR.

One of the main reasons for leaving the former USSR or the Ukraine was to escape religious persecution. Therefore, many immigrants are Ukrainian or Russian Pentecostals. There’s been a steady flow of refugees since 1985 in many areas. Belief systems of the Pentecostal religion sometimes differ from those of the general American population and therefore some cultural conflicts can arise between those groups.

Differences between the U.S. healthcare system and the system in Russia or the Ukraine are many and are often causes of concern to new immigrants. Generally, the attitude toward the medical profession is different. In Russia and associated countries, doctors made decisions for patients about type of care, reminded them often of appointments, and followed very closely through all stages of care. The emphasis in the U.S. on patients making more decisions for themselves and having more control over their own healthcare is sometimes alarming for new immigrants. Additionally, hospital stays in Russia are often longer than American stays, and therefore Russian patients sometimes feel that doctors don’t take enough time to talk with and treat their patients. Russians are also often disappointed that home visits are extremely rare in America. Also, Russian immigrant communities might need encouragement to seek help for mental illness when necessary, because these conditions are considered shameful and not discussed in this culture.

Material in Russian and Ukrainian, depending on the audience, can provide much needed patient education and explain the U.S. health system to this community.


	viaLanguage Translation Articles Russian- and Ukrainian-Speaking Communities and Healthcare Russian is the most widely spoken language in Europe and the most widespread of the Slavic languages. It is the first language of about 145 million people and the second language of an additional 110 million. Sizeable Russian-speaking communities also exist in the U.S. (especially in large urban centers such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago). According to the United States 2000 Census, Russian was reported as the language spoken at home by 1.5% of the population, or about 4.2 million, making Russian the tenth most spoken language in the United States. Deciding when and how to translate material into Russian or Ukrainian can be invaluable to communicating with immigrant students and their families. Russian is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan and is one of the official languages of the United Nations. It belongs to the family of Indo-European languages, and is therefore related to Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin, as well as the modern Germanic, Romance, and Celtic languages including English, French, and Irish, respectively. Today Russian is primarily spoken in Russia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once part of the USSR, where it was widely taught in school. However, younger generations are usually not fluent in it, because Russian is no longer mandatory in the school system. It was widely taught in Asian countries such as Laos, Vietnam, and Mongolia due to the Soviet influence, and is still used as a lingua franca in Afghanistan by various tribes. Russian is written using a modified version of the Cyrillic alphabet, consisting of 33 letters. Setting up Russian documents as Word files and as content on websites requires some preparation and knowledge of Cyrillic typesetting issues. To read Russian correctly in HTML format and on the Internet, one needs to choose the option "Cyrillic (Windows 1251)" option under "Multilingual Unicode" in whatever software or browser you will be using. Using standard Windows-based Unicode fonts and choosing Cyrillic encoding does the trick for Russian text in most cases. There are certain Unicode fonts for Windows that contain correctly addressed Russian characters. (For example Arial, Courier, Tahoma, Times and Times New Roman.) Please keep in mind that Cyrillic will not display correctly if Unicode fonts are not used. When translating into Russian it is important to know your target audience and where they are located to reach them effectively. For example, when deciding how to communicate with immigrants from the former USSR, Russian should be your first choice because Russian was the official language. However, for many immigrants, Russian is not their native tongue, but rather their second language. This includes Ukrainians, the largest non-Russian ethnic group of the former USSR. Even though both languages are written in the Cyrillic alphabet and are similar, they are not mutually understandable. Belarusian is between the two and is often understood by both Russians and Ukrainians. Russians are family-oriented and multi-generational families are common in the United States. Most recent Russian immigrants are highly educated and many speak English, however, there still may be significant barriers to communicating with older immigrants and families from lower socioeconomic circumstances in the former USSR. One of the main reasons for leaving the former USSR or the Ukraine was to escape religious persecution. Therefore, many immigrants are Ukrainian or Russian Pentecostals. There’s been a steady flow of refugees since 1985 in many areas. Belief systems of the Pentecostal religion sometimes differ from those of the general American population and therefore some cultural conflicts can arise between those groups. Differences between the U.S. healthcare system and the system in Russia or the Ukraine are many and are often causes of concern to new immigrants. Generally, the attitude toward the medical profession is different. In Russia and associated countries, doctors made decisions for patients about type of care, reminded them often of appointments, and followed very closely through all stages of care. The emphasis in the U.S. on patients making more decisions for themselves and having more control over their own healthcare is sometimes alarming for new immigrants. Additionally, hospital stays in Russia are often longer than American stays, and therefore Russian patients sometimes feel that doctors don’t take enough time to talk with and treat their patients. Russians are also often disappointed that home visits are extremely rare in America. Also, Russian immigrant communities might need encouragement to seek help for mental illness when necessary, because these conditions are considered shameful and not discussed in this culture. Material in Russian and Ukrainian, depending on the audience, can provide much needed patient education and explain the U.S. health system to this community.