Russians 'from the Provinces' Need to Speak ‘Moscow Russian’ to Succeed in the Capital, Linguists Say

Paul Goble

    Staunton, Apr. 24 – Russia is an enormous country, and people in various regions speak a variety of dialects. Muscovites are used to hearing people speak these variations; but those who move the capital and don’t overcome them and speak standard Moscow Russian often face difficulties in ascending career ladders in the capital.

    The Moscow dialect only became standard Russian in the nineteenth century, linguists say; and in most situations, Muscovites don’t discriminate against those who speak other Russian dialects (newizv.ru/news/2025-04-24/effekt-frosi-burlakovoy-kak-regionalnyy-govor-vliyaet-na-karieru-i-samoprezentatsiyu-436668).

    But those who want to rise professionally especially in media-heavy professions or state institutions need to speak Moscow Russian or they will be looked down and viewed as less competent than those who can speak the way Muscovites do, Russian linguists say. And they suggest there are many easy ways for Russians from outside Moscow to learn to do so.

    One of the best is to contact actors in Moscow theaters, many of whom came from outside the capital and had to learn Moscow Russian and are more than happy often for very little money to pass on their skills. But what is critical is that non-Muscovites must not act as if they expect to be discriminated against. If they do, they are more likely to be.

    And the linguists add that there is at least one situation in which those who speak regional dialects do better in Moscow: when there are disasters involving people from the same region, those who know the dialect of that region are instantly accepted and viewed as best able to handle navigating their problems and dealing with Moscow speakers.