Russian Sign Language

A language of Russian Federation

700,000 in Russian Federation (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 430,000–860,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.3%–0.6% of total population. Other estimates: 121,000 (2010 census); 715,000 (2014 IMB). Total users in all countries: 909,000.

Location

Scattered. Moscow and Saint Petersburg are major centers.

Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification

Sign language, Deaf community sign language

Dialects

Some dialect variation across Russia but communication is easy between all parts of the country (2020 N. Andrianova). Relatively high lexical similarity to sign languages in Ukraine [ukl] and Moldova [vsi]. Reported historical connections to sign languages in Austria and France, but not much evidence of this from extensive wordlist comparison (Bickford 2005).

Typology

One-handed fingerspelling (Cyrillic script).

Language Use

Vigorous. Hundreds of residential schools for deaf; some vocational schools, mainly oralist. Deaf associations and athletic clubs. Some interpreters. Some sign language classes for hearing people, mostly in large cities. Organization for sign language teachers. Used by all. Some also use Russian [rus], primarily written.

Language Development

TV. Videos. Dictionary. Agency: Vserosiyskoe obshestvo gluhih (VOGh, All-Russian Society of the Deaf).

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Russian Sign Language

Other Comments

Exists alongside Signed Russian, which uses RSL signs with Russian grammar. Some people distinguished the two systems carefully, while others use ‘Russian Sign Language’ for both (2020 N. Andrianova). First school for the deaf opened at Pavlovsk near St. Petersburg in 1806. Reported to also be used in Federal Republics such as Chechnya, and in countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, such as Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Some of these appear to be dialects of RSL; others have diverged significantly and are now distinct languages. Christian.

Also spoken in:

Expand All

Collapse All

Armenia

Language NameRussian Sign Language

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

5* (Developing).

Language Use

Some also use Armenian Sign Language [aen]. Used as L2 by Armenian Sign Language [aen].

Language Development

Taught in at least one deaf school (2020 N. Andrianova).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Both Armenian SL [aen] and Russian SL are present in Armenia, and usually not clearly distinguished, but there are substantial differences between them; see entry on Armenian SL (2020 N. Andrianova).

View other languages of Armenia

Belarus

Language NameRussian Sign Language

User Population

28,000 in Belarus (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 19,000–38,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.2%–0.4% of total population.

Location

Scattered.

Alternate Names

RSL

Dialects

High lexical similarity and intelligibility with Russian SL in Russia, with some dialect differences.

Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Language Use

Used by all.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Belarus

Estonia

Language NameRussian Sign Language

Location

Harju county: Tallinn.

Language Status

6a* (Vigorous).

Language Use

Used in Tallinn by deaf Russians. In other regions Russians use some pidginized versions of Russian Sign Language mixed with Estonian Sign Language. Used as L2 by Estonian Sign Language [eso].

Language Development

Agency: Estonian Association of the Deaf.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Estonia

Israel

Language NameRussian Sign Language

User Population

1,000 in Israel (Yoel 2007). Estimated number of deaf immigrants from the former Soviet Union since 1988.

Location

Scattered.

Alternate Names

RSL

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Home; Mixed use: Community. Adults only. Shifting to Israeli Sign Language [isr] (Yoel 2007). Also use Hebrew [heb] (Yoel 2007).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Used by deaf immigrants from the former Soviet Union, but they are scattered throughout the country and most have little opportunity to interact with other Russian deaf or use the language outside the home, leading to attrition of RSL skills. Adult immigrants learn ISL [isr] and Hebrew [heb] in immigrant language classes. Deaf children are not learning RSL, rather they learn ISL and Hebrew in regular deaf education (Yoel 2007). Jewish.

View other languages of Israel

Kazakhstan

Language NameRussian Sign Language

User Population

56,000 in Kazakhstan (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 37,000–74,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.2%–0.4% of the general population.

Location

Scattered.

Alternate Names

RSL

Dialects

None known. Very high comprehension of RSL videos from Russia (2020 N. Andrianova). Slight lexical differences between north and south (2020 N. Andrianova).

Language Status

5 (Developing).

Language Use

Vigorous. All domains. Used by all. Some also use Russian [rus].

Language Development

Deaf schools teach Russian Sign Language and Russian (2020 N. Andrianova).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Language NameRussian Sign Language

User Population

32,000 in Kyrgyzstan (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 19,000–39,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.3%–0.6% of total population.

Location

Scattered.

Dialects

Very high lexical similarity with Russian SL in Russia, especially in Bishkek, with somewhat greater variation in the south (2020 N. Andrianova).

Language Status

5* (Developing).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Kyrgyzstan

Moldova

Language NameRussian Sign Language

User Population

5,000 in Moldova (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 5,000–13,000 deaf signers in Moldova for all sign languages, assuming 0.2%–0.5% of total population. Other estimates: 5,000 (2017 N. Andrianova), 17,500 (2014 IMB).

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Language Use

Used by all. Some also use Russian [rus], primarily written.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Moldova Sign Language [vsi] and Russian Sign Language are not clearly distinguished in Moldova; see further comments in entry for Moldova SL.

View other languages of Moldova

Tajikistan

Language NameRussian Sign Language

User Population

47,000 in Tajikistan (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 28,000–56,000 signing deaf, assuming 0.3%–0.6% of total population.

Location

Scattered, with concentrations around Dushanbe.

Alternate Names

RSL, TSL, Tajik Sign Language

Dialects

Includes some local signs, and some grammatical differences from standard RSL that suggest it may need to be considered a separate language. Considerable variation within Tajikistan, since many deaf have never attended school and have had little exposure to the standard variety (2019 J. Power).

Language Status

5 (Developing).

Language Use

Vigorous. Used by all. Some also use Russian [rus]. Deaf people born before about 2000 learned Russian in school. Some also use Tajik [tgk]. Deaf people born after about 2000 have been taught Tajik in schools, and the government currently promotes Tajik over Russian.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Two schools for the deaf in Dushanbe area (grades 1–10), another in Khujand, with a mixture of oralist approaches and some use of signs (2019 J. Power). Muslim.

View other languages of Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Language NameRussian Sign Language

User Population

18,000 in Turkmenistan (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 12,000–24,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.2%–0.4% of total population.

Location

Scattered.

Dialects

None known. Very high intelligibility with Russian SL in Russia (2020 N. Andrianova).

Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Language Use

Used by all.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Language NameRussian Sign Language

User Population

22,000 in Uzbekistan (2008 WFD). Another estimate: 100,000–200,000, assuming 0.3%–0.6% of the total population (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL).

Location

Scattered.

Dialects

None known. Very high intelligibility with Russian SL in Russia (2020 N. Andrianova).

Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Language Use

Used by all.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Uzbekistan

Russian Sign Language

Primary tabs

A language of Russian Federation

Also spoken in:

Browse by

25th Edition

Products

Related Sites