Alsys urges systematic withdrawal of Russian language

Lithuanian Culture Minister Lukas Alsys said Vilnius’ decision to stop using Russian when providing services was understandable, but told LRT that such changes should be implemented systematically and take the needs of national minorities into account.

“Lithuania has a state language, and it is probably most important that government institutions and municipalities communicate in the state language,” Alsys told Žinių radijas on Thursday.

He said reducing the use of Russian was one of the strategic steps Vilnius had been implementing for several years. According to Alsys, traces of the Russian language and Russian culture were also declining in other cities and municipalities across Lithuania.

However, he said decisions on the use of Russian in municipal services should not be made without assessing the circumstances of local residents. Alsys noted that many national minorities in Vilnius use Russian as their main everyday language.

He also pointed to people who had arrived in Lithuania from Ukraine because of the war, saying that communicating in Russian could be easier for them in some cases. Before ending the use of Russian in services, he said, the possible consequences had to be assessed.

“I believe that Vilnius City Municipality has assessed all the risks,” Alsys said.

The minister said he currently saw no need to use Russian in state or municipal institutions. He said institutions should primarily use Lithuanian, as well as other European Union languages when necessary, including English and French.

Alsys added that language policy changes must take into account the needs of national minorities living in Lithuania and foreigners arriving in the country.

Vilnius Municipality said last week that, under its integration plan for residents of foreign origin, it was expanding opportunities to learn Lithuanian while reducing the use of Russian in education and public services.

The municipality said that, from this year, primary education for children of non-European Union citizens was organised only in Lithuanian, while the number of Lithuanian-language lessons had been increased in schools for national minorities.

Over the past three years, the number of preschool groups operating in Russian in the capital has fallen from 181 to 112. The municipality has also removed the Russian version of its website, eliminated Russian from its customer queue management system and stopped accepting applications and complaints in Russian.

The municipality said residents could still be informed orally in Russian and other non-European Union languages when necessary, depending on employees’ language skills.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said it was still too early to assess the municipality’s decision. He said it was not yet clear whether the move represented a principled position or a communications step.