Russian in Post-Soviet Central Asia: A Comparison with the States of the Baltic and South Caucasus

Since the collapse of the USSR, Russian-language skills have declined significantly throughout Central Asia among the titular and other local ethnic groups. Nevertheless, even in countries with minute Slavic minorities, Russian continues to be used for many different types of communication, and enjoys a high level of prestige, including in higher education and in top levels of professional, economic and political spheres. The use of Russian in elite domains and its association with high quality in Central Asia stands in contrast to the situation in the former Soviet republics of the Baltic and South Caucasus.