October 5, 2025

Back in the early 1960s, when Bhilai and Bokaro steel plants were rising with Soviet help, the Indian government spotted a big problem — very few experts knew Russian language and literature. To fix this, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri took a sparkling step in 1965: he founded the Institute of Russian Studies! This was meant to create a buzzing community of Russian speakers to boost India-Russia friendship and big projects in industry and defence. Fast forward to 2025, the Institute turns a proud 60! Today, it is part of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as the Centre of Russian Studies (CRS). Prof. Varyam Singh, one of the first students to learn Russian here, says the institute grew especially after the 1971 war when the Soviet Union helped India. Russian language suddenly became super popular! For 20 years, Russian teachers from USSR travelled to Delhi to teach students, many from the Indian Foreign Service, armed forces, and government departments. “We, young students, often found ourselves dwarfed by uniformed soldiers studying Russian,” Prof. Singh laughs. But all good things faced a change after the Soviet Union ended in 1991, stopping the yearly visits of Russian teachers. Today, CRS has about 300 students and 15 faculty. Its alumni are everywhere — diplomats, scholars, defence experts, and business leaders. Ved Kumar Sharma, a well-known translator of Russian classics like Anton Chekhov’s stories, says Russian teachers from Moscow and St. Petersburg made his education special. At the Defence Ministry, Sharma translated complex Russian weapon manuals but was not allowed to speak with foreigners, showing the secretive nature of his job! Another star alum, Shipra Ghose, served as interpreter for several Prime Ministers, including Narendra Modi. She accompanied Modi on many trips to Russia and Central Asia, highlighting how vital Russian language skills remain. Prof. Kiran Singh Verma, current chairperson of CRS, says, “Today, Indo-Russian ties shine bright in defence, space, energy, culture, and language.” She plans a grand November celebration and hopes old Russian teachers will visit again to relive the glory days. From building steel plants to shaping secret battles and diplomacy, the Institute of Russian Studies has truly been a vibrant bridge between two ancient civilizations. As it enters its 60th year, India and Russia’s bond shines stronger than ever!

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Tags: Russian language, Institute of russian studies, India-russia relations, Jnu, Cold war, Diplomacy,