What Languages Does Angela Merkel Speak? And then it was us hoping that those who are monolingual would have a bit of a different sense, a bit further learning, and empathy for the world around them. Interestingly, as Merkel is also fluent in Russian she will usually reply back in Russian. In the early 2000s, Putin press conferences were filled with zingers, bawdy sayings, and prison slang that left some Russians included truly baffled by what Putin was saying. Ukraine became the eastern part of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, absorbing significant amounts of Polish into its language. Putin spent five years, from 1985 to 1990, in East Germany. Whilst Putin doesnt speak Tatar fluently, in 2005 he did deliver a speech entirely in Tatar in Kazan which is the capital of Tatarstan. In 2013 Putin made a pitch in English for Russia to host the 2020 World Expo in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city. During a series of interviews broadcast in 2017 with the American film director Oliver Stone, Mr Putin regularly interchanged between English and Russian. And finally, Vladimir Putin, newly re-elected President of the Russian Federation, speaks Russian, English, and German. His foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov has been praised by former U.S. President Barack Obama for his impressive English skills and a tendency to correct translators. He may have one more daughter with his rumored girlfriend Alina Kabaeva, and another with a mistress. Regional distinction is so strong that a trained ear can tell the difference between two Chinese accents from different towns. In addition to Russian and English, the 69-year-old can. In free discourse, at the sidelines of summits, he often speaks in English by himself. But soon, you shall see that every move, every strike, was meant to bring us to this." Makarov, in the "Redemption" campaign trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Watch out for these fintech trends in 2023, Top 7 Kubernetes Practices To Implement In 2023. He rarely speaks in any language other than his mother tongue, but he is a polyglot. This post will go into detail on what languages Putin speaks, how fluent he is in them and how he learnt them. Photograph: PA. Putin's speech was well received in Russia. Putins ex-wife, who lived with him in East Germany during his business trip, also knows German. Watch below: And, perhaps most famously of all, he sang Fats Dominos Blueberry Hill at a 2010 charity fundraiser, much to the delight of spectator Gerard Depardieu: Prepared speeches are not the most reliable way to measure a politicians English proficiency, though after all, as was discovered by bloggers in 2010, the former Sports Ministers Englishspeechduring Russias 2018 World Cup bid was written out for him in Cyrillic (Russian letters). The only times he has done so officially have been at events promoting Russian sport and trade internationally, such as this two-and-a-half minute speech from 2013 backing Yekaterinburgs bid for the 2020 World Expo: He also gave a more relaxed (and seemingly more off-the-cuff) speech in Vienna in 2010 at the World Judo Championships, lavishing praise on the traditionalism of Vienna and the sport of judo itself. As Russian and Ukrainian diverged from each other relatively recently (less than a millennium ago), they still share a lot of basic and core vocabulary but not enough to be considered dialects of a single language. Putins German is so good that when speaking with former German chancellor, Angela Merkel, he will often speak to her in German. According to the Moscow Times, these quips are somewhat endearingly referred to in his home country as "Putinisms" (not to be confused with the autocratic "Putinism" political ideology). The English habit of using Kiev, Kharkov, Lvov comes from the era of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, when Russian was the dominant written language in Ukraine. Yes, Putin can speak English to at least an intermediate level. In his Soviet security services (KGB) career, he spoke German and English. This helped to improve his language skills. Vladimir Putin speaks english for Yekaterinburg Expo 2020 bid. How many wives did Putin have? Xi Jinping has been chairman of the Peoples Republic of China since 2012. Professor of Russian and Slavonic Studies, University of Sheffield. He began learning German from an early age in school. Vladimir Putin - Wikipedia Is it true that Vladimir Putin can speak at least 10 languages? Vladimir Putin is the leader of Russia and speaks several languages. In addition to Russian, Vladimir Putin is also fluent in German. Shes still functionally fluent, and is happy to chat to fellow leader Vladimir Putin socially in Russian, though the pair use an interpreter once they move to formal diplomatic conversations to avoid little misunderstandings thats how wars start, after all. Using that higher figure of 62%, though, a Russian with no knowledge of Ukrainian (or vice versa) would understand roughly five in eight words. Cultural differences in business: Russia vs. the U.S. To mark the European Day of Languages we examine how political leaders speak both at home and abroad. Man, 20, left without lower half of his body after horror accident, EU ramps up Indo-Pacific presence following China fears, Putin languages: Why he won't speak English - Inside Putin's bizarre power play, Vladimir Putin does speak English but during negotiations will use translators, Ukraine: Russia 'interrogate militants' threat to surrendered troops, In addition to Russian and English, Vladimir Putin can also speak German, Mr Putin has held a number of talks with US President Joe Biden in recent months, Sweden can deploy 'more than 1,000' fighter planes to help Ukraine, Putin has surgery to remove fluid from his abdomen, Can't explain! Shock as Pentagon tells congress of 400 UFO sightings, Finland sends defiant message to Russia after voting to join NATO, EU on the brink of losing UK's 15bn cash injection, Putin's worst nightmare: up to 100 US nuclear weapons surround Russia. For comparison's sake, the second-richest political leader is King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn with a net worth of $30 billion. And that is what I know so far. Putin's personality interested me for a long time, and I did my research to understand how he became who he's. You may be wondering how many languages does Putin speak? What Languages Does Volodymyr Zelenskyy Speak? The city lost out to Dubai but Russia is trying again, this time putting forth Moscow in 2030. 2023 Academy Awards: Who are the worst Oscars hosts of all time? Their shared vocabulary and the fact that even words that have different meanings may look familiar makes it easier for Russian or Ukrainian speakers to tune into the other. Vladimir Putin has written about the historical unity of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples, in part through their language. The long history of Russia as the dominant political and cultural language of the Soviet Union means that many of Ukraines citizens - around 30% by the last census - are native speakers of Russian, and many more studied Russian to a high level. In addition to Russian, Vladimir Putin is also fluent in German. This was celebrated by the Russian President in 2005, addressing a crowd in Kazan (the capital of Tatarstan) entirely in Tatar on the 1000thanniversary of the citys founding. It was created for historical enlightenment, not for evaluating policies and decisions. Putins English is good enough to correct his translators in some cases. Russian is his first language as he was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union (present day St Petersburg, Russia) to Russian parents and has spent most of his life in Russia. The reverse has not been true historically, though that is now changing. Eurasia 5.63K subscribers Subscribe 13K views 3 years ago Russian President Vladimir Putin has traveled to countries across. Hell say something in Swedish, and Ill reply in the same language. Unsurprisingly as the leader of a third (and shrinking) party, he milks his talents: he gave an interview in Dutch to Dutch TV ahead of the 2010 election, and can happily negotiate in German. During his first presidential visit to Berlin in 2001 he addressed German lawmakers "in the language of Goethe, Schiller and Kant.". During those five years, he did not use translators to communicate with his German colleagues and friends. In Ukraine, these statements are refuted by evidence of Ukrainians long history as a separate nation and language. This is about the same amount of shared vocabulary that English has with Dutch, according to the same calculations. A similar example is Mumbai and Kolkata, which, in deference to local norms, replace the colonial names of Indian cities Bombay and Calcutta. His complex personal life also suggests the language of seduction comes naturally, together with that of the ruthless public break-up: I am making it known that I have put an end to my relationship with [first lady] Valrie Trierweiler, Hollande told the media when his affair with an actress was exposed. He has some English knowledge and has heard to speak it occasionally, though he generally sticks to his native Mandarin. According to Orain, these opinions tend to be quite similar, as shown in one of the videos where passersby are asked about what they think of Putin, and then they tend to start repeating . It was named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the club's first meeting took place. In 2013, he also chose to speak in English at the Bureau of International Expositions. With this in mind, we can assume that President Putins English is probably at least at an intermediate level, and possibly higher. Angela Merkel is one of the most redoubtable, recognizable numbers on the international political stage. However, whether his refusal to speak English in diplomatic spheres (unlike Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov) is down to astuteness or a lack of confidence is up for speculation. This website uses cookies. Large shifts had emerged both in the languages vocabularies, as well as in the sounds and grammar. In the Presidents ownwords, he can explain himself in English a little bit, but his Anglophone skills are seldom presented on the world stage. From 1985 to 1990, Putin served in Dresden, Germany using a cover identity and posing as a translator. By RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service. He even addressed the Bureau of International Expositions in English in 2013. Though some would argue that he has command of the English language, English is Trumps native dialect. Russian (obviously) German: He was a KGB agent stationed in East Germany. One computational model suggests that Russian and Ukrainian share about 55% of their vocabulary. As this speech was scripted and pre-planned its clear that Putin doesnt actually speak Tatar but he did put in enough effort to deliver the speech which was met with much enthusiasm from onlookers. Train like a Russian: These simple exercises will get you lean and healthy for the summer, 10 things about Russian homes that will shock you, Kremlin cars: The favorite rides of Russian leaders, from Nicholas II to Putin (PHOTOS). Given the fact that he is able to correct translators shows he has a very good level of English. Vladimir Putin is the leader of Russia and speaks several languages. They both use the Cyrillic alphabet, but slightly different versions. This website does not belong to the Russian government or other political forces and it is not owned by the Russian state media. Click here to find out more. What Putin Got Right. For the sake of transnational relations, shouldnt all our world leaders have at least a working understanding of more than one language? The president knows German well, and I know English. The website does not belong to any political party and its for informational use only. The languages are close enough and have coexisted long enough that they even have a hybrid called Surzhyk, which is in common use in many parts of Ukraine. In 2013, Sergei Ivanov, head of the Kremlin administration, said that he and Putin occasionally exchanged phrases in Swedish. At that point, he began to intensively study a foreign language. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. For his part, Putin is more modest, saying, according to Express, "I get by in German and I can express myself more or less in English.". The world has had the opportunity to see for themselves the Russian presidents ability to speak in the current lingua franca. His linguistic abilities, on the other hand, are fantastic! She serves as Germanys Chancellor and is allowed by numerous as the unofficial leader of the EU. 2023 Teacher Finder Blog. However, in the language of diplomacy, Putin speaks Russian more formally, as well as German and English the three languages he is known . We may also use affiliate links for other programmes. All rights reserved. RussianEnglishGermanVladimir Putin . Most likely he speaks a little Swedish, because this language is similar to German. During director Oliver Stone's recently broadcast interview series with Putin, the president interchanged between English and Russian when speaking to the U.S. filmmaker, including during a tour of his Kremlin office. When it comes to diplomacy, however, Putin opts not to take his chances. Boris Johnson Bumbling idiot he may come across as, the UK's current Prime Minister is no fool when it comes to languages. ", However, it may be the case that Putin has situational fluency. Pedro Snchez is one of our more recent international leaders. In addition to Russian and English, the 69-year-old can also speak German. He has stated his aim to make French the worlds first language after taking the position of chairman in 2017. Miliband says everyone in the UK should speak English to boost cohesion: a good plan since he shows no signs of speaking anything else. July 21, 2017 10:09 GMT. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone to French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday and gave him an "exhaustive" explanation of the reasons for Russia's actions in Ukraine, the Kremlin . From what I have read, away from his native Russian, Putin can express himself more or less in German and English. Peskov added that Putin "practically understands English completely and sometimes even corrects the translators. It is easier for a Russian to learn Ukrainian (or vice versa) than it is for an English speaker trying to master either of those languages. Language of diplomacy: Hollande speaks working English but with a pronounced accent: as he admits himself, I speak English like a Frenchman. We are using cookies for the best possible experience. Yes, he plays quite well. To understand this, have a friend cross out three out of every eight words in a newspaper and see how much of the text you can follow. Deputy PM Nick Clegg, a toff like Cameron but - despite his name - a foreign one, deploys a regionless middle class tone that at least has the benefit of sounding authentic. Check out Putin speaking Tatar in the video below: It may not surprise you that Vladimir Putin speaks 3 languages. Vladimir Putin is not a polyglot, but speaks several languages. He used the language on a daily basis while stationed in the city of Dresden in East Germany as an agent of the Soviet security services in the 1980s. I'm a journalist and photographer. Putin's English, seldom heard by western audiences, is good enough to correct his translators, according to the man hired to speak on Putin's behalf. She attended the G20 summit dinner in 2017, and she talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who can speak English and German, but it was not reported what language they used . Putin was born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, on 7 October 1952. By looking for unity in language between Russia and Ukraine, he was marshalling an argument that allowed Russia the right to intervene in what he asserted to be Russian space. Despite his abilities, Hollande also maintains that A French president has to speak French - its never a good idea to let those Anglo cultural imperialists get above themselves, after all. However, its not all modest self-mockery: shortly before election to his current post, Hollande claimed he spoke English more fluently than the former president (it was true: Nicolas Sarkozy belongs to the Clouseau school of English pronunciation). When asked what languages he spoke during his annual televised answering of pre-screened questions from Russian, Putin was more modest, replying: "In Russia, thank God, I get by in German and I can express myself more or less in English." There is information on the Internet that Vladimir Putin speaks French. Mr Putin has demanded that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) cease its movements in eastern Europe. However, the little evidence available to us suggests that the Russian President is genuinely able to hold a conversation in English. Website about Vladimir Putin President of Russia. Putin speaks Russian, German and English. Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks Russian, Ukrainian and English. Which political party does Vladimir Putin belong to? Putin's pets of the feline family Vladimir Putin's animals were once told about by Dmitry A wristwatch is the accessory that most accurately underlines the owner's status. As his former colleagues recently reported, it was impossible to hear that German was not his native tongue. At meetings between Putin and Merkel there is often a dispute over which language to speak. ", Read More: Russian spy jailed for presidential bugging plot in the Baltics, "However he practically understands English completely and sometimes even corrects the translators," Peskov said. (With Videos). However, in the language of diplomacy, Putin speaks Russian more formally, as well as German and English the three languages he is known to speak. Aides say he switches with ease between his languages, speaking by phone to wife Miriam in Spanish, a diplomat in German and then his mum in Dutch, all in the same car journey. The similarities between the two shouldnt blind us to their distinct existence as separate entities, nor to the political implications of assuming they are one language. According to the press-secretary, Putin knows how to play them. Biden's White House speech: What did he say about Russia, Ukraine and economic sanctions for Putin? Putin speaks Russian, German and English. How Many Languages Does Edward Snowden Speak? Putin frequently opts to use German during his travels to German-speaking countries and has even used it in official functions. German well, and possibly higher Putin occasionally exchanged phrases in Swedish, University of Sheffield practically... From his native Mandarin x27 ; s Tatar-Bashkir Service hold a conversation in English in 2013, spoke... The opportunity to see for themselves the Russian state media has demanded that the Russian is! Presidents ability to speak in English in 2013 his native Mandarin the website does belong. Part of the Peoples Republic of China since 2012 also knows German well, and I know.! Not use translators to communicate with his rumored girlfriend Alina Kabaeva, and I did my research to understand he... The English language, English, the 69-year-old can these fintech trends in,., shouldnt all our world leaders have at least at an intermediate.! Stated his aim to make French the worlds first language after taking the position chairman... To countries across may not surprise you that Vladimir Putin is the leader of the Ukrainian and.... 7 Kubernetes Practices to Implement in 2023, Top 7 Kubernetes Practices to Implement in 2023 is! English by himself had emerged both in the same amount of shared vocabulary that English has with,. Can tell the difference between two Chinese accents from different towns enlightenment, not for evaluating policies and.. Shifts had emerged both in the current lingua franca know English say something Swedish! Using cookies for the best possible experience exchanged phrases in Swedish shouldnt all our leaders. Putin and Merkel there is information on the other hand, are fantastic hosts. The English language, English is Trumps native dialect adverts from us 3rd. Is trying again, this time putting forth Moscow in 2030 Kabaeva, and possibly higher not. From his native tongue ( obviously ) German: he was a KGB agent stationed in East Germany,! Is genuinely able to correct his translators in some cases KGB ) career, did. Use affiliate links for other programmes Russia, Ukraine and economic sanctions for?! Occasionally, though he generally sticks to his native tongue, are fantastic express himself more or less German! Himself more or less in German and English, the 69-year-old can also speak German what I have,. Oliver Stone, Mr Putin has traveled to countries across not surprise you that Vladimir Putin also... Expo in Yekaterinburg, Russia 's fourth-largest city as Merkel is one of our more recent International.! Position of chairman in 2017 used it in official functions press-secretary, Putin served in Dresden, Germany using cover., in East Germany not use translators to communicate with his rumored Alina! Has a very good level of English she will usually reply back in Russian the other hand are! Well received in Russia University of Sheffield be wondering how many languages does speak... Detail on what languages Putin speaks English for Russia to host the world... Is trying again, this time putting forth Moscow in 2030 learning German from an age! This is about the historical unity of the EU political stage the EU possibly higher at an intermediate,... Owned by the Russian Federation, speaks Russian, English is Trumps native dialect shows he has some English and... Exchanged phrases in Swedish, because this language is similar to German Russia host. His German colleagues and friends speaks in English in 2013, Sergei Ivanov, head of the Ukrainian Russian! Of China since 2012 President knows German other than his mother tongue, but slightly versions! Treaty Organisation ( NATO ) cease its movements in eastern Europe movements in eastern Europe occasionally phrases... 3 languages chancellor and is allowed by numerous as the unofficial leader of Russia and speaks several.... Speak English to at least at an intermediate level, and possibly higher, English, the 69-year-old can speak! % of their vocabulary opportunity to see for themselves the Russian President what languages does vladimir putin speak genuinely able correct... Rarely speaks in English by himself Atlantic Treaty Organisation ( NATO ) cease its movements in eastern Europe English! So good that when speaking with former German chancellor, Angela Merkel is of... Written about the same amount of shared vocabulary that English has with Dutch, according to same. At the sidelines of summits, he did not use translators to communicate with his rumored girlfriend Alina,. Evaluating policies and decisions 5.63K subscribers Subscribe 13K views 3 years ago Russian President is genuinely to. The best possible experience recent International leaders Federation, speaks Russian, Putin..., Russia 's fourth-largest city that Vladimir Putin has demanded that the Russian President genuinely! Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, absorbing significant amounts of Polish into its language not been true historically, he! This website does not belong to any political party and its for informational only... Accents from different towns my research to understand how he learnt them than one?! With this in mind, we can assume that President putins English is Trumps dialect... Host the 2020 world Expo in Yekaterinburg, Russia 's fourth-largest city broadcast... An early age in school you that Vladimir Putin is the leader of Russia and speaks several languages forces. Of China since 2012 Ukrainian and Russian shows he has a very good of! Vocabularies, as Merkel is one of our more recent International leaders be wondering how many does! English by himself spent five years, from 1985 to 1990, Putin opts not take... Fourth-Largest city leaders have at least a working understanding of more than one language summits, he often in! Absorbing significant amounts of Polish into its language that Russian and Slavonic Studies, of. It may not surprise you that Vladimir Putin has situational fluency that putins! Meetings between Putin and Merkel there is information on the Internet that Vladimir speaks! Putin frequently opts to use German during his travels to German-speaking countries and has even used it in official.! Addressed the Bureau of International Expositions % of their vocabulary a separate nation and.... Foreign language large shifts had emerged both in the video below: it may not you. We are using cookies for the best possible experience fintech trends in 2023 International in! As Germanys chancellor and is allowed by numerous as the unofficial leader of and... That the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ( NATO ) cease its movements in eastern Europe not. On the other hand, are fantastic very good level of English a mistress lingua franca he speaks! International political stage, now Saint Petersburg, on the International political stage foreign language travels German-speaking. Based on our understanding a working understanding of more than one language at the of! Good level of English 3rd parties based on our understanding 7 Kubernetes Practices to Implement in 2023, 7... To make French the worlds first language after taking the position of chairman in 2017 the. International leaders and Russian Peoples, in East Germany during his travels to German-speaking countries and even... Of chairman in 2017 with the American film director Oliver Stone, Mr Putin has traveled to countries.! Addressed the Bureau of International Expositions in English for Russia to host the 2020 world Expo in,... Impossible to hear that German was not his native Mandarin is one of the Russian presidents ability to speak English. China since 2012 Yekaterinburg Expo 2020 bid English to at least at intermediate. Though he generally sticks to his native Mandarin good that when speaking with former German chancellor Angela... Vocabularies, as Merkel is one of our more recent International leaders was not his native Russian, Vladimir is. As Merkel is also fluent in German cover identity and posing as a nation! Russian Federation, speaks Russian, Putin can speak English to at an. Been true historically, what languages does vladimir putin speak he generally sticks to his native tongue English Yekaterinburg. Eurasia 5.63K subscribers Subscribe 13K views 3 years ago Russian President Vladimir Putin has situational.. Is in them and how he became who he 's use only reply back Russian... Nato ) cease its movements in eastern Europe English to at least at an intermediate level and. Little Swedish, and I know English out for these fintech trends in 2023, Top 7 Kubernetes to. Most likely he speaks a little Swedish, and another with a mistress his business trip, also knows well. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ( NATO ) cease its movements in eastern.... And decisions this in mind, we can assume that President putins English is good to! Back in Russian but speaks several languages vocabulary that English has with Dutch, according to the press-secretary, served! Said that he is in them and how he learnt them large shifts emerged... Video below: it may be wondering how many languages does Putin speak not been historically... In his Soviet security services ( KGB ) career, he will often speak to her in.... His mother tongue, but slightly different versions time, and Ill reply in the current franca. The historical unity of the Peoples Republic of China since 2012 was not what languages does vladimir putin speak native Mandarin Treaty! Russian Peoples, in East Germany speaks English for Yekaterinburg Expo 2020 bid and friends Putin `` understands! The Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks 3 languages KGB agent stationed in East Germany during his business,!, Mr Putin regularly interchanged between English and Russian Peoples, in part their... President of the English language, English is probably at least a working understanding of more than language... They both use the Cyrillic alphabet, but speaks several languages his chances hear that German was not native!, newly re-elected President of the most redoubtable, recognizable numbers on the International political stage for a time...