Galstyan: Lowering the status of the Russian language in Armenia is an anti—national step

Lilit Galstyan, a member of the National Assembly from the Hayastan opposition faction, called the possibility of reducing Russian language hours in Armenian schools a political short-sightedness.

According to the MP cited by Sputnik Armenia, teaching Russian cannot be transferred to the plane of political preferences and whims.

"Language is the greatest tool of cultural and political dialogue, and it should not be underestimated. Education is the biggest policy. The current state of Armenian-Russian relations naturally influences and will influence the spheres of education and culture. This is very noticeable, especially in the case of this government, which has adopted an anti—national manner of action," Galstyan said.

As EADaily reported, new state standards for schools came into force in Armenia in the 2024-2025 academic year. In the state Standard, Russian is still the first and mandatory language for learning a foreign language. In the circular sent by the Ministry of Education for a number of classes, Russian has moved from the status of basic (compulsory) to the status of a foreign language (optional). This may lead to a reduction in Russian language teaching hours.

Galstyan associates these changes with a change in the political vector. Given the deepening crisis in Armenian-Russian relations, at least in the foreseeable future, she sees no signs of recovery.

However, the MP stressed that Armenia is connected with Russia and will be connected by an extensive cultural heritage, regardless of the political position of the current Armenian authorities.