List of endangered languages in Russia


An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use, generally because it has few surviving speakers. If it loses all of its native speakers, it becomes an extinct language. A language may be endangered in one area but show signs of revitalisation in another, as with the Irish language.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization defines five levels of language endangerment between "safe" and "extinct":
The list below includes the findings from the third edition of Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, as well as the online edition of the aforementioned publication, both published by UNESCO.
LanguageStatusNationsISO 639-3
Abaza languageDefinitely endangeredRussia, Turkey
Abkhaz languageVulnerableGeorgia, Russia, Turkey
Adyge languageVulnerableIraq, Israel, Jordan, Macedonia, Russia, Syria, Turkey
Agul languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Akhvakh languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Alabugat Tatar languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Aleut language Critically endangeredRussia
Alutor languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Andi languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Archi languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Avar languageVulnerableRussia
Bagvalal languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Baraba Tatar languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Bashkir languageVulnerableRussia
Belarusian languageVulnerableBelarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine
Bezhta languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Bohtan Neo-Aramaic languageSeverely endangeredGeorgia, Russia
Botlikh languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Buryat language Severely endangeredRussia
Buryat language Definitely endangeredRussia
Central Selkup languageCritically endangeredRussia
Central Siberian Yupik language Severely endangeredRussia
Chamalal languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Chechen languageVulnerableRussia
Chukchi languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Chulym Turk languageCritically endangeredRussia
Chuvash languageVulnerableRussia
Copper Island Aleut languageCritically endangeredRussia
Dargwa languageVulnerableRussia
Dolgan languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
East Cape Yupik languageCritically endangeredRussia
Eastern Khanty languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Eastern Mansi languageCritically endangeredRussia
Eastern Mari languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Erzya languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Even language Severely endangeredRussia
Even language Severely endangeredRussia
Evenki language Severely endangeredRussia
Evenki language Severely endangeredRussia
Evenki language Severely endangeredMongolia, Russia
Forest Enets languageCritically endangeredRussia
Forest Nenets languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Forest Yukagir languageCritically endangeredRussia
Godoberi languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Hinukh languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Homshetsma dialect Severely endangeredGeorgia, Russia
Hunzib languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Ingrian languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Ingush languageVulnerableRussia
Inkhokvari dialectDefinitely endangeredRussia
Itelmen languageCritically endangeredRussia
Juhuri language Definitely endangeredAzerbaijan, Israel, Russia
Kabard-Cherkes languageVulnerableRussia, Turkey
Kalmyk languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Karachay-Balkar languageVulnerableRussia
Karagash languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Karata languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Karelian language Definitely endangeredFinland, Russia
Karelian language Severely endangeredRussia
Karelian language Definitely endangeredRussia
Ket languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Khakas languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Khamnigan Mongol languageDefinitely endangeredChina, Mongolia, Russia
Khvarshi languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Kildin Saami languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Kilen languageCritically endangeredChina, Russia
Kili languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Komi languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Koryak languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Kumyk languageVulnerableRussia
Lak languageVulnerableRussia
Latgalian languageVulnerableLatvia, Russia
Lezgian languageVulnerableAzerbaijan, Russia
Low Saxon languageVulnerableDenmark, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Russia
Lude languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Moksha languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Nanay languageSeverely endangeredChina, Russia
Negidal languageCritically endangeredRussia
Nganasan languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Nivkh language Critically endangeredRussia
Nivkh language Severely endangeredRussia
Nogay language Definitely endangeredRussia
North Saami languageDefinitely endangeredFinland, Norway, Russia, Sweden
Northern Altay languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Northern Khanty languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Northern Mansi languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Northern Selkup languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Olonetsian languageDefinitely endangeredFinland, Russia
Oroch languageCritically endangeredRussia
Orok languageCritically endangeredRussia
Ossete languageVulnerableGeorgia, Russia
Permyak languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Pontic Greek languageDefinitely endangeredArmenia, Georgia, Greece, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
Romani languageDefinitely endangeredAlbania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Rutul languageDefinitely endangeredAzerbaijan, Russia
Shor languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Siberian Tatar languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Skolt Saami languageSeverely endangeredFinland, Norway, Russia
Southern Altay languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Southern Selkup languageCritically endangeredRussia
Tabasaran languageVulnerableRussia
Tazy languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Ter Saami languageCritically endangeredRussia
Tindi languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Tofa languageCritically endangeredRussia
Trukhmen languageDefinitely endangeredRussia, Turkmenistan
Tsakhur languageDefinitely endangeredAzerbaijan, Russia
Tsez languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Tundra Enets languageCritically endangeredRussia
Tundra Nenets languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Tundra Yukagir languageCritically endangeredRussia
Tuvan languageVulnerableChina, Mongolia, Russia
Udege languageCritically endangeredRussia
Udmurt languageDefinitely endangeredRussia
Ulcha languageCritically endangeredRussia
Urum languageDefinitely endangeredGeorgia, Russia, Ukraine
Veps languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Vôru-Seto languageDefinitely endangeredEstonia, Russia
Vote languageCritically endangeredRussia
Western Mari languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Yakut languageVulnerableRussia
Yazva Komi languageSeverely endangeredRussia
Yiddish language Definitely endangeredAustria, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Yurt Tatar languageDefinitely endangeredRussia