Countries where Russian is an official language:
* Russia: The largest speaker base, with approximately 150 million speakers.
* Belarus: While Belarusian is the official language, Russian is widely spoken and has official status as a language of interethnic communication.
* Kazakhstan: Russian is an official language alongside Kazakh.
* Kyrgyzstan: Russian has official status as a language of interethnic communication.
* Tajikistan: Russian has official status as a language of interethnic communication.
* Ukraine: Russian is widely spoken, particularly in eastern and southern regions, but its official status is contested after the 2014 revolution.
Countries with significant Russian-speaking populations:
* Latvia: A substantial Russian-speaking minority exists, particularly in Riga and other major cities.
* Estonia: Similar to Latvia, there is a significant Russian-speaking population, especially in the northeast of the country.
* Lithuania: While Lithuanian is the official language, there is a noticeable Russian-speaking population.
* Moldova: Russian is spoken by a significant portion of the population, particularly in the Transnistria region.
* Uzbekistan: While Uzbek is the official language, there is a considerable Russian-speaking population.
* Georgia: Russian is spoken by a portion of the population, especially in the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.
* Azerbaijan: A significant Russian-speaking population exists, especially in the capital city, Baku.
* Armenia: While Armenian is the official language, Russian is widely spoken and used in education and commerce.
* Germany: A sizable Russian-speaking community exists, primarily in areas that were part of East Germany before 1990.
* Israel: A significant Russian-speaking population exists due to immigration from the former Soviet Union.
Other countries:
* United States: A considerable Russian-speaking diaspora exists, particularly in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
* Canada: A sizable Russian-speaking community is present, mostly in Toronto and Montreal.
* Australia: A noticeable Russian-speaking population exists, particularly in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
* United Kingdom: A Russian-speaking community has established itself, primarily in London.
It's important to note that this is not an exhaustive list and the distribution of Russian speakers varies within each country. Additionally, the political and social context can influence the use and perception of the language.