Director-General's remarks for Russian Language Day 2026

Russian Language Day

Friday, 29 May 2026, at 2.00 p.m.
Assembly Hall, Palais des Nations

Delivered by Ms. Michelle Keating, Chief, Languages Service, Division of Conference Management, United Nations Office at Geneva
 

Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to the Palais des Nations for this special concert marking Russian Language Day.

On behalf of Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, it is my great honour to join you and to convey her message, as she is unable to be with us this afternoon.

“Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to thank the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation for organizing today’s event, and to welcome the musicians who will perform this afternoon to Geneva.

Today’s gathering reminds us that languages are far more than instruments of communication. They carry history, culture, memory and identity. At the United Nations, multilingualism is not only a practical necessity – it is a core value of our Organization and an essential pillar of inclusive multilateralism. It ensures full and equal participation in the work of the United Nations.

Here at the United Nations Office at Geneva, as across the UN system, interpreters, translators, editors, verbatim reporters and terminologists work tirelessly every day to facilitate dialogue among nations and to make the work of the Organization accessible worldwide. 

The scale of this work is considerable. Each year, UN Geneva services more than 8,000[1] meetings, held in person, virtually, or in hybrid format. Around 30% of these meetings include interpretation services, and more than 84 million words are translated annually. These figures underscore the essential role of multilingual conference services in enabling diplomacy, dialogue and international cooperation. 

Russian holds a special place in this linguistic diversity as one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Used daily across the Organization, Russian continues to play an important role in international dialogue.

Beyond the United Nations, Russian is spoken by approximately 258 million people worldwide, making it one of the most widely spoken languages globally. It remains a major language of literature, science, culture and international exchange.

The Palais des Nations itself has long been a place where Russian culture and literature are celebrated. Over the decades, this historic institution has hosted exhibitions, commemorative events and cultural programmes dedicated to literary giants such as Alexander Pushkin - whose birthday on 6 June is marked by the United Nations as Russian Language Day - as well as Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov, whose works continue to inspire across generations and borders.

Russian Language Day therefore provides an opportunity not only to celebrate the richness of the language and its cultural heritage, but also to reaffirm the importance of multilingualism in fostering mutual understanding, respect and dialogue among people and nations.

Music, too, is a universal language. Like diplomacy, it transcends borders and brings people together through shared emotion, creativity and human connection. Jazz in particular embodies dialogue, improvisation and attentive listening - qualities that resonate strongly with the spirit of multilateral cooperation. We are pleased to celebrate this year’s Russian Language Day through the shared language of music. 

The United Nations Office at Geneva remains committed to cultural diplomacy and to promoting dialogue not only through conferences and negotiations, but also through art, music and cultural exchange. 

I wish you all an enjoyable and inspiring concert.

Thank you.” 

This concludes the message of the Director-General. 

Thank you.