Russian-friendly: how Russian became a commodity in Europe and beyond

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to examine how Russian became a commodity in the global service industry in the decade between 2004 and 2014 and, in some places, much earlier. I will begin with a discussion of sociolinguistic theory of ‘commodification of language’, focusing on aspects critical for this case study. Then, I will trace the process of commodification of Russian, starting with why (reasons) and when (timeline), proceeding to where (locations) and how (forms), and ending with the so what. I will also talk about what next, identifying the opportunities for research on global Russian and the many gaps that are waiting to be filled.

KEYWORDS:

• Russian
• lingua franca
• tourism
• marketing
• language commodification
• accommodation

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Corrigendum

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Translation by the present author.

2. More information on the Schengen visa can be obtained at http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/, where information is available in English and in Russian or at http://www.travel.ru/formalities/visa/schengen/.