Russian not only language of arrivals but also of Lithuania’s national minority – body

VILNIUS – The Department of National Minorities has emphasized that Russian is not just the language of recent arrivals in Lithuania, but also the native language of the country's Russian national minority.

In a statement released on Friday, the department also stressed that people who have lived in Lithuania longer should learn the Lithuanian language.

"The Department of National Minorities (...) points out that Russian is not only spoken by foreigners who have come to Lithuania and received residence permits, but is also the mother tongue of Lithuania's Russian national minority," the statement reads.

The comment comes in response to ongoing public debates about the use of Russian in public spaces.

"We urge opinion leaders, politicians, public officials, and NGO and media representatives to communicate responsibly so that the meaningful goal of strengthening the Lithuanian language does not turn into incitement to hatred or lead to divisions that significantly undermine the resilience of the state and civil society," Dainius Babilas, the department's director, said in the statement.

Under the Law on National Minorities, members of national communities have the right to use their language freely and without restriction. Meanwhile, the Constitution calls for "fostering national concord" and grants citizens belonging to ethnic communities "the right to foster their language, culture, and customs."

According to the department, the fostering of minority languages and traditions is also enshrined in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. In a recommendation issued in January, the Council of Europe called on Lithuania to take practical steps to ensure these rights and to monitor how such measures are implemented.

"With the arrival of war refugees from Ukraine, migrants from Central Asia and other countries, we are hearing more Russian spoken in public. Among those speaking it are ethnic Russian Lithuanian citizens, including Old Believers who have lived here for generations, foreign nationals who have settled in Lithuania, and tourists visiting for just a few weeks. Some of them choose to speak Russian not because they do not know Lithuanian, but because it is more convenient for them to communicate in their native language at that moment," Babilas said.

"We can and sometimes must be more firm and demanding toward long-term residents who still have not learned the state language. But it is essential to do this without hatred or insults – for their own benefit and to achieve the goal of making sure all residents truly learn Lithuanian," he added.

Last October, the parliament passed amendments to the Law on the State Language requiring foreigners who provide direct services to speak Lithuanian at a basic level. The new requirement was set to take effect in 2026.

However, in early July, the government decided to exempt Ukrainian war refugees from this requirement for at least another six months, or for as long as they hold temporary protection status. That status is currently in place until March 4, 2026, but could be extended by a joint decision of EU member states.

The Education, Science and Sport Ministry says there are practical problems with foreigners' access to Lithuanian language learning and state exams.

When the government was considering postponing the language requirement for foreign service workers, linguists and university representatives urged it not to do so and offered their help in teaching Lithuanian. They also said the ministry should recognize the certificates they issue.

The National Agency for Education is currently the only accredited institution authorized to administer Lithuanian language exams for foreigners.