Dictionaries give roughly the following definition: language is a system of signs that serves as a means of communication between people, the result of thinking and expression. With the help of it, we carry out knowledge of the world, form a personality. The language conveys information, controls human behavior, and in the state serves to ensure that people - officials and ordinary citizens - understand each other as much as possible.
The state language of Russia
Now about the state language. This concept is more in-depth, since each country, each state has its own national characteristics. But the fundamental principles are one. So, let us consider directly the official language of Russia, what it is. According to the Constitution of the country, it is a language that is used in legislation, clerical work, legal proceedings and other areas of social and public life. This is the language in which the authorities communicate with their citizens. Laws are published on it, official documents are published, and official state correspondence is kept. The state language of Russia is used by the media (mainly, but not to the detriment of the national), it is the language of instruction in schools, universities and other educational institutions. The country's Constitution (Article 68) establishes that the state language of the Russian Federation throughout its vast territory is Russian.
National languages
But this does not mean that others, such as Ukrainian, Tatar, Kalmyk, are worse off. This does not mean that without exception, all citizens of Russia should speak among themselves only in Russian. Nevertheless, in any corner of Russia, all representatives of the government - judges, police, mayors, governors - should know the Russian language. So, to the question of how many state languages there are in Russia, there is only one answer: Russian!
Other features
Along with this, the republics, autonomies (districts and regions) that are part of the Russian Federation also have the right to introduce for general use on their territory those languages with which the local population communicates. So, according to the latest data, together with Russian, 49 languages are official on the territory of the Russian Federation ! In other countries (Kazakhstan, Belarus, Abkhazia, Transnistria), Russian is also used as the official language.
Simple example
The official language of Russia is Russian. And if, for example, a Yakut reindeer herder arrives at a resort in Ossetia, then he does not have problems with getting to a hotel or, if necessary, with the purchase of medicines at a pharmacy. A young, pretty Ossetian pharmacist smiles knowingly and carries out the order. And the reindeer breeder hero has nothing to worry about. He knows that the package of tablets or powder contains instructions for use, including in Russian, which he understands. Since the state language is Russian in its great power, then there are no problems reading such texts.
Who owns the language?
Thus, we can conclude: the state, declaring that the state language of Russia is Russian, defining it as its official language, pledges to always understand the one who addresses it. The President, as the head of the Russian Federation, makes sure that the state strictly fulfills this obligation. The question naturally arises: "To whom does this same Russian language belong - to the Yakuts, Karelians, Eastern Slavs?" Nowadays, when Russia united many nations into one state with their historical language, the language of their ancestors, it was this one that became the property of all the peoples who now live under its flag. It would be pompous to say that the Russian Federation as a state is proud of each of the languages on its multinational list, but that preserving them is a task of special importance, no doubt. This is natural and it is natural that all peoples living in Russia have such an opportunity - to communicate in one (Russian) language and at the same time freely, without restrictions of the existing power, to speak in everyday life the language of their ancestors.
According to the results of the last census of Russia, it turned out that today representatives of 160 nationalities live in the Russian Federation. Of course, each of them has its own, special and not similar to other language. It is difficult to imagine how representatives of different nationalities would understand each other if the Russian did not come to their aid.
Realized need
It goes without saying that any citizen who wants to become a public servant or public figure will not do without knowledge of the Russian language. And the state, in turn, provides its subjects with this opportunity. If a citizen is not going to enter the service of the state, this does not mean that the Russian language is not useful to him in everyday life. After all, this is not only an opportunity to convey your voice, your opinion from any corner of a vast country. It also has rich cultural traditions: songs, poems, books. And it would be rash of not hearing and not knowing all this.