CRS, the premier centre for Russian language and literature in India, turns 60
In the early 1960s, the steel plants in Bhilai and Bokaro were built with the support of the Soviet Union. However, as steel plants were shaped, the Indian government realized that the country lacks a strong community of experts in Russian language and literature. Later, at the beginning of 1965, a decision was made by the Union Government, ruled by the late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, to serve as a bridge between Russia and India to establish an institute consisting of Russian -speaking community and support long -term industrial and defense projects. This idea took place in 1965 as the Institute of Russian Studies. In 2025, as the India-Russian relations continued to focus on the Ukrainian crisis, and when the Institute reaches 60, it is again in the spotlight.
“A few years after the establishment of the Russian Studies Institute, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was founded in 1969, and the Institute became part of the JNU campus, which was known as the center of Russian students (CRS),” he said. After taking the doctor in the Russian literature. Singh joined the CRS as a teacher in 1972, which helped the Soviet Union to win the war against Pakistan, and thus increased the popularity of Russian language and culture in India.
CRS has won a lot in the next 20 years until the end of the Cold War. During this time, ethnic Russian teachers would secure their term of office in CRS, where they taught Russian language and literature. Retired in 2013. Singh ended with the end of the Indian-Cessr (the Soviet Socialist Union of Socialist Republics) agreement, the tradition of hiring Russian teachers, the CRS ended with the end of the Soviet Union.
CRS currently has 300 students and 15 faculty members.
In the early years of CRS. Singh, the Russian language was very searched, and most of the students came from India Foreign Service, Armed Forces, Union House and other government offices. Singh, “We, undergraduate students, in order to gain expertise in the course, we often remained in the shadow by the uniform soldiers who will attend the course,” Singh said.
In the last 60 years, CRS graduates have spread to diplomacy, academy, defense, intelligence and business areas.
Ved Kumar Sharma, who translated the timeless Russian classics, including Anton Cekhov’s short stories, is among them. Bay Sharma, which belongs to the strictly affiliated community of Russian language experts and academics in India, was trained by ethnic Russian teachers traveling from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Delhi every time. After receiving his degrees at CRS, Mr. Sharma joined the Ministry of Defense, where his responsibility was to translate technical documents related to various weapons systems. “These were usually the Russian documents written in technical style, and me and my teammates would have the responsibility to translate them,” Mr. Mr. Mr. said.
On this occasion, CRS graduates come out with a special collection by documenting their successes to be published by the central government in November.
Another student of CRS, who continued to be an interpreter for several Indian Prime Minister from the late Prime Minister IK Gujral to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was Shipra Ghose. Ms. Ghose accompanied Mr. Modi in many of the Russian and Central Asian tours, including Central Asia Tour in July 2015.
“India has always maintained good relations with Russia, but today, Indo-Russian relations, defense, space, energy and culture-Culture-in-India expands in the promotion of Russian language. Russian language, India helps to strengthen the relations of India-Russia,” he helps strengthen the relations of Kiran-Russia. CRS is 60 years old in months to visit the center to visit the best we do. ”
Published – 05 October 2025 03:05
