Russian is often called beautiful, melodious, and expressive. It is valued for its rich intonation, soft sound, and deep literary tradition. Here are those who most often note the beauty of the Russian language:

• Romance language speakers (Italians, Spaniards, French) — find in Russian the singularity and musicality close to their own speech.
• Eastern language speakers (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans) — appreciate the clarity and firmness of Russian sounds, which contrast with the tonal nature of their languages.
• Slavic peoples (Poles, Czechs, Serbs, Bulgarians) — note the lexical proximity and intuitive clarity of the Russian language.
• Germanic language speakers (Germans, Scandinavians) — often marvel at the softness and abundance of vowel sounds, which sound unusual and pleasant to them.
• English and Americans — associate the Russian language with “mystery” and a velvet tone, especially under the influence of classical literature and cinema.
• Admirers of Russian culture — people from all over the world who read Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, or listen to Russian romances, often fall in love with the language through art.

The perception of the beauty of language is always subjective. To some, Russian seems rough due to the hissing sounds, while to others — tender thanks to the soft consonants. However, in the internet and linguistic discussions, positive reviews are most often given by those who are familiar with Russian literature or music.

Many foreigners study Russian language specifically to read Pushkin or Chekhov in the original. Some linguistic surveys rank Russian in the top five most melodious languages in the world, although there are no official rankings.

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