The present linguistic situation in Russia, however much it may have been affected by political and economic considerations, is overwhelmingly the consequence of what people have made of their geographical conditions, their history and their long-standing language and ethnic contacts over many centuries. The present linguistic complexity of Russia is a part of the heritage of a long history as well as the consequence of policies pursued during the seventy years by the erstwhile Soviet State. Here we examine how the Soviet language policies towards the minority and regional languages contributed towards the eventual disintegration of the Soviet Union. (Contains 9 notes.)