The language spoken in Russia is Russian. As one of the most widely spoken Slavic languages, Russian is the official language of the Russian Federation and is used by millions of people as a first language. It employs the Cyrillic alphabet, which consists of 33 letters, and has a rich literary and cultural history. Russian features complex grammatical structures and a vocal system that allows for a variety of expressions and nuances. Due to Russia's historical influence, Russian is also spoken in several former Soviet states and is one of the official languages of various international organizations.