THE ROLE OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE IN MEDICINE: PROFESSIONAL, EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNICATIVE SIGNIFICANCE

The Russian language has played a significant role in the development of medical science, education, and professional communication across a wide geographical and cultural space. Beyond functioning as a medium of everyday interaction, Russian has historically served as a language of instruction, scientific exchange, and professional discourse in medicine. Its influence remains evident in medical education systems, clinical communication, and academic collaboration in many regions. This paper examines the role of the Russian language in medicine from professional, educational, and communicative perspectives. The study explores how Russian functions as a tool for medical training, knowledge transmission, and professional interaction, emphasizing its contribution to terminological consistency and conceptual understanding. Special attention is given to the communicative significance of Russian in multilingual medical environments, where it often operates as a bridge language between specialists with different linguistic backgrounds. By approaching medical language use through a sociolinguistic and functional lens, the paper highlights the continued relevance of Russian in medical contexts. The analysis demonstrates that proficiency in Russian supports effective professional communication, facilitates access to medical education and scientific resources, and enhances collaborative practice. The findings underscore the importance of linguistic competence in Russian as a factor contributing to professional development and communicative effectiveness in medicine.