This book provides an accessible introduction to the structure, history and sociolinguistics of Russian. It particularly emphasizes the special linguistic features of Russian which are not shared with English and other non-Slavic languages. For intermediate/advanced students of Russian, the volume helps to reinforce their understanding of how Russian word formation and syntax functions. Students and scholars of linguistics will find it a useful starting point for comparative work involving the structure of Russian and the Slavic languages, or issues such as standardization, multilingualism, and the fate of former colonial languages.