Why some Cambodians speak Russian

Cambodian Saing Soenthrith shows photos of friends from his Russian university days. He still speaks Russian, which he learned in the 1980's while on a scholarship from the Soviet government. (Julie Masis)

After the Khmer Rouge wiped out Cambodia's education system, Russia stepped in with a scholarship program. Since 1982, more than 8,000 Cambodians have received their degrees in Russia and other former Soviet republics.

March 4, 2010
By Julie Masis, Correspondent
Christian Science Monitor

Phnom Penh, Cambodia - A visitor to this small country might be surprised to hear some locals speaking Russian.

This is because the former USSR established a scholarship program in 1982 to send Cambodian students to study in Soviet universities free of charge. Since then, more than 8,000 Cambodians received their degrees in Russia and in the republics of the Soviet Union, according to the Russian Embassy in Cambodia.

Free college education is no longer available to all Russians, but the Russian government still provides funds to send a group of Cambodians to Russian universities every year. It covers full tuition, health insurance, and a stipend for living expenses. There are currently 110 Cambodians studying in Russian post-secondary schools, according to the embassy, a decline from the 1980s, when as many as 500 Cambodians attended Soviet colleges annually, says Sergei Kolesov, the director of the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Cambodia’s capital.

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