Urdu despite a young one as compared to English, French, Arabic and other languages, is very rich in its literary treasure produced and is one of the most important languages of the world. Urdu is an international language and is spoken as first language by 70 million people and as second language by more than 200 million people, predominantly in Pakistan and India. It is the official and national language of Pakistan also officially recognized or scheduled in the constitution of India. Significant speech communities exist in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, United States of America, Saudi Arabia as well. There is also Urdu is spoken and understood in parts of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana, Fiji, Germany, Mauritius, Nepal, Norway, Sweden, Oman, Qatar, South Africa, Thailand etc. According to research done in 2021 estimates Urdu is the 21st most spoken first language in the world. Ethnologies 2018 estimates Urdu is the 10th most widely spoken language in the world with 270 million total speakers, including those who speak it as second language. Besides Pakistani and Indian universities Urdu is also taught in various international universities including University of Oxford, University of Washington, University of Chicago, University of Virginia, Venice University, Italy, Manchester Metropolitan University, seven universities of Egypt and many others.
Urdu is also gaining popularity in Russia and there are number of scholars and researchers who are doing excellent efforts to promote Urdu in Russia and to bring two very important countries closer.
Dr. Ludmila Vasilyeva is highly respectable, admired and important name who served and dedicated herself for the of promoting Urdu is Russia a scholar of par excellence Dr. Ludmila Vasilyeva whose services in this regard part of history now and her name would be written in golden letters. She is highly learned and her name was introduced to me by Sir Tahir who is a highly learned name and his services to promote Urdu are worth mentioning and need to be recognized at national level. Dr. Ludmila is highly learned and distinguished professor of literature at the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. The Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow which was established in 1755 and has over 40,000 students enrolled at various disciplines. Dr. Ludmila Vasilyeva translated many books into Urdu from Russian language and from Urdu to Russian language. She has also done a lot of work on Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Altaf Hussain Hali the renowned Pakistani Urdu poets. According to her the History of Urdu in Russia is more than a hundred years old, and it was promoted to the maximum extent during the period of Soviet Union i.e for about 60 to 70 years. During this period there were two publication houses in the USSR which used to publish only Urdu books, which are however later closed down. During the Soviet period a lot of work was done on translations from Urdu to Russian and from Russian to Urdu. The number of readers of Urdu literature was very large and time for Urdu broadcast was very significant, most of them closed down after disintegration of Soviet Union. However, in recent years promotion of Urdu was being revived now and in three Universities of Moscow and St Petersburg, Urdu is taught as foreign language and students pay attention to Urdu education and Urdu broadcasts on FM will be started soon. In no other language there have been as much translation of Urdu literature as in Russian language.
She did her Ph.D. in Urdu Literature from Academy of Sciences USSR, and taught Urdu in Moscow University. She was liked by her students very much and played very important role in understanding
Urdu, its history and brought the Russian and Pakistanis intellectuals and students closer. She visited Pakistan several times and rendered valuable services.
Main publications In Russian Books: -Blagonravniy myatezhnik. (The Righteous Mutineer. Altaf Husain Hali, poet and enlightener of Indian Muslims (the end of ninetieth-beginning of the twentieth century). Moscow: RIF “ROY”, 1997. - Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Life and works. Moscow: IV RAN, 2002 Articles, essays: (translations of the article titles): -Terms «naya», «jadeed» and «jadidiyat» in Urdu Literature. In: Neizmennost I novizna hudozhestvennogo mira (The Continuity and Novelty in the poetic World): 235-256. Moscow: IV RAN, 1998. - Arna Asaf Ali, a Legend of Freedom Struggle. In: Vidayuschiyesya zhenshiny Indii XX veka (Outstanding Indian Women of the 2Oth Century) Moscow: IV RAN, 2002. - The main trends of Pakistani Urdu Poetry. In: Na semi yazikah Indostana (In Seven Vernaculars of Hindustan): 221-248. Moscow: IV RAN, 2002. - “Who we are and what is our hijrat?” Urdu poetry in Western countries. In: Vostok na Zapade (East in West): 27-64. Moscow, IV RAN, 2007. - “Juicy are the Fruits in a Foreign Land, but they are alien to us”. Urdu Poetry in Diaspora. In: DIASPORA, N1: 24-54. Moscow, 2008. - From the “Royal Court” to the Urdu Language. In: Yazik do Indii dovedyot (A language will lead you to India):275-306. Moscow: Vostochnaya literature, 2008. In Urdu: -Parwarish-e-Loh-o-Qalam. Faiz: Hayat aur Takhikhat. Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2007 Faiz ka akhiri zamana: Hayat aur shairi ke pahlu. In: Shabkhun, Hissa-e-awwal. June ta Sept., 2005: 59-67.
I am highly thankful to Sir Tahir Javed a renowned scholar of Urdu language, a teacher who has a vast experience of teaching Urdu at various reputed institutes. He introduced me Dr. Ludmila Vasilyeva and when I did on research on her I came to know that she had done remarkable job to promote Urdu in Russia. Here is a brief introduction of Sir Tahir Javed;
Tahir Javed, Director of the EDGE (a unit of Evolution), is an experienced and enthusiastic educationist with a strong background in school management, university teaching, programme Management, and professional development of teachers and principals,. Has worked for top notch organizations in Pakistan at the university as well as at the school level. Some of the organizations he worked at are Aga Khan University, PAF-KIET, The Intellect School (Cambridge System), Al-Murtaza Professional Development Center and Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan. He is the founder of PATA BATA (Association of Urdu teachers), and a life member of SPELT (Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers). He has conducted more than 200 workshops and training courses on a wide range of topics with a special focus on English Language teaching, Urdu Language teaching, Leadership, Assessment & Evaluation, Science teaching, and Critical & Creative Thinking.
There is a need to introduce Dr. Ludmila Vasilyeva to our new generation and her services must be mentioned in school curriculum and a road of a city like Karachi should be given her name. There is also need to bring Russia and Pakistani intellectual community closer and to do further efforts to strengthen our relations.