International Mother Language Day is celebrated on 21 February. The holiday was officially established in 1999 at the 30th session of the United Nations General Conference in order to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

• Mother language is the greatest treasure of every people, an expression of its self-awareness and the inextricable connection of generations. Language is closely connected with history, culture, and knowledge accumulated over centuries. It is important to cultivate in people a respectful attitude towards their native language and the desire to master all its subtleties.

“To handle the language somehow means to think somehow: approximately, inaccurately, incorrectly,” - A. N. Tolstoy.

“True love for one’s country is unthinkable without love for one’s language,” - K. G. Paustovsky.

“The language of the people is undoubtedly our most important and inexhaustible spring,” - V. I. Dal.