Why is Russian widely used as a second language in Moldova?

Russian is widely used as a second language in Moldova primarily due to the country's long history under Russian imperial and Soviet rule. During these periods, policies such as Russification in civil and ecclesiastical administration were implemented, and Russian became the dominant language of government, education, and public life.12

Following the Soviet era, this linguistic legacy persisted through urbanization, as those moving to cities—including ethnic Moldovans—often adopted Russian as a second language to navigate professional and social environments. Furthermore, institutions of higher education have historically provided instruction in both Romanian and Russian, reinforcing the prevalence of bilingualism. While the Moldovan state now protects the right to use various languages, including Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian, the historical integration of Russian into the country's social and educational structures has established it as a common medium of communication.13