Language as Part of the Integration Process (An Example of the European Union and Russian Federation)

The presented article is based on the analysis of the language policy of two different political subjects - the European Union as an international organisation and the Russian Federation as a big multi-ethnic state and their practical application with the aim to define common characteristics as well as differences based on two substantial functions of language - the means of communication on one hand and manifestation of national (ethnic) identity on the other hand. The aim of the article is to analyse the impact of potential contradiction of the two characteristics aimed at unification of people forming certain social subjects, resp. its atomization (political. social, cultural) ending in the language discrimination or in an unwanted ethnic conflict. From this point of view the problem goes beyond linguistic issues and thus, it becomes part of the political life, and this way, it becomes the subject of other humanities.