Commissioned by the Government Office and led by consultancy Civitta Estonia, the study aims to optimize cost-effective outreach while ensuring crucial information access and engagement for Russian speakers.

Government Office spokesperson Jevgenia Vära told ERR that the volume of state-provided Russian-language information is steadily falling, though added that ensuring access to crisis information remains essential.

Vära said; "We aim to make state communication as cost-effective as possible and without compromising people's access to information and engagement."

As a result, the Government Office commissioned Civitta Estonia to conduct the study, titled "The effectiveness and necessity of Russian-language communication by state institutions."

According to Vära, the study's goal is to identify the objectives of Russian-language communication by government agencies, assess effectiveness, and analyze what type of information should be conveyed to the Russian-speaking target groups and on which channels.

The project will also take into account new tech, including the ever-improving auto-translation functions available on many browsers.

"The study will also examine the duplication of information shared by state institutions and the extent to which rapidly evolving web browser technologies that enable automatic translation into foreign languages are considered," Vära noted.

The Government Office has commissioned Civitta Estonia to assess the necessity and effectiveness of Russian-language communication by state institutions, using last year's Estonian integration monitoring data, with the study co-funded by the EU and expected to conclude by February 2025.

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