▁spoken ▁n atively . ▁Although ▁disc rim ination ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁language ▁was ▁illegal ▁under ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Constitution , ▁the ▁de ▁fact o ▁status ▁of ▁these ▁languages ▁differ ed . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁USS R ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁de ▁j ure ▁an ▁official ▁language ▁over ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁history , ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁and ▁Russian ▁was ▁merely ▁defined ▁as ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁inter eth nic ▁communication ▁( ), ▁it ▁assumed ▁de ▁fact o ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁official ▁language . ▁For ▁its ▁role ▁and ▁influence ▁in ▁the ▁USS R , ▁see ▁Russ ification . ▁ ▁On ▁a ▁second ▁level ▁were ▁the ▁languages ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁ 1 4 ▁Union ▁Republic s . ▁In ▁line ▁with ▁their ▁de ▁j ure ▁status ▁in ▁a ▁federal ▁state , ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁small ▁formal ▁role ▁at ▁the ▁Union ▁level ▁( be ing ▁e . g . ▁present ▁in ▁the ▁Co at ▁of ▁arms ▁of ▁the ▁USS R ▁and ▁its ▁bank notes ) ▁and ▁as ▁the ▁main ▁language ▁of ▁its ▁republic . ▁Their ▁effective ▁weight , ▁however , ▁varied ▁with ▁the ▁republic ▁( from ▁strong ▁in ▁places ▁like ▁in ▁Armen ia ▁to ▁weak ▁in ▁places ▁like ▁in ▁By elor uss ia ), ▁or ▁even ▁inside ▁it . ▁ ▁Of ▁these ▁four teen ▁languages , ▁two ▁are ▁often ▁considered ▁vari eties ▁of ▁other ▁languages : ▁T aj ik ▁of ▁Pers ian , ▁and ▁Mold ovan ▁of ▁Roman ian . ▁Str ong ly ▁promoted ▁use ▁of ▁C yr ill ic ▁in ▁many ▁republic s ▁however ,