Issues of defence and preservation of the Russian citizens’ rights and the Russian-speaking population abroad

The article examines the main problems of observing the rights of Russian citizens and the Russianspeaking population abroad - in Ukraine, Germany, France and Estonia. Emphasis is placed on violations of those rights considered inalienable under the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Negative facts in the form of extremist statements, distortion of world history not in favor of Russians and the popularization of this in the media are presented and discussed in detail, illustrating the trampling of the interests of Russian citizens and constituting a violation of their rights. The same actions of the Russian-speaking and indigenous populations of these countries in different spheres of social life concerning the same situations were analyzed with a view to establishing legal differentiation on the basis of nationality in the form of defining different responsibilities of citizens for similar actions. Recommendations for improving Article 136 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are given.