How different is Russian from Ukrainian? What languages are spoken in the former Soviet Republics?
What languages are spoken in the former Soviet Republics? If you speak Russian, can you get by in Kazahkstan? Is Byelorussian Russian different?

Question

How different is Russian from Ukrainian?  What languages are spoken in the former Soviet Republics?
What languages are spoken in the former Soviet Republics?  If you speak Russian, can you get by in Kazahkstan?  Is Byelorussian Russian different?

Answer

Soviet Union had many different republic and languages.  For example Russian, Ukranian, Lithuanian, Latvian and other languages. Russian and Ukranian are absolutely different languages, but people who live near state border use language mix. Read please this article: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Русский_язык_на_Украине