A consecuncia all that learning a foreign language does not give a damn (if you can say so). For example, the author's mother during all school years learning the English language. First through fourth grade she was studying at a school and go to 4 grade students instructed the French language. But his father, that is my grandfather, he was studying in another school where he learned English while that school was situated well away from home and it was necessary to go there every day on the bus and it took considerable time. Besides my mother studied English at the University for two years. But she can translate the English text, more or less understand what they are saying in imgles the Chinese, Arabs, Poles …
Ie those persons for whom English is not the native language. But what they were saying about English people (Americans, British, etc), ie for which the native language is English, she did not understand. For example, listening to any TV channel in English, she understands only a few words (about 10 per cent). It was likely that organized such a program of instruction with so that they could not communicate with foreigners. Because before most people had no possibility Soviet travel abroad (except to some people and that part had different percentages of the entire Russian population, perhaps 1-2%). That time was "the teoln steel." Some foreigners came to the USSR in order to vacation or for other reasons but the Russian people could not talk to them.
Today the study of English in Russia has changed radically. There are special facilities where teachers instruct the relevant paicas language. Have implemented the instruction abroad, for example in England. So this time the youth of the children age 25 and over and speak English (especially those who are eager to study it). But even now I advise those who are eager to travel to Russia, consult the guide of the conversation on that page, then still only the smaller part of the Russian people speak English fluently.