Abstract: The object of the research is the role of the Russian language in the USA during the period since late 1980s till 2000s. The subject of the research is the means of promotion of the Russian language as an academic discipline in American schools and universities. The author of the article analyzes the processes in the American society of those times in terms of their influence on the status of the Russian language in the American system of education. Zenkevich also studies the relation between political events and popularity of the Russian language in the USA as well as historical reasons of the Russian language being an unpopular academic discipline that have been overcome neither during the Perestroika, nor after it. In his research Zenkevich uses empirical research methods, in particular, accumulation and selection of particular factors, comparison and estimation of the relationship between them. The author comes to the conslusion that despite the popularity of Russia and Slavic languages during the Perestroika, the Russian language did not take an important place among other foreign languages taught in the USA. Describing the reasons for such unpopularity of the Russian language, the author offers certain measures that may be undertaken to promote the Russian language as a foreign language in the American system of education.