Read Bolshevik poet Mayakovsky, Russia advises US

Vladimir Mayakovsky (pictured) promoted the Soviet revolution of Bolshevik leader VI Lenin

Russia's Foreign Ministry has recommended a communist poet to US ex-Secretary of State John Kerry, after he advised US students to learn Russian.

In a speech, Mr Kerry strongly criticised President Donald Trump and his team, amid an investigation into their alleged close links with Russia. A ministry spokesperson said the former US administration should have read the Soviet poems of Vladimir Mayakovsky.


Maria Zakharova suggested one which glorified Russian as Lenin's language. Russia is marking the centenary of Lenin's 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

Mr Kerry made the comments during an address at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government on Wednesday. "I'm often asked what the secret is to have a real impact on government.

 Well, it's recently changed. I used to say, either run for office or get a degree from Harvard Kennedy School. With this White House I'd say, buy Rosetta Stone and learn Russian," he said.

Rosetta Stone is an online language-learning resource.

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In a Facebook post, Ms Zakharova said it was a mistake that Russia had not given the US state department under ex-President Barack Obama a collection of Mayakovsky poems.