Belarusian (; ) is an official language of Belarus, along with Russian, and is spoken abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. Before Belarus gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the language was known in English as Byelorussian or Belorussian, transliterating the Russian name, , or alternatively as White Ruthenian or White Russian. Following independence, it also became known as Belarusian.