The article reverals the connection between language and culture, in particuar, the role of intercultural communication in aquiring Russian as a foreign language by students in Iranian universities. Special attention is paid to improving students’ oral skills in universities in Iran, as well as the prevalence of a communicative approach in learning. The authors explore the development of oral speech skills in Iranian students of Russian with reliance on speech etiquette formulas, as well as speech behavior of representatives of Russian and Iranian linguistic cultures.