Deputy state pride approved in the second and third reading a bill to limit the use of foreign words in public space. The purpose of the new act is “Protection of the Russian language against excessive use of borrowings”. The document introduces restrictions on the use of foreign words on signs, labels, in advertising, in the names of housing estates, etc. It is expected that the Act will enter into force on March 1, 2026.
Olga Kazakowa, chairwoman of the Culture Committee in the State Duma, explained that the need to develop a document resulted from the fact that “some business participants” violated the norms of the State Language Act for marketing purposes.
According to her, the approved law should stop the excessive and mechanical use of foreign words. She emphasized that information intended for consumers in the sphere of trade and services should be now presented mainly in state – Russian. At the same time, the Act does not apply to trademarks and trade names.
The chairman of the State Duma Wiaczesław Wołodin called the adoption of the law “The first serious step to protect the Russian language”. He expressed the belief that after the entry into force of the Act, the number of foreign subtitles on the signboard and in commercials would be noticeably reduced.
The document was approved in the first reading at the beginning of February. In the second reading to the Act, explanations regarding the names of the capital's construction projects were introduced. According to the corrections, all such names, if used for advertising purposes, must be saved only by Cyrillic. However, this norm will not work back and will not affect objects put into use before the new law enters into force.
On June 5, Vladimir Putin called for “consistent getting rid of vulgar and mechanical foreign borrowings that do not enrich, on the contrary, they clog and spoil our language.” He emphasized that it should be used in public space Cyrilician, not a “paddler” from Latin and other symbols. He also added that in the nineteenth century, Russian literature classics mocked such imitation.
