Russia has banned officials from using foreign words

In Russia, the State Duma adopted amendments to the law on the state language, which prohibits officials and legal entities from using words and expressions that do not correspond to the norms of the modern Russian literary language.

The State Duma adopted the corresponding decision on February 16.

The norm "is aimed at protecting the Russian language from excessive use of foreign words." The exception is foreign words that do not have analogues in Russian. The list of such phrases is contained in the new normative dictionaries.

First of all, the law applies to state authorities. The norms of the Russian literary language will have to be observed in "official relations and official correspondence". Also, the rules will work when issuing documents certifying the identity of a citizen of the Russian Federation, addresses of senders and recipients of telegrams and parcels, postal money transfers.

In addition, the law introduces a mandatory linguistic examination of draft laws regarding their compliance with the norms and rules of the Russian language.

These rules must be observed in the educational sphere, in state and municipal information systems, in materials about goods and services for consumers. Next to the phrase in a foreign language should be its translation in a font of the same size, type and color.

The law does not mention punishment.