Russia’s State Duma introduces bill banning businesses from displaying foreign words on signs or storefronts

Russia’s State Duma deputies introduced a bill that would ban the use of foreign words in public spaces, including in advertisements and on social media, according to a document published on the State Duma website.

The explanatory note says the initiative is aimed at “protecting the Russian language,” as the deputies expressed concerned about the “active use of signs, inscriptions, and placement of information about promotions, discounts, and sales in a foreign language.”

According to the document, the deputies would amend the “Consumer Rights Protection Law” with an article making it mandatory to use the state language when posting information about a product or service in public places. “This way, it would become impossible to use words such as ‘coffee,’ ‘fresh,’ ‘sale,’ ‘shop,’ ‘open,’ etc. on signs and storefronts,’ explain the bill’s authors.

If the bill is adopted, it would enter into force on January 1, 2025.