Three new terms were recently added to the orthographic dictionary maintained by the Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and to the Academos dictionary online. The additions are kopter, photo-video stabilization, and post office. The dictionary now contains thousands of units, extending beyond standalone words to include affixes and proper names. IRL experts continually oversee and update the dictionary to reflect living usage and evolving terminology.
Earlier in September 2022, the spelling dictionary expanded with 151 new entries, introducing words such as shawarma and resolved. That update also included newer terms like vaxers, boomers, google, and pokerface, illustrating the dictionary’s ongoing adaptation to contemporary speech and cultural phenomena.
On February 28, a state language law was signed that governs the use of foreign words. The law allows foreign terms only when there are no widely used Russian equivalents that appear in standard dictionaries. This framework supports the state language policy while preserving linguistic integrity and accessibility for Russian speakers.
In mid-February, Elena Yampolskaya, head of the State Duma Committee on Culture, indicated that the question of replacing foreign words when Russian is used as the state language would remain relevant through 2025. The reasoning is tied to the anticipated publication of normative dictionaries in that year, which would help formalize standards across language resources.
In a March update, Konstantin Derevyanko, who leads the Gramota.ru portal, spoke about plans for a unified digital platform for Russian language resources. He explained that the platform would coordinate state language policy by integrating available tools and serving as a foundation for policy implementation. The platform would build on the existing Gramota.ru developments and would reach a broad audience, with Derevyanko noting that Gramota.ru remains a trusted authority for roughly 20 million people across more than one hundred countries.
Derevyanko also mentioned that members of the Russian Language Council, which operates under the President, are considering introducing a compulsory language examination for university graduates. There is also discussion about a nationwide final exam in the Russian language for all universities. The council has expressed opposition to a proposal from the Ministry of Science to abolish the mandatory language exam for applicants to engineering and technical programs, arguing that this move would undermine language culture initiatives across the country.
Finally, concerns about a perceived decline in speech culture among younger generations have prompted authorities to contemplate the creation of education dictionaries. These would codify language norms and specialized vocabulary across all subjects, ensuring consistent usage in schools. Looking ahead, major reference works are expected to be replenished with new vocabulary from IT, advertising, and other fields. Government regulations in this area are anticipated in the near future, with ongoing discussions about which words should be included and why. The overarching aim is to strengthen language norms while keeping pace with rapid social and technological change.
Experts emphasize that enriching reference materials and synchronizing them with current practice can help both educators and policymakers align language use with national standards. This approach supports clear communication in public life, higher education, and professional contexts while preserving the accessibility of the Russian language for speakers at home and abroad. The ongoing work reflects a broad effort to balance openness to new terms with a commitment to linguistic cohesion.
Note: All developments are described through the lens of ongoing research and policy actions by major language institutions and government advisory bodies. Citations to official statements and institutional updates are provided by language authorities and scholarly commentators to illustrate the evolving landscape of Russian language policy and its practical implications.