Legislative Push to Narrow Public Advertising to Russian and Official Languages
In June, Vyacheslav Volodin, the spokesperson for the lower chamber of Russia’s parliament, signaled that a bill had been prepared and was moving through an online consultation by asking a provocative question to gauge public sentiment. The poll asked whether advertisements on streets should be limited to the Russian language and other official languages within the republics of the Russian Federation. The online participation exceeded 117,000 respondents, with about two thirds supporting the proposal, a minority opposing it, and a segment expressing indifference. The initiative sparked wide debate about linguistic policy and national identity as it was presented to lawmakers and the public. The narrative framed the move as a step to protect the Russian language and safeguard cultural heritage, a claim echoed by supporters who view language as a core national symbol and a unifying factor across the federation. In this account, the bill’s author was identified as Elena Yampolskaya, a member of the United Russia party and chair of the Duma Committee on Culture, who argued that a large share of Moscow signs contain foreign words. She cited estimates that the center of Russia’s capital features many more inscriptions in English or Latin characters than in Russian, and she described this phenomenon as a sign of disrespect toward the country’s language and homeland. The project now awaits a response from the government. Yampolskaya stated that the proposal is under review with the Ministry of Education and could require amendments to the language law. In a public meeting, Volodin expressed a desire for the bill to be considered during the spring parliamentary session and recalled his visit to Yerevan, where he observed that street signage was predominantly in Armenian. He also noted concerns about the distribution of English language signs not only within Russia but also worldwide, suggesting an expanding influence of foreign scripts in public spaces.