Priority of the Russian Language: New Formatting Requirements

In 2026, some amendments to the legislation of the Russian Federation will come into force, aimed at protecting the Russian language from "Anglicisms" and foreign words and establishing the priority of the state language of the Russian Federation on the territory of Russia, primarily in the public space (when selling goods, performing work or providing services to consumers, in urban planning, etc.). In this article, we will talk about the new requirements of the law and their exceptions.

How the law "On the Protection of Consumer Rights" will change

From March 1, 2026, amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation "On the Protection of Consumer Rights" will come into force, which will supplement this law with a new Article 10.1. on information intended for public review by consumers. According to the new requirements, manufacturers and sellers of goods, as well as performers of work and services, will be required to post this information in Russian, as the state language of the Russian Federation.

As a general rule, in addition to the Russian language, it is allowed to post information in the state languages of the republics and/or other languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation, as well as in foreign languages. However, this is permissible only on condition that the content of the information is identical to the information placed in the state language of the Russian Federation, i.e., has the same parameters (color, type, font size, etc.).

Thus, the Russian language is established as a priority for the public sphere.

It is important to note that when using the Russian language, it is necessary to comply with the norms of the modern Russian literary language, namely, the rules for the use of linguistic means recorded in regulatory dictionaries and reference books. Information about the relevant rules can be obtained free of charge from the National Dictionary Fund, an information system that, according to the Ministry of Education of Russia, will become publicly available in 2027.

What information is intended for public information to consumers

Information intended for consumer familiarization includes non-advertising information placed in publicly accessible places in trade, household, and other consumer services. In particular, on signboards, signs, information plates and signs, structures, technical devices, and other media that are intended for the dissemination of information, except for advertising structures.

For example, the restrictions apply to informing consumers with the help of inscriptions such as "café", "restaurant", "pizza", "auto", "fresh", "sale", "shop", etc., if they are not accompanied by a translation into Russian.

Are there exceptions for means of individualization?

As is known, means of individualization are one of the basic tools designed to maintain the competitiveness of organizations whose business is aimed at the consumer sphere. Therefore, the question of their use in light of the new rules is of paramount importance.

In this regard, the legislator has specifically singled out a separate paragraph 4 in the new Article 10.1. of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights", where it indicated that the new requirements for the priority of the Russian language do not apply to the use of trade names, trademarks, service marks, as well as to other cases provided for by federal laws, other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, the requirements of technical regulations in accordance with Federal Law No. 184-FZ of December 27, 2002 "On Technical Regulation", acts constituting the law of the Eurasian Economic Union.

This, in particular, means that even after the entry into force of the new rules, it will be possible to use a variant of a company name and a trademark with foreign words, even if they do not contain a relevant translation into Russian.

At the moment, the situation in which a "foreign" verbal element in a trademark is unprotectable remains in question. Experts are inclined to believe that the exception in terms of translation will apply to all elements of a registered trademark, including non-protectable ones.

At the same time, in the past few years, many brands have begun to register trademarks planned for use in Russia, with verbal elements in the Cyrillic alphabet. The practice of filing new applications for well-known designations originally registered in foreign languages, for Russified designations, which are similar to the previous signs, for example, in size, color, font, etc., has also spread. It is noted that this practice is primarily due to the need to adapt designations to the local market.

Unlike trademarks and trade names made in a foreign language, the list of exceptions does not include commercial designations intended for the individualization of commercial, industrial, and other enterprises. It is assumed that under the new rules, the use of commercial designations for consumer familiarization in trade, household, and other services will be allowed, provided that they are translated into Russian.