From Borrowing to Banning: Russia’s Language Policy on Anglicisms

When the state dictates language, even a burger becomes political. Russia’s push to purge foreign words from business has triggered a wave of awkward translations, branding mishaps, and quiet resistance across storefronts, menus, and everyday speech. “Smoothies” become fruit-and-berry blended beverages, “fitness bars” turn into high-protein food products, and even a simple “coffee shop” expands into a fast-service coffee establishment. As English is increasingly recast as an “unfriendly” language, the state is not merely encouraging change — it is actively engineering it through policy, pressure, and cultural signaling. What emerges is a strange mix of compliance, improvisation, and unintended humor. Ksenia Turkova brings her signature wit to unpack the bloopers — and what they reveal about control, identity, and power in today’s Russia.

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Ksenia Turkova is an international journalist, editor, and media analyst specializing in disinformation, propaganda, and the language of media. With professional experience across Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, she has worked with Voice of America, Hromadske, The Insider, and other global outlets. Trained in linguistics and journalism, she examines how narratives are constructed, controlled, and weaponized across Russian-language media. She is a frequent commentator and speaker, known for breaking down complex information ecosystems with clarity and wit, and for exposing the mechanics behind disinformation, censorship, and the evolving role of language in authoritarian systems.

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