This is hilarious - I couldn’t find this in English, but: http://lenta.ru/news/2014/06/18/lingvo/ - my translation.
Russian Parliament’s Committee on Culture has advanced a bill that would fine unwarranted use of foreign words in Russian from 2,000 to 50,000 rubles (~$50 to $1,500).
I searched around and I am pretty sure that the fines would be applicable everywhere, not just in media or movies/theater. So just use the wrong word in conversation and a cop hears ya…
I don’t know about freedom of expression laws in Russia but I find it hard to believe they would crack down on non-Russian spoken language.
This story reminds me of Quebec’s OQLF, or so-called “language police” that goes around making sure that public displays in Quebec are all done in French or at least predominantly in French. Perhaps you heard about “Pastagate” last year where a famous Italian restaurant was ordered to change the word “pasta” (among other non-French items) on its menu to its French equivalent. The story was picked up by news outlets around the world and made Quebec the laughing stock of the world for a while, and rightly so.
I’m all for promoting, celebrating and preservation of culture and heritage, which includes language, but legislating and forcing its usage is not the right way to do it.
If this is true, well, good luck hosting the World Cup in 4 years then.
In protest, the west must demand the words “бизнес” and “компьютер” back.
Are you MOCKBA-ing them?
In Russian, not “in Russia”. You can speak English (or anything else) in Russia, but if you slip English words into your Russian, may God have mercy on your soul.