New Law Requires Mandatory Use of Russian in Public Information. Registered trademarks with foreign word elements may be used “as is”.
Effective March 1, 2026, the scope of mandatory use of the Russian language expanded. The law introduces the new notion of "information intended for public disclosure to consumers" (signage, plaques, signs, website content, apps, etc.) which must be in Russian in addition to previously obligatory advertising and customer-required information (e.g., product information, seller details, business hours).
The use of anglicisms (or established Cyrillic-written words derived from other foreign languages) that have become part of the Russian language and are included in the Dictionary of Foreign Words of the Institute of Linguistic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences is permitted. Foreign language is permitted only as a secondary (duplicate) language. When duplicating into a foreign language, the Russian and foreign texts must strictly correspond. For example, the sign "Beauty Studio" should not just be transliterated, but translated into Russian to convey the proper meaning. Russian, as the official language of the Russian Federation, must be the first and most prominent language in the text (not inferior to or less prominent than the foreign language). At a minimum, all key design parameters must be given equal significance and form.
The law applies to offices, retail outlets, and other locations where customers visit in person, signage on facades, signs inside the premises (open, closed, restroom, coffee, bar, etc.), information boards, staff voice and telephone scripts, brochures, handouts, SMS messages, websites, mobile applications, social networks, public channels, and video and audio content.
Under the new law, words in a foreign language may be left untranslated only if they constitute registered trademarks (service marks), or company names registered in the established manner in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, as well as in 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", and acts constituting the law of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The mere filing of a trademark application will not be sufficient to qualify for an exception.