Nationalist rabble-rouser Vladimir Zhirinovsky said his Liberal Democratic Party is preparing legislation that would ban the use of English and other foreign words that have Russian equivalents.
"Why say 'dealer' when there is 'posrednik,' or 'performance' instead of 'predstavleniya'? 'Boutique' in Russian is 'lavka.' 'Mouton' is 'ovchina,' Zhirinovsky said in a on the party's website.
"All across town there's 'sale,' 'sale,' 'sale.' Soon they'll even force us to use English pronunciation," the Liberal Democratic leader said.
The legislation would include a list of 100 English words, he said. If Russians were to use those words, they would face fines or even dismissal from their jobs.
"We've been tormented by these Americanisms and Briticisms," Zhirinovsky said. "We will fight for this law to be passed and so that this list will be on the desk of every journalist, television or radio host, teacher, scientist and writer.
"We need to free the language from this trash, from foreign words," Zhirinovsky said. He told Interfax that lawyers were currently preparing the bill for submission to the State Duma.
The proposed bill is the latest in a series of moves targeting foreign influence in recent months.
Late last year, Russia passed the so-called anti-Magnitsky Act, banning adoptions of Russian orphans by U.S. families. It also adopted a law requiring nongovernmental organizations that conduct "political activity" and receive foreign funding to register as "foreign agents."
Last month, Duma Deputy Sergei Zheleznyak of the majority-wielding United Russia party called for movie theaters that show foreign films to pay a tax that all other movie theaters would be exempt from. He also called for a quota on foreign films.
Related articles:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
