In April, Russia introduced a new Explanatory Dictionary of the State Language of the Russian Federation, compiled at St. Petersburg State University and immediately added to the official list of normative dictionaries that government agencies are required to use. In November, The Barents Observer noted that the dictionary’s authors say “some” definitions were coordinated with the Russian Orthodox Church’s legal department and prepared under the oversight of the Justice Ministry. They state outright that these entries are meant to reflect the “traditional spiritual and moral values” outlined in the presidential decree on state policy principles. The dictionary also cracks down on profanity, expanding the list of “offensive” words to include such linguistic threats as ass, shit, and fart. Meanwhile, it omits some words entirely — from “Gulag” and “Stalinism” to “faith,” “hope,” “good,” and “truth.” Below are some of the most illustrative entries from the new “state dictionary.”

AUTHORITARIANISM

authoritarianism, n. [from Greek auctoritas — authority]. Politics. A form of state governance based on the authority of a specific individual, with limited public participation in making key decisions on political, economic, and social issues (cf.: absolutism, autocracy). Considered the most effective form of governance in difficult times for a country, as it allows for diverse forms of property ownership, is often supported by a bloc of parties and movements, does not eliminate hostile forces, and permits the limited existence of value systems other than traditional ones.

MARRIAGE

marriage, n. 1. A family union between a man and a woman; matrimony. Enter into marriage. Be joined in marriage. Registration or dissolution of marriage. To be married. A marriage for love; a marriage of convenience. A lawful marriage (a family union concluded according to the country’s established rules). Civil marriage; de facto marriage (a family union not formally registered). Morganatic marriage (a marriage between a member of a ruling house and someone of non-royal birth). Mixed marriage (between people of different nationalities). Sham marriage (fictitious; not genuine). Church marriage (one of the seven sacraments of the Christian Church: a family union concluded according to church rites, making it not temporary but eternal). Same-sex marriage (a homosexual intimate union between a man and a man or a woman and a woman, condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church and not supported by the Russian state).

ENEMY

enemy, n. 1. One whom the sovereign authority has deemed hostile to the people, the government, or the state. An ideological enemy. A sworn enemy. // One who is in a state of enmity or conflict with someone; an adversary. To make enemies. 2. A military adversary. Behind enemy lines. The enemy was defeated. The country was attacked by enemies. 3. of something. A principled opponent of something. An enemy of smoking. An enemy of private property. 4. Something that causes harm or evil. Stagnation is the enemy of progress.

HEGEMON

hegemon, n. [from Greek hēgemón — leader]. 1. One who exercises hegemony, who dominates or leads others, surpassing them in power or influence (usually of classes, parties, states, etc.). The U.S. as a global hegemon allows itself to disregard rules in order to always win. Hegemonic rent (the ability to derive benefit by preserving a neocolonial system, limiting the sovereignty of independent states, and strengthening the power of the dollar). 2. In the USSR: the working class as the principal social class of Soviet society. The proletariat is the hegemon of the revolution. // A representative of the working class. The hegemon cheered up and got back to work.

HOMOSEXUALITY

homosexuality, n. [from Greek homós — same, identical + sexus — sex]. A form of sexual deviation manifested in the satisfaction of sensual desire with persons of one’s own sex; sodomy, pederasty (cf.: heterosexuality). // Sexual relations between men; a man’s sexual attraction to another man.

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HUMANISM

humanism, n. [from Latin humanus — human]. 1. A traditional Russian spiritual and moral value: a worldview based on the principles of the value of the human person, human dignity, respect for others, concern for their well-being, the right to freedom, equality, and happiness; benevolence, humanity. The humanism of Chekhov’s stories. The humanism of Voloshin is linked to fatalism. Modern humanism is a historically specific form of humaneness. 2. An ideological and cultural movement of the Renaissance that opposed scholasticism and the Church’s spiritual dominance, asserting that the human being is the highest value. The humanism of art is historically specific. The humanism of the Renaissance contributed to the development of the visual arts.

DEMOCRACY

democracy, n. [from Greek dēmos — people + krátos — power]. 1. The exercise of authority based on taking into account the opinions of all (in a state — all citizens), openness to public discussion and oversight of decision-making and implementation; popular rule. Forms and principles of democracy. Restriction or suppression of democracy. A fighter for democracy. To broaden or strengthen democracy. // In the political practice of Western countries: a form of governance in which citizens possess certain rights and freedoms, and state institutions operate in the interests of the most influential actors affecting decisions on political, economic, and social life (opp.: popular rule). Sham democracy.

LIFE

life, n. 2. A traditional Russian spiritual and moral value: the period of a person’s existence from conception and social formation through death. To cherish life. To value life. Life barely flickered in him. The faint pulse was the only sign of life. To lose one’s life (to die). To take a life (to kill). To pass away. To be between life and death (to be gravely ill or near death).

UNITY

unity, n. 1. Integrity, indivisibility; cohesion. Unity of the system of public authority. The historical unity of Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians. The unity of the peoples of Russia (a traditional Russian spiritual and moral value: a condition in which people of various ethnic, national, cultural, and religious groups, striving for shared interests, goals, and values, coexist in peace, harmony, and mutual understanding). // Concentration of something in one place, time, or set of hands. Classical tragedy follows the principle of unity of place and time. Unity of army command.

IDEAL

ideal, n. [French idéal from Greek idea — image, idea]. 1. The highest goal toward which people strive; that which gives ultimate meaning to their activities and spiritual aspirations. A life ideal. Lofty, humanistic ideals. Moral ideals (a traditional Russian spiritual and moral value: high moral principles and convictions that inspire and guide a person toward goodness, justice, honesty, compassion, and other virtues, with strict rejection of destructive ideologies that allow immoral conduct, actions causing suffering, corruption, and other unlawful deeds).

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FOREIGN AGENT

foreign agent, n. A person (individual or organization) engaged in political activity in the interests of a foreign state (or states) and receiving funding from that state (or states).

LESBIANISM

lesbianism, n. A form of sexual deviation manifested in the satisfaction of sensual desire by a woman with another woman; female homosexuality.

LIMITROPHE

limitrophe, n. [from Latin limitrophus — borderland]. Politics. In 21st-century Europe: a state used as a buffer between Western Europe and Russia, which is politically, economically, and culturally incapable of being independent. Limitrophe states. The government of a limitrophe. Originally, the term referred to a border region of the Roman Empire responsible for supplying the troops stationed there. In the 1920–30s it denoted the states that emerged on the western edge of the former Russian Empire after 1917 (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and Finland).

REGIME

regime, n. [French régime]. 1. A set of political, economic, and social measures used by state authorities to govern society; system of government, form of rule. A democratic regime. Reactionary regimes. A political or economic regime. The Kyiv regime (in Ukraine since 2014: the established form of political rule, which poses a threat to the fundamental rights and interests of the Russian-speaking population).

RUSOPHOBIA

Russophobia, n. [from Russian + Greek phóbos — fear]. A prejudiced, hostile attitude toward citizens of Russia, the Russian language, culture, and traditions, expressed in various forms of aggression or discrimination directed against Russians or Russian-speaking people. Politically motivated Russophobia. A fighter against Russophobia. Everyday Russophobia (negative attitudes toward Russian people arising in everyday situations).

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