The expert gave advice on avoiding fines due to the Cyrillic alphabet law.

The new requirements for the use of the Russian language in public space, which will come into force on March 1, primarily concern information for consumers — signage, navigation, websites and service descriptions, while registered brands will not need to be changed. This was reported to Izvestia on February 19 by Daria Balich, head of the legal department of the Kokoc Group.

According to the expert, companies will be required to post in Russian all information that helps the client navigate: business profile, working hours and terms of service. Foreign terms such as coffee shop or self-service will need to be translated or replaced with their Russian-language counterparts.

Balich recalled that the new regulations regulate consumer information, not advertising. Registered trademarks, trade names and commercial designations do not fall under the requirements. For example, you won't have to change the brand name, but the description of the services next to it should be written in Cyrillic.

Separate rules are being introduced for developers: the names of residential complexes under construction in advertisements must be written strictly in Russian. This will affect facilities that are put into operation after the law comes into force. There is no need to change names for existing residential complexes.

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Starting from March 1, 2026, entrepreneurs will face fines for using foreign words.

The specialist also stressed that the requirements apply to the online sphere. On the websites of companies, sections describing services and the format of work should be presented in Russian.

Compliance with the new standards will be monitored by the FAS, Rospotrebnadzor and Roskomnadzor. Fines are provided for violation of consumer rights in the design of signage under Article 14.8 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. For legal entities, they will amount from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles.

Stricter sanctions are provided for the use of foreign words in the names of residential complexes. In this case, violations are classified under the article on legislation for advertising, where fines for companies can reach 500 thousand rubles. The specialist recommends that companies appoint responsible persons in advance to check all information media for compliance with the law.

"Projects with developers at the start of naming and creativity need to check whether the name of the residential complex will be used in advertising to attract funds from shareholders. If there is, then you need to write it in Cyrillic. We recommend appointing a responsible person: within the company, it can be a lawyer, a marketer, or an administrative unit that verifies what falls under the law," Balich emphasized.

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On June 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on the protection of the Russian language in public space. It was specified that information for consumers, including signage, advertising and signage, should be provided in Russian. For example, the words sale or shop should not be used. The law allows translation into other languages, but subject to the identity of the content and the equivalence of the design.

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