New Russian Orthography

[Yoshimasa Tsuji]

Hello,
I dealt with this problem here a few months ago.
Using apostrophe or double quote as a hard sign is not a "new"
spelling: it should be considered as a variation of GRAPHICAL
representation. Just think how many times Soviet children
were taught of the "new" handwriting style in the last 80 years.
  I should say that whether apostrophe was a better choice than
a double quote is a purely useless discussion: they are both
poor inventions and should be avoided.
  The reason why apostrophe was chosen as an ersatz is that
at that time guillemets were not easily available (e.g. type-
writers didn't have them) and the quotation was realized in such
a way as beginning with the lowered double quote and terminating
with the double quote at normal position. There was a possibility
to use raised commas as a terminator of a quote, but it would
have been funny in that its right and left was the other way round.
Anyway, if a printer had guillemets (<<, >> things), double quote
could be used as a hard sign, otherwise an apostrophe.
  I don't think there ever was a law enforcement to throw away
hard sign types after November 1918, but there nearly was.
The reform of 1956 seems to have restored the use of hard sign
types in schools and mass media. It is interesting some Russians
still write double quote in place of a hard sign. They seem to write
double primes (which is not roundish) for a hard sign, making
distinction from quotes which they write small
  nine-nine(lowered) ... six-six(raised).

  Talking of the Russian types, I would like to remind you of
the fate of "yo". Its usage was much encouraged in 1940's and
1950's but it looks it faded away in 1960's. It is a very
sad thing, isn't it? as I so often hear people from republics
(even Russians) pronounce "e" instead of "yo" when the word
is a bit obscure. Everyone is aware of the need to have the opposition
of vsjo  and vse. The latter ended with a jat', without which the
former definitely needs a trema!
  The correct spelling is always an unwanted burden for the writer,
but is a great comfort for the reader as it helps one to readily
understand the text. (Incidentally, I am opposed to teaching
"correct spelling" to school children -- it should be left to professional
copy editors, instead).

with best wishes,
Tsuji

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If you are interested in the changes of official orthography
of the Russian language, just collect "Orfographicheskij
slovar' russkogo jazyka" for the years concerned. It has been revised
almost every year. The preface usually mentions recent changes.