Fed Council: State language law

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Seen on another list. Apologies for their clumsy translations.

<http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/05/23/010.html>
Monday, May 23, 2005.
DEPUTIES MOVE TO CLEAN UP LANGUAGE
==================================
By Oksana Yablokova, Staff Writer

Saying they are trying to protect the Russian language from an assault
of foreign words, State Duma deputies tentatively approved a bill on
Friday that would bar the use in official settings of profanity, slang
and foreign words not included in Russian dictionaries.

The legislation, which was passed in a first reading, would apply to
language used by officials and in official documents as well as in the
media and advertising. No penalties are envisioned for those who break
the rules.

<http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=2069826&PageNum=0>
FEDERATION COUNCIL APPROVES LAW ON STATE LANGUAGE
=================================================
25.05.2005, 14.38

MOSCOW, May 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The Federation Council approved the law on
the state language of the Russian Federation approved by the State Duma
in the reading drafted by the conciliatory committee.

According to Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov, the essence of
the law that was elaborated after the Federation Council had turned it
down about a year ago is that the Russian language is "the state
language of the Russian Federation on its whole territory" under the
Russian Constitution.

The law stipulated the compulsory use of the Russian language in spheres
specified by the Russian legislation, particularly the law on the
languages of the peoples of Russia. The law also envisages the
protection and support to the Russian language and the ensuring of the
right of Russian citizens on the use of the state language.

Under the law, "the obligatory use of the state language cannot be
interpreted as the denial and the encroachment on the right to use the
state languages of the republics in the Russian Federation and the
languages of the Russian peoples."

Mironov noted that even the inscriptions on the road signs "can be made
in two languages, but one of them should be compulsorily made in the
Russian language."

Under the law, the Russian government should specify "the procedure of
adopting the norms of the modern Russian literature language in its use
as the state language of the Russian Federation, as well as the rules of
Russian orthography and punctuation."

"In the use of the Russian language as the state language of the Russian
Federation words and combinations of words that do not correspond to the
norms of the modern Russian literature language cannot be used, except
for foreign words that do not have analogues in the Russian language,"
the document said.

Mironov recalled the initial variant of the law contained a ban on the
use of foreign words, but, according to him, this could "lead to
extremes." The new variant of the law does not contain this ban.

The law on the state language of the Russian Federation will take effect
after its official publication.

--
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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