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[…]
authoritarianism[…]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[…]
enemy[…]One whom the sovereign authority has deemed hostile to the people, the government, or the state[…]
homosexuality[…]Sexual deviation manifested in the satisfaction of sensual desire with persons of one’s own sex; sodomy, pederasty[…]
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[…]
unity[…]Historical unity of Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians[…]
lesbianism[…]Sexual deviation manifested in the satisfaction of sensual desire by a woman with another woman[…]
limitrophe[…]21st-century Europe: a state used as a buffer between Western Europe and Russia, which is politically, economically, and culturally incapable of being independent[…]
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)