Saratov deputies ask residents to report “foreign” signs
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The Saratov City Duma asked city residents to send photographs of street signs in foreign languages or using transliteration. The most active “photographers” were promised to be awarded prizes. Earlier, the head of the city, Lada Mokrousova, announced a change in the rules of landscaping – the introduction of a ban on the use of foreign words in signs. Speaker of the city parliament Sergei Ovsyannikov assures that the initiative will not affect registered brand names and trademarks. Experts believe that the ban will lead to higher prices for advertising services.
The Saratov City Duma announced a “photo competition dedicated to signs in foreign languages or using transliteration.” “We invite everyone to send photographs of signs placed on buildings located in Saratov. Three participants in the competition who sent photographs of the largest number of such objects will receive prizes,” says the city parliament website. Photos can be sent until September 25 in the comments to posts on the City Duma’s social networks or by email.
Earlier, on August 25, 2023, the head of the Saratov administration, Lada Mokrousova, signed a resolution on public discussions of the draft changes to the city improvement rules. City Duma deputies proposed “the establishment of a ban on placing symbols and inscriptions in foreign languages on signs, with the exception of cases of indicating registered trade names of legal entities that are commercial organizations, trademarks and service marks.”
City Duma speaker Sergei Ovsyannikov explained the initiative with a “cacophony of signs” on the streets of Saratov. “The store says: Vishenka. Foreign letters. This raises a question for me: why not write in Russian? Or Fabrica cvetov – why and for what? It seems to me that by using such things, we are losing our identity, our involvement in our great, mighty Russian language. When such inclusions occur, this, in my opinion, is nonsense,” he believes.
At the same time, the speaker complained that the initiative for a “photo competition” on social networks was perceived as a search for “informers and informants.”
“We do not set such a goal for ourselves – to find some signs and take some measures. Now we need to study public opinion,” noted Mr. Ovsyannikov. In his opinion, the townspeople simply do not think about the “dominance of foreign signs” and the purpose of the “competition” is precisely to demonstrate the “dominance” to the townspeople. The deputy promised to publish the resulting images on the Internet so that citizens could appreciate the abundance of foreign words in the “information field around us.”
Sergei Ovsyannikov added that public hearings and round tables are planned on the topic of signage, and the initiative is being discussed separately with business – relevant requests have been sent to the region’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs in the Saratov Region, Polina Moskovskaya. The speaker noted that theoretically the city would be able to provide businesses with financial support to change signs. If necessary, it is planned to attract certain “philanthropists”, but the participation of the city budget is also possible.
After the “competition,” the city authorities can hold a “traffic light vote,” Mr. Ovsyannikov shared his plans. There will be trash bins around the city, with volunteers on duty near them. Saratov residents will be asked to vote with red cards against foreign signs, yellow cards – neutral, green cards – for their preservation.
On July 9, the issue of using a foreign language in outdoor advertising was raised at a meeting of the public council under the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs of the Saratov Region. Polina Moskovskaya herself told Kommersant about this. A significant portion of organizations will not be affected by potential innovations, she is sure: “All the English-language names of networks and large organizations are registered.” At the same time, Ms. Moskovskaya admitted that the federal law on advertising requires that information be conveyed to consumers in Russian. According to the business ombudsman, the next thematic meeting with the business community could take place as early as next week.
The use of foreign words allows a business to overcome the barrier with the consumer, marketer Vladimir Markelov told Kommersant.
“For some time there was a fashion for everything “not ours.” How to pass the “friend or foe” code if there is nothing alien about you? That’s right: call yourself differently. For a number of goods, the consumer will not go to a fitting room or store – only to the showroom,”— Mr. Markelov believes.
According to the expert, limiting the use of a foreign language will not have a global impact on business, but will entail “an increase in the cost of designing visual symbols.” “To them (advertising specialists.— “Kommersant”) will have to develop the visual component. Or semantic. Grow above yourself,” the interlocutor summed up.
The idea of translating signs into Russian is not new. In 2013, the then current governor of the Penza region Vasily Bochkarev instructed the regional government to develop a project for the translation of banners and signs. And in November 2019, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin criticized foreign signs on the streets of Saratov. At that time, the head of the city, and now the speaker of the regional Duma, Mikhail Isaev, noted then that the burger should be called “cutlet in bread.” In 2022, Mr. Volodin told about plans of the lower house of parliament to pass a law banning foreign signs. The timing of the review and details were not specified. In May of this year, the Krasnodar City Duma banned outdoor advertising in foreign languages.
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