December 01, 2019

Rospotrebnadzor, Explained


Rospotrebnadzor, Explained
Who is helps citizens with Russia's coronavirus response? Image by www.vperemen.com via Wikimedia Commons

From deciding what school children can eat to regulating tipping practices, one state agency is both prevalent in the news and quite a mouthful to pronounce: Rospotrebnadzor.

What is the story behind this government agency, and why is it so often referenced in questions of public policy?

Here is a brief breakdown.

The agency’s full name is the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing («Федеральная служба по надзору в сфере защиты прав потребителей и благополучия человека»). The shortened name comes from the beginnings of the Russian words for “Russian” («российский»), “consumer” («потребитель»), and “oversight” («надзор»).

It was founded in September 1922 and underwent some smaller changes throughout the decades to become its current form, which reports directly to the government of Russia.

According to the agency's website, the goal of Rospotrebnadzor is to “provide oversight and control of wellbeing and consumer rights and protection of the citizens of the Russian Federation.” It is an offshoot of the executive branch that forms and enforces state policy regarding consumer rights protection. This can stretch from dealing with state epidemiological guidelines (such as helping provide guidance on Russia’s coronavirus response) to “monitoring in the field of consumer rights protection.” Basically, Rospotrebnadzor is Russia’s version of a consumer rights watchdog, and it does like to bark when it sees potential risks to Russian citizens.

See Also

Russia's Political Tool

Russia's Political Tool

December 20, 1997 is the 80th anniversary of the KGB. We look back at the sordid history of this nefarious institution.
No Ketchup Here

No Ketchup Here

A Russian agency has banned some foods from school cafeterias in Russia, including ketchup.
How to Survive in Russia

How to Survive in Russia

This week's Odder News features three survival stories: survival in the Russian wilderness, on the internet, and in a world filled with cell phones.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955