Newspeak: Authoritarianism Is Good

On November 21, Barents Observer journalists revealed that the new Explanatory Dictionary of the State Russian Language praised words such as "authoritarianism" and promoted "traditional values." In April, the government granted the book "special status."

Rector of St. Petersburg State University and Kremlin confidante Nikolai Kropachev and Dean of the institution's School of Law Sergei Belov, among other academics, developed the new dictionary. The authors said that their work "is becoming a practical tool for implementing state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian and moral values." Some definitions were developed in collaboration with the legal department of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Ministry of Justice.

The Barents Observer noticed that the writers "infused an ideological message" into many entries. The word "authoritarianism" is defined as "the most effective form of government in difficult times for a country (...) [authoritarianism] destroys hostile forces and allows for the limited existence of value systems other than the traditional ones."

Among the book's pro-Kremlin-influenced definitions, the word "propagandist" is equated to "Western" and "anti-Russian." In the entry for "hegemon," it says, "The United States, as a global hegemon, allows itself to not adhere to the rules in order to always win." "Colonialism" is explained as "the policy of Western countries aimed at imposing their ideology (...) on the peoples of other countries with the aim to suppress their national identity and entrench their subordinate position in the global market."

The legal status of "foreign agent," often used for Russians who oppose Russia's war in Ukraine, is defined as a person "conducting political activities in the interest of a foreign state and receiving funding for it." Despite adding new definitions, the dictionary lacks entries for the words "Stalinism," "GULAG," and "specialist."

Many definitions were also infused with religion. "Life" is defined in the dictionary as beginning at conception. The entry for "Priority" says it refers to "priority of the spiritual over the material." The definition also includes "the recognition of the importance of spiritual values such as God." The meaning of "marriage" has a disclaimer that same-sex unions are not recognized by the ROC nor the Russian state. "Mother Heroine," a title awarded to women who have borne 10 or more children in Russia, is also in the dictionary.