Did you know there is a Russian language ‘hotline’?

For over 65 years, the Russian Language Reference Service at the V. V. Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) has been assisting native speakers and learners alike. Four days a week – Monday through Thursday, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Moscow time – callers can dial +7 (495) 695-26-48 and receive free, expert answers from professional linguists regarding any Russian language difficulties.

The service was founded in 1958 on the initiative of prominent Russian linguist Sergei Ozhegov (author of the famous ‘Dictionary of the Russian Language’). Initially, it provided written responses to inquiries from organizations and individuals and, later, began offering real-time telephone consultations. The Institute hosting the service acts as a regulatory body for the Russian language and is part of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).

The range of questions is very broad – from simple ones ("Where does the stress fall?") ​​to complex issues involving variant norms and discrepancies between dictionaries. Service staff note that callers generally fall into three categories:

•         Those who do not know the correct spelling or pronunciation of a word.
•         Those who want to confirm they are correct.
•         Those who seek to "catch" others (newsreaders, politicians, journalists) making mistakes. 

Inquiries frequently come from proofreaders, editors, journalists, teachers, secretaries and administrative assistants –  in other words, people whose professions require a high level of literacy and linguistic proficiency.

In addition to providing practical assistance, the Reference Service carries out important research work: it maintains an archive of inquiries dating from 1991 to 2024, enabling researchers to track and observe changes in linguistic norms – covering orthoepy, orthography, punctuation, vocabulary, grammar and style – in real time. Thus, it’s not merely a "hotline", but a tool for monitoring the living language.

Written inquiries can also be submitted via the Institute’s official website, although the primary channel of communication is by phone.