List of English Words of Russian Origin: Common Loanwords

Several foods enjoyed around the world come from Russia. Here are a few favorites:

• blintz - a thin pancake, often stuffed with a filling

• borscht - a soup made with beets and vegetables

• kefir - a fermented milk drink similar to yogurt

• kvass - a fermented wheat beverage

• pavlova - a meringue dessert with fresh fruit and whipped cream

• pierogi - a stuffed dough dumpling, literally means "pie" in Russian

• samovar - a tea urn or tall pitcher that holds hot drinks

• ukha - a type of clear fish soup

• vodka - an alcoholic drink

Few countries have a political history as rich and tumultuous as Russia. Due to this history, many topical political terms originated in the Russian language.

• Bolshevik - a radical or revolutionary, predecessors to the Communists in Russia

• boyar - a high ranking member of feudal Russian nobility, second in rank to a prince

• commissar - a political officer responsible for providing education

• disinformation - derived from the Russian dezinformatsiya; false information or propaganda

• gulag - a political labor camp system

• intelligentsia - intellectuals who form a political, social or artistic elite

• Kazakh - nomadic people of Kazakhstan

• Kremlin - a fortress, citadel or castle, generally as a seat of power; a fort where the President of the Russian Federation stays

• kulak - a person with liberal values and private property, seen as an opponent of the Communist Party

• obshchina - peasant farmers in Russia during imperialist rule: literally “community” or “commune” in Russian

• pogrom - organized massacre of an ethnic group, not to be confused with "program"

• Soviet - a person, place or thing related to Soviet-era Russia, literally means “council” in Russian

• spetsnaz - special agents and officers of the Russian police or military

• Stalinism - a form of rigid authoritarian rule under Joseph Stalin

• tsar - a historical term for a Russian emperor, also commonly spelled as czar, tzar, or csar in English

Russia has given us several inventions and, by extension, interesting words and terms.

• banya - a traditional steam bath

• dacha - a seasonal or second home

• elektrichka - an electric train for commuters

• sputnik - a series of satellites launched by the Russian space program, literally "traveling companion" in Russian

• knout - a type of whip

• matryoshka - Russian nesting dolls

• Pavlovian - named after physiologist Ivan Pavlov, also called classical conditioning (A process by which a biological subject responds in a specific way to a previously neutral subject.)

• ruble - a coin cut from a silver ingot

• taiga - a swampy forest between the Siberian tundra and steppes

• troika - three things or people working together; a Russian folk dance; a sleigh pulled by three horses

• yurt - a round, portable tent

Russia has a rich fashion history and some clothing items and terms have become popular in English as well.

• babushka - in Russian, an endearing term for granny; in English, it refers or a scarf folded diagonally and tied underneath the chin

• balaclava - a knitted hat that covers the whole head and neck

• parka - a wind-repellent coat with a hood, often lined with fur

Some animals native to Russia have lent their names to English.

• beluga - a species of white whale

• mammoth - an extinct ancestor of the elephant (In Siberian myths, they lived underground. In English, the word can also be used to mean “huge.”)

Russia is certainly a fascinating country that has lent interesting words to the English language. To hear some of these Russian loanwords in their original Russian form, listen to a native speaker pronounce them. If you are interested in studying the Russian language, explore a list of Russian dictionaries to help you get started.