Yesterday in Helsinki, the final event of the series "How Has the Russian Language Changed in the 2020s?" took place

The final discussion titled "Informers: The Language of Society" focused on how language in today’s Russia has become an instrument of control, repression, and propaganda.

The moderator, Nikita Kirillov, chair of Initiative FoReDi ry, noted that following this series of discussions, a Russian–Finnish dictionary of new words and expressions of the 2020s will be compiled to reflect the political, social, and cultural transformations of recent years.

Three experts took part in the discussion:

• Ivan Filippov – writer and war propaganda analyst, officially designated as a “foreign agent” in Russia.

• Evgeniya Chirikova – coordinator of the media project Activatica, environmental and civic activist, listed by Russian authorities among “extremists and terrorists”.

• Aleksei Karikh – representative of the anti-war committee Russians Against War (Sweden), an organization declared “undesirable” in Russia.

You can watch the full recording of the discussion here:

After the main discussion, a “Literary Salon” book club took place, where participants discussed the novel “Mouse” with its author, writer and analyst Ivan Filippov. The conversation naturally continued the evening’s theme — the novel explores fear, propaganda, and survival in a society where language is distorted and saturated with lies.

The recording of the book discussion is available here:

The electronic and printed versions of “Mouse” can be found on the Freedom Letters publishing website👉 freedomletters.org/books/mysh

and borrowed from the Helmet library network👉 helmet.finna.fi.

Many thanks to everyone who shows interest and joins our events! We have many projects ahead. You can also become a member of Initiative FoReDi to support our cultural, human rights, and educational initiatives:👉 foredi.fi/join-and-donat