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The purpose of this document is to assist individuals working with publications issued in pre-reform or non-standard Russian orthography. Individuals working with these publications may need to be able to convert bibliographic data from pre-reform to modern orthography, and vice versa, in order to, for example

• search bibliographic records and authority headings;
• provide additional access points in bibliographic records;
• make references in authority records.

This document summarizes systematic correspondences between pre-reform and modern Russian spelling, and lists other common variations where special attention may be needed. Catalogers may use this document in conjunction with Transliteration of Titles in Pre-Reform Orthography in Slavic Languages.

The Russian orthographic reform of 1917-1918 introduced a number of major changes into the Russian language, including the elimination of several letters from the alphabet and the spelling of a number of ubiquitous affixes. However, Russian spelling rules were not officially codified until 1956, and certain minor variations and inconsistencies can be found in Soviet publications of this early period. Pre-reform spelling rules were not officially codified at all; therefore much greater variation in spelling can be found in pre-revolutionary publications. Furthermore, the Russian émigré communities, for whom spelling became a political matter, continued to issue publications in pre-reform orthography (often introducing their own variations) throughout the 20th century. Consequently, individuals working with these publications may encounter variations in spelling not covered in this document. Appropriate reference sources should be consulted in those cases.

I. Obsolete Letters:

The orthographic reform eliminated 4 letters (I i, Ѣ ѣ, Ѳ ѳ, Ѵ ѵ) from the Russian alphabet, and greatly restricted the use of ъ (tverdyi znak). The following table summarizes the correspondences between obsolete letters and their modern counterparts. Each letter is discussed in greater detail below.

*For exceptions and special situations see below.

1. І і (и десятеричное / i desiaterichnoe)

This letter appeared most commonly before vowels and the letter й, as well as in a small number of roots (e.g. мiръ 'world'). It corresponds to the modern letter И и in most environments.

Example:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
стихотворенія		стихотворения
stikhotvorenīi︠a︡	→	stikhotvorenii︠a︡

However, when i occurs before the letter o, modern spelling may have several different outcomes, and special attention should be exercised.

Examples:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
фiолетовый		фиолетовый
fīoletovyĭ	→	fioletovyĭ

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
серiозный		серьeзный (серьëзный)
serīoznyĭ	→	ser′eznyĭ (ser′ёznyĭ)

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
маiоръ		майор
maīor	→	maĭor

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
медалiонъ		медальон
medalīon	→	medal′on

2. Ѣѣ (ять / yat)

This letter appeared in approximately 130 roots, as well as in a number of derivational and inflectional affixes. It corresponds to modern Е е in all environments, save for the exceptional forms below.

Examples:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
повѣсть		повесть
povi︠e︡st′	→	povest′

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
Алексѣй		Алексей
Aleksi︠e︡ĭ	→	Alekseĭ

Exceptional forms:

Pre-reform orthography had distinct forms for the 3rd person plural feminine pronoun (онѣ) and for the feminine plural of один (однѣ). Modern spelling does not make these distinctions.

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
онѣ		они
oni︠e︡	→	oni

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
однѣ (однѣхъ, однѣмъ, однѣми)		одни (одних, одним, одними)
odni︠e︡ (odni︠e︡kh, odni︠e︡m, odni︠e︡mi)	→	odni (odnikh, odnim, odnimi)

3. Ѳ ѳ (фита / fita)

This letter occurred in words of Greek origin. It corresponds to modern Ф ф in all environments.

Example:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
орѳографія		орфография
orḟografīi︠a︡	→	orfografii︠a︡

4. Ѵѵ (ижица / izhitsa)

This letter occurred in words of Greek origin. It corresponds to modern И и in all environments.

Example:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
сѵнодъ		синод
sẏnod	→	sinod

5. Ъ ъ (твердый знак / tverdyi znak)

This letter appeared at the end of all words and components of compound words that would otherwise end in a consonant. It also appears in the body of words as a separative sign. Modern spelling retains its use as a separative sign, but omits it at the end of words and components of compound words.

Note, that while the letter is omitted in Romanization at the end of words, it should be retained in parallel Cyrillic fields.

Example:

Variations in the letter’s use as a separative sign were frequent well into the Soviet period. In some publications, “ъ” was commonly replaced by an apostrophe.

Example:

II. Morphological changes

1. Prefixes ending in -з

In pre-reform orthography, prefixes ending in -з (без-, вз-, воз-, из-, низ-, раз-, роз-, чрез-, через-) remained unchanged regardless of the following consonant. In modern orthography, -з became -с if the following consonant was voiceless.

Examples:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
безполезный		бесполезный
bezpoleznyĭ	→	bespoleznyĭ

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
возсоединенiе		воссоединение
vozsoedinenīe	→	vossoedinenie

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
черезчуръ		чересчур
cherezchur	→	chereschur

 

2. Masculine and neuter genitive singular adjectives

Pre-reform orthography had endings -аго, -яго for masculine and neuter genitive singular adjectives. Modern spelling has -ого, его.

Examples:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
соборъ святаго Марка		собор святого Марка
sobor svi︠a︡tago Marka	→	sobor svi︠a︡togo Marka

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
синяго цвѣта		синего цвета
sini︠a︡go t︠s︡vi︠e︡ta	→	sinego t︠s︡veta

 

3. Nominative and accusative feminine and neuter adjectives

Pre-reform orthography had distinct forms for nominative and accusative feminine and neuter adjectives, with endings -ыя, -iя. Modern spelling does not make this distinction: -ые, -ие are the endings for all genders.

Examples:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
глупыя шутки		глупые шутки
glupyi︠a︡ shutki	→	glupye shutki

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
другiя статьи		другие статьи
drugīi︠a︡ stat′i	→	drugie stat'i

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
оставшiяся развалины		оставшиеся развалины
ostavshīi︠a︡si︠a︡ razvaliny	→	ostavshiesi︠a︡ razvaliny

4. Genitive singular feminine pronoun

Pre-reform orthography had a special form of the genitive singular feminine pronoun (ея). Modern spelling has ee (eё).

Example:

III. Other spelling variations

Unlike the above examples, the following changes are not always systematic. Some of these variations, though relatively minor, can be found in publications well into the Soviet period. They are listed here as issues that may require special attention.

1. О vs. е (ë) after ч, ж, ш, щ

Pre-reform (and early Soviet) spelling sometimes has о after ч, ж, ш, щ in stressed position, where modern spelling has ее (еë).

Examples:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
чортъ		черт (чëрт)
chort	→	chert (chërt)

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
щолкать		щелкать
shcholkat′	→	shchelkat′

2. Э before i

Pre-reform (and early Soviet) orthography sometimes had э before и in words of foreign origin, where modern orthography has е.

Examples:

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
клiэнт		клиент
klīėnt	→	klient

Pre-reform spelling		Modern spelling
гiэна		гиена
gīėna	→	giena

3. Compounds words

Pre-reform orthography sometimes differed from modern usage in the writing of compound words.

Examples:

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