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* The [[Airfix]] model kit of the standard [[Russia]]n [[Soyuz launch vehicle|launch vehicle]] included a [[decal]] for the display base, bearing faux Cyrillic designations for the Sputnik, Vostok and Soyuz programs, and for the [[USSR]] itself, even though the correct Cyrillic spellings (Спутник, Восток, Союз and СССР) are all fairly common knowledge in the West, and particularly among those with an interest in space exploration.
* The [[Airfix]] model kit of the standard [[Russia]]n [[Soyuz launch vehicle|launch vehicle]] included a [[decal]] for the display base, bearing faux Cyrillic designations for the Sputnik, Vostok and Soyuz programs, and for the [[USSR]] itself, even though the correct Cyrillic spellings (Спутник, Восток, Союз and СССР) are all fairly common knowledge in the West, and particularly among those with an interest in space exploration.
* The [[Khachaturian]] CD ''Piano Concerto; Dance Suite; Waltz; Polka'' <ref>http://www.amazon.com/Khachaturian-Piano-Concerto-Dance-Suite/dp/B0000030WK Amazon.com</ref> features an egregious example of Faux Cyrillic, including upper-case [[lambda]]s and a lower-case [[upsilon]] (both recognizably from the [[Greek alphabet]]) and a reversed [[short I|i kratkoe]] (nonexistent in Cyrillic).
* The [[Khachaturian]] CD ''Piano Concerto; Dance Suite; Waltz; Polka'' <ref>http://www.amazon.com/Khachaturian-Piano-Concerto-Dance-Suite/dp/B0000030WK Amazon.com</ref> features an egregious example of Faux Cyrillic, including upper-case [[lambda]]s and a lower-case [[upsilon]] (both recognizably from the [[Greek alphabet]]) and a reversed [[short I|i kratkoe]] (nonexistent in Cyrillic).
* In the Nicktoon [[El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera]], the opening card of the episode '''[[List of El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera episodes|El Tigre, el Jefe]]''', which literally translates as "El Tigre, the chief", is written in faux cyrillic (EL TIБЯE EL JEFE) because, in this episode, Manny, the main character, decides to help his schoolmates to the point of unknowingly establishing a [[Stalinist]]-like [[dictatorship]] at the school.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==

Revision as of 04:02, 27 June 2008

Graphic designers sometimes employ faux Cyrillic typography to give a Soviet or Russian feel to text, by replacing Latin letters with Cyrillic letters resembling them in appearance. A simple way to accomplish this is to replace capital letters R and N with Cyrillic Я and И for some "ЯUSSIAИ flavor". Other examples include Ш for W, Ц for U, Г for r, Ф for O, Д for A, and Ч or У for Y.

This effect is usually restricted to text set in all caps, because Cyrillic letter-forms don't match well with lower case Latin letters.[1]

This is a common Western trope used in book covers, film titles, comic book lettering, and artwork for computer games which are set in or wish to evoke Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, or the Russian Federation. An early example was the logo for Norman Jewison's film The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming; more are listed below.

Not all examples of typography with mirror-imaged Latin characters are Faux Cyrillic. For example, Toys "R" Us and Korn use a backwards letter R (similar to Cyrillic Ya, Я), in the former to embody childlike innocence, in the latter to evoke an ironically grim crudeness. The "NIИ" wordmark of Nine Inch Nails uses a reversed capital N to create a formalistic symmetry.

Faux Cyrillic characters

Cyrillic letter Latin look-alike Actual Russian pronunciation
Б G, S /b/ as in "boy"
В B /v/ as in "vase"
Г r, L /g/ as in "goat"
Д A /d/ as in "day"
Ж X /ʒ/ as in "treasure"
З E /z/ as in "zoo"
И N /i/ as in "machine"
У Y /u/ as in "rule"
Ф O /f/ as in "fox"
Ц U /ʦ/ as in "cats"
Ч Y /ʧ/ as in "check"
Ш W /ʃ/ as in "ship"
Э E /ɛ/ as in "echo"
Я R /ja/ as in "yard"
P P /r/ as in "perro"

Examples of faux Cyrillic

Cinema

  • Poster art in the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The title of the film on movie posters is spelled BORДT.
  • "KRЦМ" for Viktor Krum’s last name (should be Крум), as spelled on a card mosaic held by a cheering crowd at the Quidditch World Cup, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film).
  • The film Red Heat (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi), of which a great part takes place in Soviet Russia and concerns a partnership between a Russian and an American officer, has faux Cyrillic in its end credits.
  • The poster for international releases of the Russian film Night Watch (NIGHT ШATCH) features a faux Cyrillic transliteration of the original Russian title Ночной дозор/Nochnoi dozor: "ИOCHИOI DOZOR". This graphic effect reinforces at a glance the film's Russian origin and serves as a guide to pronunciation of the original title for English speakers. It does not, however, represent a meaningful phrase in Russian.

Computer Games

  • The videogame TETЯIS (Actual Cyrillic: Тетрис)
  • In Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, the backdrop of the level briefings is a book which is written in Cyrillic; but the language is actually English. The letter che (ч) is used to write the letter H.
  • The PC game Republic: The Revolution contains many examples of Faux Cyrillic during gameplay.

Other

  • APPAЯATCHIK, a fanzine (Actual Cyrillic: аппаратчик)
  • In Copenhagen (in Denmark) you can buy shirts with the names of parts of Copenhagen. (ИФЯЯЕРОЯТ, СНЯІЅТІАИІА, КФЬЕИНАVИ etc. Here Ф corresponds to Ø.)
  • The website Exquisite Corpse uses it in their letterhead (i.e. CФЯPZe).
  • The early seasons of the television series Mission: Impossible used faux Cyrillic signs to indicate an "Iron Curtain" location.
  • The Airfix model kit of the standard Russian launch vehicle included a decal for the display base, bearing faux Cyrillic designations for the Sputnik, Vostok and Soyuz programs, and for the USSR itself, even though the correct Cyrillic spellings (Спутник, Восток, Союз and СССР) are all fairly common knowledge in the West, and particularly among those with an interest in space exploration.
  • The Khachaturian CD Piano Concerto; Dance Suite; Waltz; Polka [2] features an egregious example of Faux Cyrillic, including upper-case lambdas and a lower-case upsilon (both recognizably from the Greek alphabet) and a reversed i kratkoe (nonexistent in Cyrillic).
  • In the Nicktoon El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, the opening card of the episode El Tigre, el Jefe, which literally translates as "El Tigre, the chief", is written in faux cyrillic (EL TIБЯE EL JEFE) because, in this episode, Manny, the main character, decides to help his schoolmates to the point of unknowingly establishing a Stalinist-like dictatorship at the school.

Notes

  1. ^ In Cyrillic typography, most upright lower case letters resemble smaller upper case letters, unlike the more distinctive forms of Latin-alphabet type. Cursive Cyrillic upper and lower case letters are more differentiated. Cyrillic letter-forms are originally derived from tenth-century Greek manuscript, but the modern forms more closely resemble Latin since Peter the Great's civil script reform of 1708.
  2. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Khachaturian-Piano-Concerto-Dance-Suite/dp/B0000030WK Amazon.com

See also