Wikipedia:Romanization of Russian

The Wikipedia romanization of Russian is a modification of the BGN/PCGN romanization of Russian. It is used in the English Wikipedia per Wikipedia:Naming conventions (Russia) as suitable for Anglophones.

Abbreviations are romanized with capitalization as indicated, e.g., ДШК = DShK, unless there is a common English rendering.

Differences from the BGN/PCGN romanization

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  • Consonant letters: б в г д ж з к л м н п р с т ф х ц ч ш щ
  • Vowel letters: а е ё и о у ы э ю я
    • Iotated vowel letters: е ё ю я
  • Semivowel letter: й
  • Modifier letters: ь ъ
Russian
spelling
English Wikipedia
romanization
Special provision Examples WP romanization Examples BGN/PCGN romanization
Е (е) (e) Майер = Mayer (e after й) Майер = Mayyer (ye after й)
Ё (ё) Yo (yo) Ёлкино = Yolkino
Озёрск = Ozyorsk
Yë (yë) or Ë (ë)
Й (й) Y (y) Except in –ый and –ий endings (see below) Йошкар-Ола = Yoshkar-Ola
Бийск = Biysk
(never use a medial dot)
  1. Before а, у, ы, or э. Y· (y·) Кайафа = Kaafa
  2. All other cases: Йошкар-Ола = Yoshkar-Ola
    Бийск = Biysk
ъ (твёрдый знак) Omitted When followed by an iotated vowel (е, ё, ю, я) Подъярский = Podyarsky Подъездной = Podˮyezdnoy
y When followed by a non-iotated vowel (а, и, о, у, ы, э) (Мусийкъонгийкоте = Musiykyongiykote) Musiykˮongiykote
Ы (ы) Y (y) Except in –ый ending (see below) Ытык-Кюёль = Ytyk-Kyuyol
Давыдов = Davydov
(never use a medial dot)
  1. Before а, у, ы, or э: Выудить = Vuditʼ
  2. After any vowel: Суык-Су = Su·yk-Su
  3. All other: Ыттык-Кёль = Yttyk-Këlʼ
    Тында = Tynda
ь (мягкий знак) Omitted
  1. At the end of words
  2. When followed by a consonant
  1. Выхухоль = Vykhukhol
  2. Дальнегорск = Dalnegorsk
Тюмень = Tyumenʼ
y When followed by a vowel Ильинский = Ilyinsky
–ый endings -y Красный = Krasny Krasnyy
–ий endings -y In names of people and adjectives of Russian origin Синий = Siny; Великий = Veliky Siniy; Velikiy
-iy In nouns or words of non-Russian origin Рыркайпий = Ryrkaypiy
-ые endings -ye Набережные Челны = Naberezhnye Chelny Naberezhnyye Chelny

Full rules

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Russian
spelling
English
romanization
Special provision Examples
А (а) A (a) Аликово = Alikovo
Поганкино = Pogankino
Б (б) B (b) Болотин = Bolotin
Колбасин = Kolbasin
В (в) V (v) Воронин = Voronin
Привалин = Privalin
Г (г) G (g) Галкин = Galkin
Луговой = Lugovoy
Д (д) D (d) Дровяное = Drovyanoye
Подгорск = Podgorsk
Е (е) E (e) After consonants Белкин = Belkin
Ye (ye)
  1. In the beginning of words
  2. after vowels
  3. after ь
  4. after ъ
  1. Ельцин = Yeltsin
  2. Раздольное = Razdolnoye
  3. Юрьев = Yuryev (ь omitted; see ь below)
  4. Подъездной = Podyezdnoy
Ё (ё) Yo (yo) Ёлкино = Yolkino
Озёрск = Ozyorsk
Ж (ж) Zh (zh) Жиров = Zhirov
Приволжское = Privolzhskoye
З (з) Z (z) Зорин = Zorin
Обозов = Obozov
И (и) I (i) Except in an -ий ending (see below) Иркутск = Irkutsk
Владивосток = Vladivostok
Й (й) Y (y) Except in -ый and -ий endings (see below) Йошкар-Ола = Yoshkar-Ola
Бийск = Biysk
К (к) K (k) Киров = Kirov
Галкин = Galkin
Л (л) L (l) Лапинск = Lapinsk
Комсомольск = Komsomolsk
М (м) M (m) Мичурин = Michurin
Колыма = Kolyma
Н (н) N (n) Нальчик = Nalchik
Савино = Savino
О (о) O (o) Оха = Okha
Грозный = Grozny
П (п) P (p) Петроград = Petrograd
Ставрополь = Stavropol
Р (р) R (r) Родниковое = Rodnikovoye
Высокогорск = Vysokogorsk
С (с) S (s) Ступино = Stupino
Бирск = Birsk
Т (т) T (t) Тавричанка = Tavrichanka
Ростов = Rostov
У (у) U (u) Улетайск = Uletaysk
Шушенское = Shushenskoye
Ф (ф) F (f) Фёдоровка = Fyodorovka
Уфа = Ufa
Х (х) Kh (kh) Хабаровск = Khabarovsk
Оха = Okha
Ц (ц) Ts (ts) Царское = Tsarskoye
Зарецкий = Zaretsky
Ч (ч) Ch (ch) Черемшаны = Cheremshany
Зареченск = Zarechensk
Ш (ш) Sh (sh) Шадрин = Shadrin
Моршанск = Morshansk
Щ (щ) Shch (shch) Щукино = Shchukino
Рощинский = Roshchinsky
ъ (твёрдый знак) Omitted When followed by an iotated vowel (е, ё, ю, я) Подъярский = Podyarsky
y When followed by a non-iotated vowel (а, и, о, у, ы, э) Мусийкъонгийкоте = Musiykyongiykote
Ы (ы) Y (y) Except in an -ый ending (see below) Ытык-Кюёль = Ytyk-Kyuyol
Давыдов = Davydov
ь (мягкий знак) Omitted
  1. When followed by an iotated vowel (е, ё, ю, я)
  2. at the end of words
  3. When followed by a consonant
  1. Усолье = Usolye
  2. Выхухоль = Vykhukhol
  3. Дальнегорск = Dalnegorsk
y When followed by a non-iotated vowel (а, и, о, у, ы, э) Ильинский = Ilyinsky
Э (э) E (e) Элиста = Elista
Тетраэдральный = Tetraedralny
Ю (ю) Yu (yu) Южный = Yuzhny
Вилючинск = Vilyuchinsk
Я (я) Ya (ya) Ярославль = Yaroslavl
Бурянск = Buryansk
-ый endings -y Красный = Krasny
-ий endings -y In names of people and adjectives of Russian origin. Синий = Siny; Великий = Veliky
-iy Noun or of non-Russian origin Рыркайпий = Ryrkaypiy
-ые endings -ye Набережные Челны = Naberezhnye Chelny

See also

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  • Wikipedia romanization of Russian - online service with the Wikipedia romanization of Russian. Also supports ISO 9, ICAO, BGN/PCGN, and other standards of Russian transliteration.