Asia and the Middle East, Europe
Russian translation and interpreting services
Certified Russian translation and Russian interpreters for courts, hospitals, schools, government agencies, and employers, with three-part names, Cyrillic spellings, and the letter ё kept consistent across every record.
Russian, in its own words
Русский
Все люди рождаются свободными и равными в своем достоинстве и правах.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Letters that look English but are not
Six capital Cyrillic letters are near-twins of Latin letters yet stand for different sounds. Unicode’s confusables data pairs each with its Latin lookalike; the BGN/PCGN romanization table gives the letter it becomes in English.
- ВLooks like BRomanized v
- НLooks like HRomanized n
- РLooks like PRomanized r
- СLooks like CRomanized s
- УLooks like YRomanized u
- ХLooks like XRomanized kh
The risk runs both ways. A reader without Russian can misread a Cyrillic name on a document, and a Cyrillic С typed in place of a Latin C looks identical on screen but is a different character, so searches and record matches fail. We romanize names from a published table, not by eye, and keep Cyrillic and Latin characters from mixing in names, file numbers, and addresses.
Russian in the United States
4 in 10 Russian speakers in the United States speak English less than “very well.”[1] source
- Speakers at home
- 1.02 million people age 5 and older speak Russian at home (1,021,165 in 2024)[1] source
- Limited English
- 429,378 of them, 42 percent, speak English less than “very well”[1] source
- Largest communities
- New York (209,622 speakers) and California (188,555), then Florida (81,639) and Washington (58,539)[2] source
- Beyond Russia
- The common language of the former Soviet Union, still used as a second language in many of its successor states[4] source
- International status
- One of the six official languages of the United Nations[3] source
- Writing system
- Cyrillic alphabet of 33 letters; the letter ё is often written as е[5] source
What good Russian translation takes
ИвановИвановаИвановна
Names in three parts
A full Russian name has a given name, a patronymic formed from the father’s name, and a surname that often takes a feminine form, as in Ivanov and Ivanova. Keep every part, in the order of the source document, so the translation matches the person’s other records.
юя
One name, several spellings
Cyrillic has several romanization systems. Since 2013, Russian passports have used the ICAO system, which writes ю as iu and я as ia, where the BGN/PCGN system writes yu and ya. One surname can therefore appear differently on a passport, a visa, and an earlier U.S. record; a certified translation should use the spelling the person already uses in the United States and keep it consistent.
ёе
Ё or Е
Russian writing usually leaves the two dots off ё, so it looks like е, and both spellings are correct. Databases and search fields that treat them as different letters can split one person into two records, so decide on one form and apply it everywhere.
РусскийУкраїнська
Russian as a second language
Russian remains a second language across much of the former Soviet Union, so a client from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, or Georgia may speak Russian, a national language, or both. For legal and medical matters, ask which language the person understands best; Ukrainian, for example, is a separate language with its own page.
Russian translation services
Our Russian translators work into and out of English and other languages, following an ISO 17100 process: translation by a qualified linguist, then revision by a second linguist before delivery. Certified translations include a signed statement of accuracy, and files move through our encrypted client portal.
What we translate in Russian
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates
- Diplomas, transcripts, and immigration documents
- Contracts, court filings, and legal evidence
- Medical records and patient materials
- Technical manuals and safety documents
- Websites, software, and training content
Russian interpreters
Our Russian interpreters work in person, by phone, and by video, in consecutive and simultaneous modes. We match each assignment to the setting, with court-certified or credentialed interpreters where the work requires them, send briefing materials ahead so interpreters arrive prepared, and assign a team for long or simultaneous sessions. Every Russian interpreter is background-checked and bound by a confidentiality agreement.
Russian in Colorado
Our headquarters is in Aurora, in the Denver metro area, so we schedule on-site Russian interpreters across Colorado and nationwide.
- Colorado
- About 18,700 Coloradans speak Russian at home[10] source
- Limited English
- About 6,600 of them, roughly 1 in 3, speak English less than “very well”[10] source
- Denver metro
- About 14,400 Russian speakers live in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area, roughly 3 in 4 of the state’s total[10] source
More Russian services
Certified translation of Russian-language records
Birth, marriage, and education records from Russia and other former Soviet states, with names spelled to match the person’s passport and a signed statement of accuracy.
Russian simultaneous interpreting and equipment
Interpreters plus receivers, headsets, and booths for delegations, trainings, and conferences.
Russian phone and video interpreting
Interpreters for claimant interviews, benefits calls, and telehealth visits, by phone or video.
Who relies on our Russian linguists
Healthcare
Patient materials and consent forms in Russian, and interpreters for appointments in person, by phone, or by video.
Courts and legal
Certified translation of contracts, evidence, and filings, and Russian interpreters for depositions and hearings.
Immigration documents
Certified translations of birth, marriage, and education records from Russia and other former Soviet states for USCIS filings.
Government agencies
Language access notices, benefit forms, and outreach for Russian-speaking residents.
Schools
Report cards, special-education documents, and parent notices, and interpreters for parent-teacher conferences.
Our Russian work
Selected Russian projects for our clients.
- Eye care practicesOn-site and phone Russian interpreting.
- County human services agenciesVideo Russian interpreting.
- Law firmsOn-site and video Russian interpreting.
- Medical practices and health systemsOn-site Russian interpreting.
- Defense Security Cooperation AgencyRussian simultaneous interpreting, with Arabic and Dari, at a 10-day conference on combating terrorism.
- Pinnacol AssuranceOn-site Russian interpreters for clients and claimants.
Why agencies choose us for Russian
Our Russian team carries the credentials courts, hospitals, and agencies ask for.
Court-certified interpreters
Russian interpreters certified by the Colorado Judicial Branch, for hearings, depositions, and attorney–client meetings.
CCHI-certified medical interpreters
Medical interpreters nationally certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters.
ATA-certified translators
Russian translators certified by the American Translators Association.
Russian translation and interpreting FAQs
Our client is from Ukraine or Central Asia. Should we book a Russian interpreter?
Ask first. Many people from former Soviet states speak Russian well, but some prefer, or understand better, their national language. For legal and medical matters, use the language the person chooses and record it.
How should Russian names appear on a certified translation?
With all three parts, given name, patronymic, and surname, in the source order, spelled the way the person’s passport or U.S. records already show them. If no English spelling exists yet, we apply one romanization system consistently and tell you which.
Does it matter whether a Russian document writes ё or е?
Not for meaning, since both are correct. It matters for record matching: we keep the spelling of the source document and flag any name where the two forms could cause a mismatch in your system.
Do you provide certified Russian translation?
Yes. Certified Russian translations include a signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate, the format courts, schools, and immigration authorities such as USCIS require.
How much does Russian translation cost?
Price depends on the word count, subject matter, deadline, and whether you need certification. Send your files for a fixed quote and delivery date, with no obligation.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, Table B16001: Language spoken at home by ability to speak English (national) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, Table B16001 by state (opens in a new tab)
- United Nations, Official languages (opens in a new tab)
- OHCHR, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Russian translation (language profile and text) (opens in a new tab)
- Russian alphabet (opens in a new tab)
- Eastern Slavic naming customs (opens in a new tab)
- BGN/PCGN, Romanization of Russian (1947 System), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency GEOnet Names Server, checked June 2019 (opens in a new tab)
- Unicode Consortium, confusables.txt (Unicode Technical Standard #39 security data) (opens in a new tab)
- Romanization of Russian (passport transliteration, ICAO system since 2013) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, Table B16001: Colorado and the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area (opens in a new tab)
Tell us what’s at stake. We’ll show you how we’d handle it.
Send your files or describe your event. A language specialist replies with a fixed quote and a delivery date, with no obligation.
Prefer to call? 720-325-0459