Soviet Language Revolution: Why Red Army Troops Were Called 'Fighters' Instead of 'Soldiers'

Today, the word "soldier" seems like the only natural way to describe a person in military uniform. But a century ago, using that term in the young Soviet Red Army could easily earn someone an official reprimand. The Bolsheviks viewed the word as a symbol of the old imperial order, military barracks, and blind loyalty to the monarchy. They removed it from official Soviet language and replaced it with the shorter and more ideological term "fighter." The Origins of the Word 'Soldier' and Soviet Ideology The term entered Russia in the 17th century through foreign military instructors. The word itself comes from the Italian "soldo," a coin used to pay wages.