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  "path": "/history/166830-why-soviet-union-banned-word-soldier/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-22T19:03:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://english.pravda.ru",
  "tags": [
    "History, traditions"
  ],
  "textContent": "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.\nThe 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.\"\nThe Origins of the Word 'Soldier' and Soviet Ideology\n\nThe 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.",
  "title": "Soviet Language Revolution: Why Red Army Troops Were Called 'Fighters' Instead of 'Soldiers'"
}