Typing in Russian

The Russian Keyboard

Typing in Russian presents both a challenge and an opportunity for genealogists working with documents from the former Russian Empire. The Russian phonetic keyboard (ЯШЕРТЫ) is a valuable tool for simplifying the transition between English and Russian typing. Unlike the traditional Russian keyboard, which has a unique layout, the phonetic keyboard aligns Cyrillic letters with their English counterparts based on sound. Letters without direct equivalents are mapped to unused English keys or entered using key combinations.

Adding the Phonetic Russian Keyboard

On your Windows device:
Step 1: Open settings.

Step 2: Select Time & Language from the sidebar menu.

Step 3: Select Language & region.

Step 4: Click Add a language. Search for Russian and install the Russian language pack. If you already have Russian installed, continue to Step 5.

Step 5: When the language pack has been installed, click the three dots on the side to open more options. Click language options

Step 6: Under the subheading Keyboards, select Russian - Mnemomic.

On your Mac:
Step 1: Under the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen, select System Preferences.

Step 2: Select Keyboard from the following menu.

Step 3: Search for Russian. Choose Russian - Phonetic. Click Add.

Step 4: Check the box labeled Show Input menu in menu bar at the bottom of the screen.

To easily toggle between keyboards on your Windows device, use the keyboard shortcut Left Alt + Shift. You will see the abbreviation РУС RUM at the bottom of your screen.

You can switch between keyboards by clicking on the input menu at the top of your screen. The Fn or Globe key 🌐also allows you to toggle between languages.

If you are already proficient in typing Russian, are unfamiliar with the QWERTY layout, or are not using a personal computer, you may find it easier to use the standard Russian keyboard layout (ЙЦУКЕН). Though the layout is significantly different, you will find that you can quickly become proficient with this keyboard through a little practice.

Cyrillic Fonts

Common fonts—Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri—are often available in Cyrillic; however, stylistic fonts that are available for the Latin Script may not be designed for Cyrillic. Propisi is a cursive font for the Cyrillic script that you can download to your computer.

Click this link to download Propisi for free. Be aware that this site is ad-based. Be sure to avoid misleading ads that read download. Click on the yellow button that reads "Download zip (21.4 Kb)" in red font. To install the font, open the zipped folder then the file named "Propisi Regular.ttf". Click Install on the top left corner of the window. Once the font is installed, you can use it in Word, Excel, and other programs.

Adapted from KB Russian, 2006, Digital Image. Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org : accessed 4 February 2025). This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Additional Resources:

Russian TypeIt is a useful resource for those who are new to typing in Russian and need to produce a text quickly. It does not use either of the layouts listed above, but it is similar to ЯШЕРТЫ with a few minor differences. To type on this site, you can either use the keyboard or use the mouse to select the letter you want. Additionally, typing on this website automatically changes your alphabet, meaning that you do not need to download Russian to use this program.
TypeRacer provides solo practice and competitive typing activities for those who want to improve their Russian typing skills. You can use any keyboard format for this website.