Straight from mother Russia and from patient and ambitious designers comes this collection of 61 free Russian fonts, some Cyrillic fonts, but other just having the Russian influence on the characters.
I initially wanted to make the article only with Cyrillic fonts to help the Russian designers with their typography for posters, flyers, brochures or other print design projects.
However, I found very little of them and more regular fonts, but with the soviet influence stamped on their characters.
The fonts are available for free download but you should check their licenses in case you want to use them for commercial projects.
Free Russian fonts (an overview)
- kolikö
- FAKEDES
- Kanyon
- Bemount
- Highliner
- Pelmeshka
- Tsarevich
- Shadow
- Beryozki
- Idealist Sans
- PH Free
- Uni Sans Free
- Panton
- Nord
- Sports World (Typeface)
- Ralev001
- Arsenal
- POIRET
- Ruslan
- Kankin
- Yeseva
- Sansus Webissimo
- and several more
Now let’s look at them in detail.
Novodevichi – Russian Letter font
kolikö
Kolikö by Fontfirma is a new free type family with Latin and Cyrillic letters.
Font family consists of 3 unique font styles — regular, thin and bold. It is a geometric forms sans serif with plain curves and a clean, functional structure.
So it’s most suitable for headlines of all sizes, but it does work well in a variety of text lengths.
Petrovica – Russian Emperor font
FAKEDES
Kanyon
Bemount
Highliner
Highliner is a condensed grotesque with low contrast in 3 weights: light, regular and bold. It contains a standard set of characters and cyrillic. It is a great font for headlines or infographics.
Pelmeshka
Positive and funny font. Perfect for use in titles and children’s books. Retains its connection to the original Bodoni typeface, and we all love this beautiful and modern serif font.
Peleshka looks good in modern layouts. It’s suitable for books, lettering, signs, logos, magazines.
Not suitable for a funeral. Although, it depends on how you mark up.
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Tsarevich
Shadow
Beryozki
Idealist Sans
PH Free
Uni Sans Free
Panton
Nord
Sports World (Typeface)
Ralev001
This is actually a Bulgarian font, but it’s still pretty cool.
Arsenal
Ruslan
Kankin
Yeseva
Sansus Webissimo
Zopa
Myra Caps
Days
Yanone Kaffeesatz
Yanone Kaffesatz is a condensed humanist sans-serif of four weights designed by Jan Gerner for his own type foundry Yanone.
Casper
Cyberia
Rusnish Helvetica
Papyrus Plain Cyrillic
Papyrus font with Cyrillic support. It is drawn specifically for forced subtitles in the movie Avatar, so the system font will be seen exactly as the Avatar.
Gulag decay
Kremlin
Hetarosia
Kremlin Bolshevik
Rushin
Have you ever seen some Russian writing and tried to pronounce it like it looks, even though you know probably none of those letters are pronounced like the Latin alphabet letter they look like?
That is what this font is based on. I took all the Cyrillic letters and matched them up with the Latin alphabet letters they look like.
The author threw out all the Cyrillic letters that didn’t look like anything and filled in the remaining characters with the regular Latin alphabet.
The result is that you can type out a phrase and it will look like Cyrillic lettering while being perfectly readable English.
VKB Konqa
Kremlin Minister
Chyelovek
This is a font based on the block-print style typeface commonly found on eastern-bloc propaganda posters throughout the 1930’s and 40’s. It has been adapted for the Roman alphabet (the original was predominantly Cyrillic).
Soviet
Kremlin Grand Duke
Kremlin Georgian 3D
Raskalnikov
Based on lettering from a 1925 Soviet poster by one very strange (and unidentified) comrade, this Russian font is named after the main character is Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment and was, not coincidentally, Boris Badenov’s favorite swear word.
Back in the USSR
Koruptor and the bitches
Kremlin Kiev
Kremlin Alexander
Gagarin
Csar
Kremlin Kommisar
Red October
Kremlin Empire
Kremlin Kourier II
Kyrilla
Eurocentric
Russian quality
Ural
Red October Stencil
Kremlin Orthodox Church
Nyet
FAQs about roman and greek looking fonts
1. What is the most commonly used font for Russian language documents?
Times New Roman, a popular option for many languages, is perhaps the typeface that Russian language documents use the most. The other well-liked options are Calibri, Verdana, and Arial. The PT Sans and PT Serif fonts, for example, were created especially for the Cyrillic alphabet.
2. How many letters are in the Russian alphabet, and do all of them have unique glyphs in a font?
There are 33 letters in the Russian alphabet, and each one has a different glyph in a font. While some letters, such “A” and “C,” have a similar appearance to Latin letters, their glyphs differ in Russian fonts. Moreover, not all fonts may provide diacritical marks or alternative forms for some letters.
3. Are there any unique features or quirks in Russian fonts that aren’t present in other languages?
The presence of “tits” (мансарднe асеки), which are minute stylistic flourishes that extend above or below the main body of a letter, is one distinctive aspect of Russian fonts. They can give text a unique aesthetic and are frequently encountered in serif fonts. Moreover, some letter combinations in Russian fonts may contain special ligatures or alternative characters.
4. Can I use a font that was designed for another language to write in Russian, or do I need a specific Russian font?
You can write in Russian using a typeface created for another language, although it might not have all of the glyphs or diacritical markings required. Moreover, some fonts might not be optimized for the letter spacing and kerning requirements unique to Russian typography. It is advised to use a typeface created especially for the Russian script for best results.
5. Are there any free or open-source Russian fonts available for download online?
Absolutely, there are numerous open-source and free Russian fonts that may be downloaded online. Popular options include Open Sans, PT Sans, and PT Serif. These typefaces are frequently offered in a number of weights and styles, making a wide range of uses possible.
6. Can I use Cyrillic characters in a font that doesn’t support the Russian language, and will it still be readable?
Although using Cyrillic characters in a typeface that doesn’t support the Russian language is technically conceivable, it might not be readable or legible. The absence of required glyphs or diacritical markings in some typefaces might result in jumbled or unintelligible text. Moreover, certain fonts might not be optimized for the letter spacing and kerning requirements unique to Russian typography.
7. Are there any font families that are particularly well-suited for Russian typography, such as serif or sans-serif?
Depending on the particular requirements of the project, both serif and sans-serif fonts may be suitable for Russian typography. Sans-serif typefaces, like Arial, can give text a contemporary, clean design, whereas serif fonts, like Times New Roman, can give text a conventional, classic look. It’s crucial to pick a font that is readable and suitable for its intended application.
8. What is the recommended font size for Russian text in print or on-screen?
The ideal font size for Russian text in print or on screen will vary depending on the font style, the text’s intended use, and the audience. In general, print papers should use a font size of 10–12 points, whereas on-screen writing should use a font size of 14–16 pixels. It’s crucial to pick a font size that is both readable and suitable for the intended application.
9. What are some common typographic mistakes to avoid when designing or using Russian fonts?
When creating or using Russian typefaces, some typographic blunders to watch out for include erroneous capitalization, incorrect use of ligatures, incorrect use of diacritical markings, and poor letter spacing and kerning. Also, it’s critical to pick a legible typeface and confirm that the font size is suitable for the intended usage. It’s crucial to pay attention to the small details and take your time to make sure the text is readable and aesthetically pleasing when creating or utilizing Russian fonts.
10. Are there any legal requirements or standards for font usage in official Russian documents or publications?
Font usage in official Russian documents and publications is not subject to any particular legislative criteria or norms. Nonetheless, there are some general rules for design and layout, such utilizing readable fonts, suitable font sizes, and using headings, lists, and tables in the right way. It’s crucial to adhere to these rules in order to make the paper comprehensible, credible, and visually appealing.
If you liked this article, you should check this one about Roman and Greek-looking fonts.
