Well here’s a story that managed to melt my cold, cold heart on an even colder Wednesday afternoon. Perhaps I’m still tired and emotional after twenty-eight hours in transit from Paris to Melbourne (you’re looking at a man who cried at Ice Age 2 on the in-flight entertainment system – tragic), however, the thought of a mouthy babushka is just too heart-warming.

Newsweek reports of a Russian government-run initiative to reduce swearing in the more susceptibly profane areas of vodka HQ. Using re-education and fining offenders up to 1,000 rubles (U.S.$33) for each offence of public profanity, some provinces have raised up to 5 million rubles (US$165,000) in a year in anti-swearing campaigns for the public equivalent of a ‘swear jar’.

In the village of Achair in the Omsk province, proponent of civilised language and village head, Sofya Arefyeva has plastered the small town with naff 90s motivational posters with slogans such as, ‘In life, if you want to get anywhere, you’ll do better not to swear’ and ‘You’ll be fine if you don’t cross the line’. “Some people just need to be held up to shame,” she explains, “some need explanations, and others need to be punished with rubles.”

This comes as a particularly low blow after attempts to reduce drinking in the Russian Federation have been met with resistance from Russkys; a cutback on swearing considered too great an intrusions. Sharing this view is Taska Cherkashina, Achair’s most infamous swearer who admits there was “some real s–t going on here.”

Her biggest complaint: calls from proselytizing Jehovah’s Witnesses. “First I’m polite to them, like ‘F–k off.’ They go on about their thing, then I start yelling, ‘I’ve f–king had it up to here with your f—king bulls–t.’ They don’t show up here anymore.”

The Russians are great; and even better when they’re angry. I have fond memories of my grandmother not having any problem slurring under her breath in Russian when someone in front of us had a large posterior, yet would refer to someone as a ‘little B’ in English, not wanting to cuss – it’s the Russian way!  До свидания и здоровье!

(Via Newsweek)

What are your thoughts on swearing? Cast your vote below.

And where would we be without a little Boney M on a dreary afternoon? Enjoy.

I do believe there’s more for you to read: