On 29 October, a new national typeface, Zakon, designed for use in official documents, was unveiled in Ukraine. Its creation forms part of an initiative to phase out typefaces of Russian origin and establish a distinct Ukrainian style for official documentation. The presentation took place in Kyiv during the «Ukrainian – the Language of the Free» forum, organised by the Ministry of Culture.
- On 29 October, the new Ukrainian national typeface, Zakon, was unveiled in Kyiv.
- It was developed for use in official government documents.
- The initiative involves a gradual phase-out of typefaces of Russian origin.
The new typeface was unveiled at a government forum
Presentation Zakon took place on 29 October during the forum marking Ukrainian Literacy and Language Day.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk addressed the event’s participants via video link. He linked the creation of the national script to the establishment of the Ukrainian language and national identity.
According to the Speaker of Parliament, statehood is reflected not only in the Constitution and laws, but also in day-to-day decisions, particularly in the appearance of official documents.
The new typeface is designed to create a recognisable style for Ukrainian official documents.
Why is Ukraine moving away from Russian typefaces?
The issue of a national typeface was first raised back in 2023. At that time, the Ministry of Culture initiated the creation of a library of Ukrainian typefaces to gradually replace those of Russian origin.
In particular, state documents and emblems previously used typefaces associated with the Russian typographic tradition, including «Izhitsa» and ‘Peterburg’.
In January 2026, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution on strengthening the role of the Ukrainian language. The document provides for the development of a uniform standard for the typographical presentation of laws, resolutions and other parliamentary acts.
Separate provisions have been made to improve legal terminology and remove Russian-derived terms from legislative texts.
Where will the Zakon typeface be used?
First and foremost, the national typeface is intended for official state documents, in particular laws, decrees and other regulatory acts. Its introduction is intended to ensure a consistent approach to the formatting of documents and to enhance the visual recognisability of government communications.
However, the presentation itself does not mean that all government bodies will automatically switch to Zakon. For the new typeface to be mandatory, appropriate standards and organisational decisions are required.
As of 29 October, no date had been announced by which all government bodies were required to switch to the new headset.
