| Description | This system, adapted from the Board of Geographic Names (BGN) Romanization system for Russian
(1947), is the Intelligence Community (IC) standard for the transliteration of Russian names that will be
applied to all final written reports and products for IC consumers. It is not intended to eliminate variations
of a name that can contribute forensic information. Rather, it is to provide an IC standard Romanized
(English) transliteration from Russian that can then be linked to forensic information in ways that will
help identify the referent of the name.
In cases where an individual’s name has already been transliterated in a variant spelling, the IC Standard
spelling should appear first, followed by the variant spelling(s) in parentheses at the first usage. E.g.,
Sergey Nikolayevich Tyurin (Serguei Nicolaivitch Tiourine). In addition, if the original Cyrillic spelling
is known, that spelling should also appear in parentheses following the name, if possible, following best
practices of the issuing organization and taking into consideration information system capabilities. This
convention is designed to ensure that vital forensic information is not lost.
For non-Russian names, use the relevant IC transliteration standard for names from that language. A
translator’s note may be used to clarify the known origin of the person. Spell names of individuals from
languages that are written in Roman letters as they are spelled in those languages (e.g., George Clooney,
Jorge Garcia, Georges Pompidou).
In the case of active senior government officials in the on-line CIA World Factbook and the on-line
directory of Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments, the spellings given in these
on-line reference works should be used in place of the IC Standard. For any individual who has at one
time been listed in the Factbook or Chiefs of State directory but who no longer appears in those resources
(i.e. is no longer a government official), the IC Standard spelling should appear first, with the spelling, if
known, as it previously appeared in those resources listed within parentheses at the first usage.
The primary goal is to produce a consistent Romanized transcription of names that is specifically readable
to the English-speaking non-specialist. The system uses the 26 letters of the standard (English) Roman
alphabet. Some ambiguities in the Romanized form will occur without the use of diacritics. However,
within the context of a report, where additional information about the individual is provided, the referent
will be clearly identified. This system will be used in conjunction with on-line tools, name dictionaries,
and lists containing conventional spellings of names of well-known individuals.
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