Yelena A. Alekseyeva

The article aims at studying toponyms from the perspective of dialogue of cultures. It particularly focuses on the characteristics of Russian urbanonyms, used in the territory of France, as a special linguistic and cultural phenomenon whose role is essential both for linguacultural and translation research. This study is important due to the need for understanding and evaluating the impact of Russian culture and history on the French toponymic system. The research analyzes the concept of the term “urbanonym” within the toponymic terminology, identifies and systematizes Russian-language geographical names used in the territory of France. The urbanonyms were then classified according to the types of geographical objects as well as the territorial units and their semantic meanings. The research concluded that Russian urbanonyms are used for naming a variety of French urban objects (streets, bridges, restaurants, squares, museums, monuments, churches) and are culturally marked. The use of these urbanonyms implies deep links between the concepts of Russian culture and those of France. Thus, these concepts not only deliver a special meaning but also mark their native culture and indicate its integration into another.