Glavred: Russian Text Cleaner

What it is

Glavred, roughly Chief Editor, is an online tool for people who write in Russian. Paste in a text and it highlights the clutter: stock phrases, bureaucratic wording, empty intensifiers and vague evaluations, with a short explanation of what is wrong with each. In the site's own words, the goal is to clean text of verbal garbage and check it against the informational style.

It was created by Maxim Ilyakhov and Anatoly Burov and has been running since December 1, 2014. Around the checker there is now a whole ecosystem: a reference guide to the rules, books, a blog for professionals, an API for developers and a free basic writing course delivered through a Telegram bot.

Why we picked it

Good writing starts with cutting, and spotting your own filler is hard. Glavred acts like a picky editor with fresh eyes: the highlights show at a glance where you reached for a stock phrase or a word that adds nothing.

It does not rewrite anything for you or claim to have the final say. It points out suspicious spots and explains why, and you decide. After a couple of weeks of using it, you start catching these things on your own.

Where to start

• Note that Glavred works only with Russian text, and its interface is in Russian.
• Paste a paragraph from a recent work email and look at what lights up.
• Click on highlighted words to read the explanation for each.
• Browse the reference guide to understand the logic behind the rules.

Who it's for

Russian speakers who write for work: authors, editors, marketers, managers, founders and students. It is also a useful learning aid for advanced learners of Russian who want to sound natural rather than officialese.

Quick answers

Who made it? Maxim Ilyakhov and Anatoly Burov.

How long has it been around? Since December 1, 2014.

Does it rewrite text for me? No, it flags problem spots and explains them; you do the editing.