Translating Russian legal and medical text has one important particularity: the Georgian and Russian legal and medical systems come from a shared past, so at first glance the terminology is far more "compatible" than with English or German. It is exactly this apparent closeness that is the greatest trap. Over the last three decades the law and healthcare of both countries have developed in different directions, and a term that sounds the same in both languages today often means different things. This article is exactly about these "false friends" and their practical consequences, in contractual and corporate as well as clinical documentation.
Legal translation: where even an experienced reader is deceived
The Georgian Civil Code and the Civil Code of Russia both belong to the civil law tradition and many institutions really are similar. But legal forms, registration procedures, tax concepts and corporate governance terminology differ quite a lot by country. The Russian "OOO" and the Georgian "Sh.P.S." are the same type of company, but their internal structure, the founders' rights and the rules on charter capital do not match, so in translating articles of association the translator must know where there is a direct equivalent and where an explanation is needed. The same applies to the status of an individual entrepreneur, the types of joint-stock company and the kinds of contract whose Russian name in Georgian either denotes a different concept or does not exist at all.
Corporate documents for regional business
A company registered in Georgia whose founder or partner is from a Russian-speaking country regularly needs two-way legal translation: amendments to the articles, shareholders' agreements, minutes of meetings, resolutions on the appointment of a director. At the request of a bank or the registry these documents often have to exist in both languages. Here terminological consistency across the whole history of one company's documents is decisive: if a term was translated one way in the 2023 articles, the same term must not appear differently in the 2026 amendment. That is why for regular clients we keep a terminology base and translate every new document on that basis.
The scope of a power of attorney: where two legal systems meet
A power of attorney drawn up in Russia is accepted in Georgia without an apostille, but its content often fails to meet the requirements of a Georgian body. Russian notarial practice leans towards general wording, while the Georgian Public Registry and banks demand specifics: the exact cadastral code, the specific operation, sometimes an amount limit. The translator cannot "add" this, because the translation must correspond exactly to the source. But an experienced translator warns you before starting the translation that the document will probably not meet the body's requirements, and advises that the text be corrected in Russia before signing. This one call often means saving a whole week.
Contracts with Russian-speaking partners: governing law and disputes
In regional business contracts where one party is Georgian and the other Kazakh, Belarusian or Armenian, the working language is often Russian, but the governing law may even be that of a third country. In this case the dispute resolution clause must be carried over especially carefully in the translation: which court or arbitration, which country's law, which language is the "primary" version of the contract in case of disagreement. If the contract is drawn up in two languages, usually one version is deemed to prevail, and the translator must carry this clause over unambiguously in both texts. This is the case where one vague sentence ends up at the centre of a dispute years later.
Employment relations with Russian-speaking employees
Companies operating in Georgia that employ Russian-speaking staff often ask for a Russian version of the employment contract, internal regulations and confidentiality agreement, so that the employee signs what they really understand. Here the concepts of the Georgian Labour Code (probation period, overtime work, types of leave) must be carried over into Russian so that an employee used to Russian or Kazakh labour legislation does not confuse the Georgian rules with the analogues of their own country. So where the difference is material, we add a short explanation in the translation.
Medical translation: who the patient is
Tbilisi is a noticeable destination for Russian-speaking medical tourism, especially in dentistry, reproductive medicine, aesthetic surgery and cardiology. Such a patient arrives with their own medical history, which is in Russian, and leaves with a Georgian discharge summary, which they need in Russian for the treating doctor at home. Besides, the Russian-speaking population permanently living in Georgia is treated at local clinics, and their previous medical history has to be translated for the Georgian doctor. In both cases the translation is the basis of a clinical decision, so an error here carries a different weight.
Diagnoses, codes and preparations
Russian medical documentation often accompanies diagnoses with the codes of the International Classification of Diseases (MKB-10, ICD-10 internationally), which simplifies the translation if the translator knows that the code must stay unchanged while the text diagnosis must be carried over in Georgian medical terminology. Preparations are more difficult: in Russia and other post-Soviet countries many medicines are sold under trade names that do not exist in Georgia at all. If only the trade name is carried over in the translation, the Georgian doctor cannot establish what their colleague prescribed to the patient. So we always indicate the active substance by its international nonproprietary name, so that continuity of treatment is maintained. The same applies to dosage units and the description of the dosing regimen, where Russian abbreviations are not always understandable to a Georgian doctor.
Reproductive medicine and long-term treatment
For patients of reproductive medicine who are treated in Tbilisi over several months or years, medical translation is not a one-off but a continuous process: series of tests, the dynamics of hormone levels, the description of protocols that goes back and forth between the doctors of both countries. In such a case it is especially important that the same translator works on the patient's whole history, so that the terminology and the designation of values stay consistent and the doctor does not find it harder to compare the dynamics. For regular patients we therefore keep an individual terminology base, just as for corporate clients.
Informed consent and patient rights
A Russian-speaking patient who comes for treatment at a Georgian clinic signs an informed consent form drawn up in Georgian. Many clinics attach a Russian version to this form as well, so that the patient knows exactly what they are agreeing to. The translation of this document lies at the intersection of legal and medical: it must at the same time describe exactly the medical substance and risks of the procedure, and legally correctly convey the patient's rights and the limits of liability. An unclear translation here is a risk not only for the patient but for the clinic as well.
Medical certificates for employment and studies
A separate category is medical certificates needed not for treatment but for an administrative procedure: a certificate of health for work, psychiatric and narcological certificates (which some procedures require), medical forms needed for an educational institution. Such certificates are often of a standard form and short, but their translation must correspond exactly to the wording the receiving body expects, otherwise the certificate is deemed "incomplete". This is a typical case where the right term matters more than rich language.
Real estate transactions
For a foreign buyer, purchasing a flat or land in Tbilisi is one of the most frequent reasons for legal translation: the purchase agreement, the preliminary agreement, the extract from the Public Registry, sometimes a contract with a construction company that runs for years. In these documents the terms of Georgian property law (form of ownership, easement, mortgage, common property) must be carried over into Russian so that the buyer understands exactly what they are buying and what restrictions attach to the property. In construction company contracts the most exact carrying over of deadlines, penalties and the payment schedule is especially important.
Confidentiality and deadlines
A legal or medical document contains sensitive information, so all our translators work under a signed confidentiality agreement, files are transferred over an encrypted channel and deleted within the agreed period. As for deadlines, a standard discharge summary or certificate is ready in one working day, by express in 1-2 hours, which is especially important when the patient is already at the clinic or the court hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. A voluminous contract or a full medical history is assessed individually, although in urgent cases we work as a team to shorten the deadline without loss of quality.
Frequently asked questions
If Russian and Georgian law are so similar, why does legal translation need a specialist?
Precisely because of the similarity: a term that sounds the same in both languages often carries different legal content. A specialist knows where there is a real equivalent and where a false friend.
How is the name of a Russian preparation translated if it is not sold in Georgia?
Together with the trade name we indicate the active substance by its international name, so that the Georgian doctor can select a local analogue.
Will a power of attorney drawn up in Russia be enough for a Georgian bank?
It depends on its content. It does not need an apostille, but the text often fails to meet the specifics required by a Georgian body. It is better to agree the text before signing than to redo it.
Is the disease code in a medical document translated?
The code (for example ICD-10) stays unchanged, while the text diagnosis is translated in Georgian medical terminology.
Who sees my medical document?
Only the translator who works on the specific document, under a signed confidentiality agreement.
In the case of a bilingual contract, which version applies in a dispute?
The one that the contract itself designates as prevailing. We translate this clause in both languages with special precision, because it is exactly this that decides which text a court or arbitration will read.