New legislation proposed in Russia’s State Duma would allow local authorities to unilaterally change the names of settlements that are “degrading to the dignity of residents”, Meduza reports.

Vladislav Davankov, one of the legislators backing the new law, said he had been lobbied by residents of Shalava, which means ‘slut’.

He said: “Residents of neighbouring towns laugh at them. Young people are leaving, trying to change their registration at quickly as possible. Nobody wants their children to have an offensive word on their passport.”

An explanatory note accompanying the bill lists several other examples, including Lokh (‘sucker’ or naïve person), Pukovo (‘farty’), Popki (‘little butts’) and Bukhalovo (‘boozy’).

However, some local politicians have defended their villages’ existing names.

Alexey Vorobyov, head of the district covering Lokh, said locals are “proud of their name”.