zapad

Zapad is a term meaning "west" in several Slavic languages, most prominently in Russian, where zapad (запад) denotes the western direction or a western region. In Belarusian and some related languages, a similar form exists with the same meaning. The word also functions in geographic names and toponyms to indicate western parts of places or administrative divisions.

In contemporary use, Zapad is best known as the official designation of a series of joint military exercises conducted by Russia and Belarus. The drills emphasize a western strategic orientation and have included events such as Zapad-2009, Zapad-2013, Zapad-2017, and Zapad-2021. In political and public discourse, the term is sometimes used to refer to the Western world from the perspective of Slavic-language media and scholarship.

Beyond military and political contexts, zapad appears in geographic naming and cultural references where its core meaning—west—helps denote direction, regional divisions, or historic western domains within broader states or regions. The exact usage and emphasis of the term can vary by language, country, and historical period, reflecting differing geographic vocabularies and political sensibilities.