This article focuses on the description of an example of breaking the language taboo in political discourse. The implementation of the insult tactic in terms of crossing the forbidden sphere in contemporary political activity was analyzed. The material for research is served by the latest issue of Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference of December 17, 2020 and Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s two articles from party newsletters of 2021. Both Russian political leaders used the insult tactics in the analyzed texts – V. Putin in relation to the person of A. Navalny and V. Zhirinovsky in relation to B. Yeltsin, M. Gorbachev and the clerical class. Both Russian politicians consciously slander and humiliate the characters they refer to in the quoted excerpt from the speeches. The implementation of the insult tactics breaks the language taboo. V. Putin and V. Zhirinovsky broke the ban on speaking in public in a rude manner that could offend the audience.