This article is devoted to the study of the use and translation of realia as linguistic units. The purpose of this article is to identify the use of realias as a linguistic unit, to analyze its linguistic features, its lexical and semantic features. Realias are a component of the background knowledge necessary for understanding a text in a foreign language. The realias are characteristic of the sublanguage of fiction and mass media, are inextricably linked with the culture of a certain people, are common to the language of this people and are uncommon to other languages. It is important to determine the status of linguistic and cultural descriptions of realias as linguistic units among its other characteristics, when identifying national, social and political aspects of the language of a publicistic text, the specifics of their interaction when describing linguistic picture of the world in linguistic and cultural aspect. First of all, the similarity of realia with the term is striking. The semantics of each language reflects both the uniqueness of the culture of a particular people and the general, universal component of cultures.