Using the example of the verb «obruset» («Russianize»), the article examines the possibilities of words and expressions representing the conceptual sphere of Russian to be a means of language embodiment of national ideals, values, norms andbehavioral stereotypes. A research procedure was used, which consists of a quantitative analysis and subsequent qualitative interpretation of the contexts of use of the specified word in a large array of corpus data in order to identify possible implicit, contextual (i.e., induced in the context) positive or negative evaluativeness. The research material is lexicographic information about the verb «obruset» («Russianize») in Russian explanatory dictionaries and the contexts of use of this word in the Russian National Corpus. Two semantic classes of uses of this verb are identified: «to become Russian in culture, language, customs» (descriptive, neutral, non-evaluative meaning); «to become Russian in spirit, in character» (value-marked, evaluative meaning). The contexts of use of this word demonstrate semantic extensions of both classes of meanings, in including in terms of expressing ideas about the negative aspects of Russian life and the negative properties of the Russian national character.
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