diff --git a/internal/phraser/eval/templates_test.go b/internal/phraser/eval/templates_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..523ee65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/phraser/eval/templates_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+package eval
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"math/rand"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/phraser"
+)
+
+// TestTemplateNudges scores the hand-written Russian templates on the same
+// fixture the model is scored on. No model, no network — it runs in milliseconds.
+//
+// The bar is every case, not most of them: the templates are hand-written, so a
+// failure is a bug in one line of Russian, not model variance.
+func TestTemplateNudges(t *testing.T) {
+	f, err := Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Load: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Fixed seed: the score must not depend on which variant came up.
+	nt, err := phraser.NewNudgeTemplates(rand.NewSource(20260731))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewNudgeTemplates: %v", err)
+	}
+	rep, err := Score(context.Background(), "ru templates", nt, f)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Score: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Log("\n" + rep.String())
+	t.Log("\n" + rep.Messages())
+	if rep.Passed != rep.Total {
+		t.Errorf("templates scored %d/%d, want every case:\n%s",
+			rep.Passed, rep.Total, rep.Failures())
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTemplateNudgesEverySeed — one seed passing could be luck. Every variant of
+// every rule has to pass every check, so sweep seeds until each has been used.
+func TestTemplateNudgesEverySeed(t *testing.T) {
+	f, err := Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Load: %v", err)
+	}
+	for seed := int64(0); seed < 60; seed++ {
+		nt, err := phraser.NewNudgeTemplates(rand.NewSource(seed))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("NewNudgeTemplates: %v", err)
+		}
+		rep, err := Score(context.Background(), "ru templates", nt, f)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Score: %v", err)
+		}
+		if rep.Passed != rep.Total {
+			t.Errorf("seed %d: %d/%d\n%s", seed, rep.Passed, rep.Total, rep.Failures())
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/phraser/nudge_templates.go b/internal/phraser/nudge_templates.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb9027f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/phraser/nudge_templates.go
@@ -0,0 +1,261 @@
+package phraser
+
+// Hand-written Russian nudges instead of generated ones.
+//
+// Why: on a nudge there is nothing to be creative about. Measured over many
+// runs, Qwen3.5-0.8B breaks the persona (formal "вы", plural imperatives,
+// masculine self-reference) and invents facts and units — it once told him to
+// boil an egg for "90-95 секунд". A nudge is five words of known content, so
+// wording it with a model buys nothing and risks the persona every time.
+//
+// The wording lives in nudges_ru_v1.json so it can be edited without touching
+// Go. This file only picks one and fills in the values.
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	_ "embed"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"math/rand"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+	"unicode"
+
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/delivery"
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/loop"
+)
+
+//go:embed nudges_ru_v1.json
+var nudgeTemplateJSON []byte
+
+// NudgeTemplateSchemaVersion — the version this code understands.
+const NudgeTemplateSchemaVersion = 1
+
+type nudgeRuleSet struct {
+	Mood     string   `json:"mood"`
+	Variants []string `json:"variants"`
+}
+
+type nudgeTemplateFile struct {
+	SchemaVersion int                     `json:"schema_version"`
+	Name          string                  `json:"name"`
+	Notes         []string                `json:"notes"`
+	Rules         map[string]nudgeRuleSet `json:"rules"`
+}
+
+// NudgeTemplates picks a hand-written Russian nudge for a candidate.
+//
+// Safe for concurrent use. Random, but never the same variant twice in a row
+// for the same rule — being nagged with identical words is what makes a nudge
+// easy to tune out.
+type NudgeTemplates struct {
+	mu   sync.Mutex
+	rnd  *rand.Rand
+	last map[string]string // rule family -> the text used last time
+	file nudgeTemplateFile
+}
+
+// NewNudgeTemplates loads the embedded template file. Pass a source to make the
+// picking reproducible in tests; nil means seed from the clock.
+func NewNudgeTemplates(src rand.Source) (*NudgeTemplates, error) {
+	var f nudgeTemplateFile
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(nudgeTemplateJSON, &f); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("nudge templates: parse: %w", err)
+	}
+	if f.SchemaVersion != NudgeTemplateSchemaVersion {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("nudge templates: schema_version %d, want %d",
+			f.SchemaVersion, NudgeTemplateSchemaVersion)
+	}
+	if len(f.Rules) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("nudge templates: no rules")
+	}
+	if src == nil {
+		src = rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano())
+	}
+	return &NudgeTemplates{
+		rnd:  rand.New(src),
+		last: map[string]string{},
+		file: f,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// PhraseNudge implements the nudge half of the Phraser interface, so the
+// templates can be scored by the same harness as the model.
+func (t *NudgeTemplates) PhraseNudge(_ context.Context, c loop.Candidate) (delivery.PhrasedNudge, error) {
+	body, mood := t.Nudge(c)
+	return delivery.PhrasedNudge{Candidate: c, Body: body, Summary: body, Mood: mood}, nil
+}
+
+// Nudge returns the text and the mood for one candidate. Never fails: if no
+// template fits it uses the plain per-rule fallback.
+func (t *NudgeTemplates) Nudge(c loop.Candidate) (body, mood string) {
+	rule := c.Rule.Name
+	family := t.family(rule)
+	set, ok := t.file.Rules[family]
+	if !ok {
+		return fallbackNudge(c), "neutral"
+	}
+	vals := nudgeValues(c)
+
+	// Only variants whose placeholders all have a value.
+	usable := make([]string, 0, len(set.Variants))
+	for _, v := range set.Variants {
+		if text, ok := fillTemplate(v, vals); ok {
+			usable = append(usable, text)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(usable) == 0 {
+		return fallbackNudge(c), "neutral"
+	}
+
+	mood = set.Mood
+	if mood == "" {
+		mood = "neutral"
+	}
+	return t.pick(family, usable), mood
+}
+
+// pick chooses at random, skipping whatever this rule said last time.
+func (t *NudgeTemplates) pick(family string, usable []string) string {
+	t.mu.Lock()
+	defer t.mu.Unlock()
+
+	choices := usable
+	if len(usable) > 1 {
+		choices = make([]string, 0, len(usable))
+		for _, v := range usable {
+			if v != t.last[family] {
+				choices = append(choices, v)
+			}
+		}
+		if len(choices) == 0 { // every variant equals the last one
+			choices = usable
+		}
+	}
+	got := choices[t.rnd.Intn(len(choices))]
+	t.last[family] = got
+	return got
+}
+
+// family maps a rule name to a block in the template file: an exact match
+// first, then the prefix of "routine:зарядка" / "morning:утро", then "default".
+func (t *NudgeTemplates) family(rule string) string {
+	if _, ok := t.file.Rules[rule]; ok {
+		return rule
+	}
+	if i := strings.IndexByte(rule, ':'); i > 0 {
+		if _, ok := t.file.Rules[rule[:i]]; ok {
+			return rule[:i]
+		}
+	}
+	return "default"
+}
+
+// placeholderRE — the {name} slots a template may use.
+var placeholderRE = regexp.MustCompile(`\{([a-z]+)\}`)
+
+// nudgeValues collects what this candidate can fill in. A key missing here
+// means every template needing it is skipped, so nothing half-filled is ever
+// spoken.
+func nudgeValues(c loop.Candidate) map[string]string {
+	vals := map[string]string{}
+	rule := c.Rule.Name
+
+	// {since} — only at hour scale. Below an hour the phrase would be minutes,
+	// and none of the templates read well with "сорок минут".
+	if d, ok := c.State.Since(rule); ok && d >= time.Hour {
+		if s := ruSinceWords(d); s != "" {
+			vals["since"] = s
+		}
+	}
+	// {service} — the aggregate fact's key carries the service name.
+	if f, ok := c.State.Fact(rule); ok && f.Key != "" && f.Key != rule {
+		vals["service"] = f.Key
+	}
+	// {what} — the Russian suffix of "routine:таблетки" / "morning:утро".
+	if i := strings.IndexByte(rule, ':'); i > 0 && i+1 < len(rule) {
+		vals["what"] = rule[i+1:]
+	}
+	return vals
+}
+
+// fillTemplate substitutes the placeholders. Returns false when a value is
+// missing, so a raw "{since}" can never reach the text-to-speech voice.
+func fillTemplate(tmpl string, vals map[string]string) (string, bool) {
+	missing := false
+	out := placeholderRE.ReplaceAllStringFunc(tmpl, func(m string) string {
+		name := m[1 : len(m)-1]
+		v, ok := vals[name]
+		if !ok || v == "" {
+			missing = true
+			return m
+		}
+		return v
+	})
+	if missing || strings.ContainsAny(out, "{}%") {
+		return "", false
+	}
+	return capitalizeFirst(out), true
+}
+
+// capitalizeFirst — a placeholder can start the sentence, and "полтора часа без
+// перерыва" should be spoken as a sentence, not a fragment.
+func capitalizeFirst(s string) string {
+	for i, r := range s {
+		return string(unicode.ToUpper(r)) + s[i+len(string(r)):]
+	}
+	return s
+}
+
+// hourWords — hours spelled out. "3 ч" is fine on a screen and wrong in a
+// Russian voice, so the number goes out as words.
+var hourWords = []string{
+	"ноль", "один", "два", "три", "четыре", "пять", "шесть", "семь", "восемь",
+	"девять", "десять", "одиннадцать", "двенадцать", "тринадцать",
+	"четырнадцать", "пятнадцать", "шестнадцать", "семнадцать", "восемнадцать",
+	"девятнадцать", "двадцать", "двадцать один", "двадцать два", "двадцать три",
+}
+
+// hourPlural — час / часа / часов by Russian counting rules.
+func hourPlural(h int) string {
+	if h%100 >= 11 && h%100 <= 14 {
+		return "часов"
+	}
+	switch h % 10 {
+	case 1:
+		return "час"
+	case 2, 3, 4:
+		return "часа"
+	default:
+		return "часов"
+	}
+}
+
+// ruSinceWords — "полтора часа", "два с половиной часа", "семь часов".
+// Empty string means "do not say it" (under an hour, or over a day).
+func ruSinceWords(d time.Duration) string {
+	if d < time.Hour {
+		return ""
+	}
+	h := int(d.Hours())
+	m := int(d.Minutes()) % 60
+	if m >= 45 {
+		h++
+		m = 0
+	}
+	if h >= len(hourWords) {
+		return "больше суток"
+	}
+	if h == 1 {
+		if m >= 15 {
+			return "полтора часа"
+		}
+		return "час"
+	}
+	if m >= 15 {
+		return hourWords[h] + " с половиной часа"
+	}
+	return hourWords[h] + " " + hourPlural(h)
+}
diff --git a/internal/phraser/nudge_templates_test.go b/internal/phraser/nudge_templates_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a12f10b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/phraser/nudge_templates_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+package phraser
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"math/rand"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/loop"
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/store"
+)
+
+// cand builds a candidate the way a tick would.
+func cand(rule string, sinceMin int, factKey string) loop.Candidate {
+	now := time.Date(2026, 7, 31, 21, 40, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	st := loop.State{Now: now, Facts: map[string]store.Fact{}}
+	if sinceMin > 0 || factKey != "" {
+		key := rule
+		if factKey != "" {
+			key = factKey
+		}
+		st.Facts[rule] = store.Fact{Key: key, Ts: now.Add(-time.Duration(sinceMin) * time.Minute)}
+	}
+	return loop.Candidate{Rule: loop.Rule{Name: rule, Severity: loop.Sev1}, Severity: loop.Sev1, State: st}
+}
+
+func newTestTemplates(t *testing.T, seed int64) *NudgeTemplates {
+	t.Helper()
+	nt, err := NewNudgeTemplates(rand.NewSource(seed))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewNudgeTemplates: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nt
+}
+
+func TestNudgeTemplatesLoad(t *testing.T) {
+	nt := newTestTemplates(t, 1)
+	for _, rule := range []string{"water", "meal", "break", "service_down", "netdata_critical", "routine", "morning", "default"} {
+		set, ok := nt.file.Rules[rule]
+		if !ok {
+			t.Errorf("no templates for %q", rule)
+			continue
+		}
+		if len(set.Variants) < 5 {
+			t.Errorf("%s: only %d variants", rule, len(set.Variants))
+		}
+		// Every rule needs one variant that needs no value, or a candidate
+		// without context has nothing to say. routine and morning are exempt:
+		// they always carry a name and must always say it.
+		plain := 0
+		seen := map[string]bool{}
+		for _, v := range set.Variants {
+			if !placeholderRE.MatchString(v) {
+				plain++
+			}
+			if seen[v] {
+				t.Errorf("%s: duplicate variant %q", rule, v)
+			}
+			seen[v] = true
+		}
+		if plain == 0 && rule != "routine" && rule != "morning" {
+			t.Errorf("%s: every variant needs a placeholder value", rule)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// The whole point of the picker: never the same words twice in a row.
+func TestNudgeNoImmediateRepeat(t *testing.T) {
+	nt := newTestTemplates(t, 7)
+	prev := ""
+	for i := 0; i < 200; i++ {
+		body, _ := nt.Nudge(cand("water", 200, ""))
+		if body == prev {
+			t.Fatalf("repeat at %d: %q", i, body)
+		}
+		prev = body
+	}
+}
+
+// Same seed, same sequence — otherwise the fixture score would drift run to run.
+func TestNudgeDeterministicWithSeed(t *testing.T) {
+	var runs [2][]string
+	for r := range runs {
+		nt := newTestTemplates(t, 42)
+		for i := 0; i < 20; i++ {
+			body, _ := nt.Nudge(cand("break", 100, ""))
+			runs[r] = append(runs[r], body)
+		}
+	}
+	for i := range runs[0] {
+		if runs[0][i] != runs[1][i] {
+			t.Fatalf("run %d differs: %q vs %q", i, runs[0][i], runs[1][i])
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// A variant is only used when its value exists, and nothing half-filled ships.
+func TestNudgeNoLeftoverPlaceholders(t *testing.T) {
+	nt := newTestTemplates(t, 3)
+	cases := []loop.Candidate{
+		cand("water", 0, ""),   // no duration
+		cand("water", 30, ""),  // under an hour
+		cand("water", 200, ""), // hours
+		cand("service_down", 3, "vaultwarden"),
+		cand("service_down", 3, ""), // no service name
+		cand("routine:таблетки", 0, ""),
+		cand("morning:утро", 0, ""),
+		cand("unknown_rule", 0, ""),
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		for i := 0; i < 40; i++ {
+			body, mood := nt.Nudge(c)
+			if body == "" {
+				t.Fatalf("%s: empty body", c.Rule.Name)
+			}
+			if strings.ContainsAny(body, "{}%") {
+				t.Fatalf("%s: unfilled template %q", c.Rule.Name, body)
+			}
+			if mood != "neutral" {
+				t.Fatalf("%s: mood %q", c.Rule.Name, mood)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// The routine name must actually land in the text.
+func TestNudgeSubstitutesWhat(t *testing.T) {
+	nt := newTestTemplates(t, 11)
+	for i := 0; i < 40; i++ {
+		body, _ := nt.Nudge(cand("routine:таблетки", 0, ""))
+		if !strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(body), "таблетки") {
+			t.Fatalf("routine text lost the name: %q", body)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRuSinceWords(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		min  int
+		want string
+	}{
+		{30, ""},
+		{60, "час"},
+		{95, "полтора часа"},
+		{150, "два с половиной часа"},
+		{190, "три часа"},
+		{240, "четыре часа"},
+		{430, "семь часов"},
+		{660, "одиннадцать часов"},
+		{60 * 30, "больше суток"},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		got := ruSinceWords(time.Duration(c.min) * time.Minute)
+		if got != c.want {
+			t.Errorf("%d min: got %q want %q", c.min, got, c.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNudgeTemplatesPhraseNudge(t *testing.T) {
+	nt := newTestTemplates(t, 5)
+	pn, err := nt.PhraseNudge(context.Background(), cand("water", 200, ""))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("PhraseNudge: %v", err)
+	}
+	if pn.Body == "" || pn.Summary != pn.Body || pn.Mood != "neutral" {
+		t.Fatalf("bad nudge: %+v", pn)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/phraser/nudges_ru_v1.json b/internal/phraser/nudges_ru_v1.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb2201b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/phraser/nudges_ru_v1.json
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+{
+  "schema_version": 1,
+  "name": "russian nudge templates v1",
+  "notes": [
+    "Hand-written Russian nudges. Edit the wording here, no Go changes needed.",
+    "Rules: she is feminine about herself, he is a man addressed as ты. Never вы/вас/ваш, never plural imperatives (выпейте), never он/его about him.",
+    "One short sentence. No questions, no emoji, no pet names, no emotional support.",
+    "Placeholders: {since} how long it has been (only used when it is at least an hour), {service} the service name, {what} the routine name. A variant whose placeholder has no value is skipped, so every rule needs at least one variant with no placeholder. The exception is routine and morning: those only exist for rules like routine:таблетки that always carry a name, and a routine nudge that drops the name is useless.",
+    "mood must be one of: neutral, happy, thinking, tired, confused."
+  ],
+  "rules": {
+    "water": {
+      "mood": "neutral",
+      "variants": [
+        "Ты не пил воду {since} — выпей стакан.",
+        "Пора выпить воды.",
+        "Стакан воды не помешает.",
+        "Воду ты не пил уже {since}.",
+        "Напоминаю про воду.",
+        "Сходи за водой, дела подождут.",
+        "Сделай глоток воды, пока помнишь.",
+        "Между делом выпей воды.",
+        "Вода — простое дело: выпей стакан.",
+        "Отвлекись на стакан воды."
+      ]
+    },
+    "meal": {
+      "mood": "neutral",
+      "variants": [
+        "Ты не ел {since} — поешь.",
+        "Пора поесть, сделай перекус.",
+        "Еда важнее ещё одного часа за столом.",
+        "Без еды уже {since}, поешь.",
+        "Напоминаю про еду — поешь.",
+        "Возьми перерыв на обед.",
+        "Сделай себе перекус, это пять минут.",
+        "Поешь, потом вернёшься к работе.",
+        "Поешь нормально, а не на ходу.",
+        "Еды не было {since} — разогрей что-нибудь."
+      ]
+    },
+    "break": {
+      "mood": "neutral",
+      "variants": [
+        "Ты за столом {since} — встань и разомнись.",
+        "Пора сделать перерыв.",
+        "Встань на пять минут.",
+        "{since} без перерыва — отойди от экрана.",
+        "Напоминаю про перерыв.",
+        "Разомни спину, потом продолжишь.",
+        "Короткая пауза не сорвёт дела.",
+        "Отойди от компьютера на минуту.",
+        "Сидишь без перерыва {since}.",
+        "Встань, пройдись, вернись."
+      ]
+    },
+    "service_down": {
+      "mood": "neutral",
+      "variants": [
+        "Сервис {service} не отвечает.",
+        "{service} упал — сервис не отвечает.",
+        "{service} не отвечает, сервис нужно поднимать.",
+        "Сервис {service} недоступен.",
+        "Проверь {service}: сервис не отвечает.",
+        "Сервис перестал отвечать.",
+        "Сервис {service} лежит, нужно смотреть.",
+        "{service} не отвечает уже {since}.",
+        "Мониторинг сообщает: {service} лежит.",
+        "Сервис {service} не отвечает, посмотри логи."
+      ]
+    },
+    "netdata_critical": {
+      "mood": "neutral",
+      "variants": [
+        "Netdata: критический алярм, проверь диск.",
+        "Критический алярм в netdata — посмотри диск.",
+        "Netdata поднял тревогу по диску.",
+        "Проверь диск: netdata ругается.",
+        "Алярм от netdata, критический.",
+        "Netdata: критический уровень, дело в диске.",
+        "Диск требует внимания — критический алярм в netdata.",
+        "Критический алярм: проверь место на диске.",
+        "Netdata сообщает о критической проблеме с диском.",
+        "Открой netdata: там критический алярм по диску."
+      ]
+    },
+    "routine": {
+      "mood": "neutral",
+      "variants": [
+        "По распорядку: {what}.",
+        "Пора — {what}.",
+        "Напоминаю: {what}.",
+        "В списке на сейчас: {what}.",
+        "{what} — сейчас самое время.",
+        "Не пропусти: {what}.",
+        "{what}: пора сделать.",
+        "Сейчас по плану {what}.",
+        "Твой распорядок: {what}.",
+        "{what} — по распорядку сейчас."
+      ]
+    },
+    "morning": {
+      "mood": "neutral",
+      "variants": [
+        "{what} — пора начать день.",
+        "{what}: пройди утренний список.",
+        "Начни {what} со списка.",
+        "{what}. Осталось пройти чеклист.",
+        "Утренний список ещё не пройден: {what}.",
+        "{what}: первый пункт списка за тобой.",
+        "{what} идёт, а список стоит.",
+        "{what}: не забудь про утренние дела.",
+        "По утреннему чеклисту ещё есть дела: {what}.",
+        "{what} — утренний список дел ещё ждёт."
+      ]
+    },
+    "default": {
+      "mood": "neutral",
+      "variants": [
+        "Напоминаю: есть дело.",
+        "Пора вернуться к отложенному делу.",
+        "Одно дело ждёт тебя.",
+        "Напоминаю про дело из списка.",
+        "В списке осталось дело.",
+        "Дело всё ещё не сделано."
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}