diff --git a/examples/mods/aim1_community_fix/my_mod.cpp b/examples/mods/aim1_community_fix/my_mod.cpp
index 8b6860c..e46681f 100644
--- a/examples/mods/aim1_community_fix/my_mod.cpp
+++ b/examples/mods/aim1_community_fix/my_mod.cpp
@@ -145,11 +145,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // patch note: DB
     auto db = mod.db();
     // patch note: set glider GL_S3_PS_FINDER2 model to MOD_GL_S3_PS_FINDER2 (lz)
-    db[u8"��������"]["GL_S3_PS_FINDER2"]["MODEL"] = "MOD_GL_S3_PS_FINDER2";
+    db["Глайдеры"]["GL_S3_PS_FINDER2"]["MODEL"] = "MOD_GL_S3_PS_FINDER2";
     // patch note: copy MOD_GL_S3_PS_FINDER2 model from aim2 (lz)
     // patch note: copy MOD_GL_S3_PS_FINDER2 textures data from aim2 (lz)
     // patch note: double gun for config CFG_NARGOON (double electro discharge) (lz)
-    auto &tblcfg = db[u8"������������"];
+    auto &tblcfg = db["Конфигурации"];
     tblcfg["CFG_NARGOON"]["HEAVYGUN1"] = "GUN_ELECTRO_DISCHARGER";
     // patch note: double gun for config CFG_NARGOON1 (double two-barreled atomic gun) (lz)
     tblcfg["CFG_NARGOON1"]["HEAVYGUN1"] = "GUN_DOUBLE_BARRELED_ATOMIC_GUN";
@@ -177,11 +177,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     {
         auto quest = mod.quest("ru_RU");
         // patch note: add name for SINIGR armor, it was unnamed before (lz)
-        quest["INFORMATION"]["EQP_ZERO_ARMOR_S_SIN"]["NAME"] = (const char *)u8"������ ����-�����";
+        quest["INFORMATION"]["EQP_ZERO_ARMOR_S_SIN"]["NAME"] = "Особая нуль-броня";
     }
     {
         auto quest = mod.quest("en_US");
-        quest["INFORMATION"]["EQP_ZERO_ARMOR_S_SIN"]["NAME"] = (const char *)u8"Special zero armor";
+        quest["INFORMATION"]["EQP_ZERO_ARMOR_S_SIN"]["NAME"] = "Special zero armor";
     }
     // more known langs: cs_CZ, de_DE, et_EE, fr_FR
     // you can find vanilla dbs here (not sure if it is 1.00 or 1.03, probably 1.00):
@@ -212,13 +212,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     // patch note dev: enabled developer mode (free camera - F3 key, time shift - N key) (lz, Solant)
     mod.enable_free_camera();
     // patch note dev: make initial reactor (EQP_GLUON_REACTOR_S1) and drive (EQP_ION_DRIVE_S1) more powerful
-    db[u8"������������"]["EQP_GLUON_REACTOR_S1"]["VALUE1"] = 9'000'000.f;
-    db[u8"������������"]["EQP_ION_DRIVE_S1"]["VALUE1"] = 4158000.f;
+    db["Оборудование"]["EQP_GLUON_REACTOR_S1"]["VALUE1"] = 9'000'000.f;
+    db["Оборудование"]["EQP_ION_DRIVE_S1"]["VALUE1"] = 4158000.f;
     // patch note dev: make EQP_VACUUM_DRIVE_S4 more powerful
-    db[u8"������������"]["EQP_VACUUM_DRIVE_S4"]["VALUE1"] = 4158000.f;
+    db["Оборудование"]["EQP_VACUUM_DRIVE_S4"]["VALUE1"] = 4158000.f;
     // end of db changes in dev mode
-    auto m2_gliders = mod.open_aim2_db()[u8"��������"];
-    for (auto &&[n,_] : db[u8"��������"]) {
+    auto m2_gliders = mod.open_aim2_db()["Глайдеры"];
+    for (auto &&[n,_] : db["Глайдеры"]) {
         m2_gliders.erase(n);
     }
     m2_gliders.erase("GL_BOT");
diff --git a/src/aim1_mod_maker/aim1_mod_maker.h b/src/aim1_mod_maker/aim1_mod_maker.h
index bc250ad..4b24d22 100644
--- a/src/aim1_mod_maker/aim1_mod_maker.h
+++ b/src/aim1_mod_maker/aim1_mod_maker.h
@@ -91,9 +91,6 @@ struct mod_maker {
         auto &operator[](this auto &&d, const std::string &s) {
             return d.m[s];
         }
-        auto &operator[](this auto &&d, const std::u8string &s) {
-            return d.m[(const char *)s.c_str()];
-        }
         auto &m2() {
             return *m2_;
         }
@@ -399,11 +396,11 @@ struct mod_maker {
             fs::copy_file(p, copied_fn, fs::copy_options::overwrite_existing);
             run_p4_tool("mod_converter2", copied_fn);
             add_resource(object);
-            db().copy_from_aim2(u8"������", path{object}.stem().string());
+            db().copy_from_aim2("Модели", path{object}.stem().string());
             auto textures = read_lines(path{copied_fn} += ".textures.txt");
             auto &m2 = open_aim2_db();
             for (auto &&t : textures) {
-                path fn = std::get<std::string>(m2[u8"��������"][t]["FILENAME"]);
+                path fn = std::get<std::string>(m2["Текстуры"][t]["FILENAME"]);
                 if (fn.empty()) {
                     throw std::runtime_error{"Can't find texture: "s + t};
                 }
@@ -430,7 +427,7 @@ struct mod_maker {
             auto copied_fn = get_data_dir() / path{object}.filename().string();
             fs::copy_file(p, copied_fn, fs::copy_options::overwrite_existing);
             add_resource(path{object}.filename());
-            db().copy_from_aim2(u8"��������", path{object}.stem().string());
+            db().copy_from_aim2("Текстуры", path{object}.stem().string());
             break;
         }
         default:
@@ -441,7 +438,7 @@ struct mod_maker {
         log("copying glider from aim2: {}", object);
 
         copy_from_aim2("MOD_"s + object);
-        db().copy_from_aim2(u8"��������", path{object}.stem().string());
+        db().copy_from_aim2("Глайдеры", path{object}.stem().string());
         // may be absent - try..catch?
         quest("ru_RU").copy_from_aim2("INFORMATION", path{object}.stem().string());
     }
diff --git a/src/common/db2.h b/src/common/db2.h
index 6f39ae4..ed5a6a7 100644
--- a/src/common/db2.h
+++ b/src/common/db2.h
@@ -187,9 +187,6 @@ struct db2 {
             auto &operator[](this auto &&d, const std::string &s) {
                 return d.m[s];
             }
-            auto &operator[](this auto &&d, const std::u8string &s) {
-                return d.m[(const char *)s.c_str()];
-            }
             auto to_json() const {
                 nlohmann::json ja;
                 for (auto &&[tn,t] : m) {