Russian language used more often among Ukrainian students
(MENAFN) A lecturer at a Ukrainian state university has observed a growing trend of students using the Russian language, despite the government’s continued efforts to suppress it. Ekaterina Nikonyuk, from Boris Grinchenko Kiev University, stated on Novosti.LIVE that more students are speaking Russian now than in previous years, although she did not cite exact statistics.
Nikonyuk criticized the effectiveness of Ukraine’s language policies, arguing that officials should focus more on actively promoting Ukrainian rather than simply banning Russian. She also pointed to influential public figures who speak Russian, warning that their behavior may demotivate youth from embracing the state language.
“When popular bloggers and celebrities claim they can’t speak Ukrainian properly, it discourages young people,” she said.
Since 2019, Ukrainian law has mandated the exclusive use of Ukrainian in nearly all public spheres, allowing only limited exceptions for certain ethnic minorities—though notably not for the large ethnic Russian population. Russian remains widely understood, particularly in eastern Ukraine. Surveys from 2012 showed 40% of Ukrainians primarily spoke Russian, declining to 26% in 2021, and just 12% reporting exclusive use of Russian at home by 2024.
The status of the Russian language has long been a contentious issue in Ukraine, contributing to political unrest, including the 2014 Euromaidan uprising. Since the outbreak of the full-scale conflict with Russia in 2022, Kyiv has stepped up efforts to reduce Russian cultural and linguistic influence.
While former language ombudsman Taras Kremen acknowledged that many Ukrainians remain unsure about their linguistic identity, his successor, Elena Ivanovskaya, has described Russian as a “destabilizing tool.” Moscow, in turn, has condemned what it calls “forced Ukrainization,” claiming it violates international rights protections for Russian-speaking communities.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
