Language of Ukraine

Ukraine, a country rich in history and cultural diversity, boasts a distinct and captivating language known as Ukrainian.

The Ukrainian language is an East Slavic language primarily spoken in Ukraine, as well as in Ukrainian communities in various countries, including Kazakhstan, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, and Slovakia, with smaller numbers of speakers elsewhere. Its roots trace back to the colloquial language used in Kievan Rus from the 10th to the 13th century. Written in a form of the Cyrillic alphabet, Ukrainian is closely related to Russian and Belarusian, initially being indistinguishable from them until the 12th or 13th century. While Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian share mutual intelligibility, Ukrainian resembles Russian less closely than Belarusian.

Following the fall of Kievan Rus in the 13th century, distinct dialectal characteristics that set Ukrainian apart from its sister languages began to emerge. However, for many centuries, Ukrainian had limited literary expression due to Ukraine's prolonged political subordination. It wasn't until the late 18th century that modern literary Ukrainian emerged from the colloquial Ukrainian tongue.

One noteworthy feature of the Ukrainian language is its significant borrowing of words from Polish, similar to Belarusian. However, Ukrainian has fewer borrowings from Church Slavonic compared to Russian.

English is not widely spoken among the local population in Ukraine, particularly outside major tourist hubs and cities. The proficiency in English varies across regions and occupations. Generally, English is not commonly spoken in rural areas, and individuals over 40 may have limited knowledge of the language due to the historical context of the Soviet era, during which English education was not widely available.

However, those working in the tourism industry or international businesses often possess a commendable command of English. This is essential for effective communication with visitors from around the world. Many international companies operating in Ukraine also mandate a certain level of English proficiency among their employees.

Younger generations in Ukraine typically exhibit better English skills, thanks to the widespread inclusion of English in the school curriculum.

Russian and Ukrainian are distinct languages, although they share some similarities due to historical and cultural influences. Russian is the most widely spoken language in Russia, while Ukrainian is the official language of Ukraine.

According to the most recent survey conducted in March 2022, a significant majority of Ukrainians, specifically 78%, identified Ukrainian as their native language, while 20% considered Russian as their native language. Notably, about 30% of the population reported speaking both Russian and Ukrainian at home, demonstrating a high level of bilingualism where individuals can understand and use both languages interchangeably in various aspects of their lives.

The ongoing conflict has played a role in increasing awareness among Ukrainians about the historical context of Russian-speaking communities in contemporary Ukraine. The survey results suggest that the Russian language was forcibly imposed on Ukrainian territories through policies of "russification" and "assimilation" during the periods of the Russian Empire and the USSR. This historical background sheds light on the dynamics of language use in the region.

The impact of long-term imperial propaganda has contributed to the perception of Ukrainian as a language associated with the periphery. Despite achieving independence, the legacy of Russian dominance in the linguistic landscape persisted, with Russian being used as the primary language in families even during the period of Ukrainian independence. Additionally, the prevalence of Russian-speaking or bilingual TV and radio broadcasts further influenced linguistic practices.

The historical roots of Ukrainian and Russian languages dispel the notion of a common cradle, as Russia often asserts. Ukrainian traces its origins to the vernacular of Kyivan Rus, while Russian has its roots in Old Slavonic or Church Slavonic, artificially created in the ninth century by Cyril and Methodius. Following the collapse of Kyivan Rus, Ukrainian and Russian evolved separately, with the Horde language, a non-Slavic language, significantly influencing the development of the Russian language.

Phonetically and grammatically, Ukrainian shares more common features with Belarusian, Slovak, Lithuanian, Polish, and even Serbian and Macedonian than with Russian. Despite historical ties, the linguistic divergence challenges the idea of a linguistic brotherhood.

The Kremlin's narrative of brotherly relations faces scrutiny when examining historical events and contemporary conflicts. The Kremlin's attempt to portray Ukrainians and Russians as fraternal peoples contrasts with the reality of centuries-long efforts to suppress Ukrainian identity. This suppression includes the banning of the Ukrainian language, destruction of literature, persecution of Ukrainian speakers, and the promotion of a narrative that denigrated Ukrainian as a language of the uneducated.

The fundamental difference between Ukrainian and Russian is reflected in their respective languages, which embody the essence and character of each nation. Ukrainian words like "peremoha" (victory) emphasize overcoming oneself, while the Russian "pobeda" means "walk in trouble." The contrast extends to words like "sviato" (holiday) in Ukrainian, derived from the holy and spiritual, versus the Russian "prazdnik," meaning "idle wandering." Other examples, such as "likarnya" (hospital) in Ukrainian and "bol'nitsa" in Russian, further illustrate the distinctions.

Olga from Kyiv says: "Ukrainian holds the status of the official language in Ukraine and is designated as the official language for public services. This extends to state schools, where the exclusive focus in education is on teaching the Ukrainian language. Individuals seeking to acquire proficiency in another language are encouraged to pursue such endeavors independently, outside the official curriculum."

The assertion that Ukraine has banned the Russian language in public communication, with streets being patrolled by language police, is not accurate. The language law in Ukraine does not extend to private communication or religious rites. Moreover, the concept of Language Inspectors, which was initially part of the law, has been removed from the text before the second reading. This means there is no institution of Language Inspectors, and it was never intended for them to patrol the streets.

The purpose of the language law was to emphasize the use of the Ukrainian language in official documents, state institutions, and education. It did not aim to restrict private conversations or religious practices in Russian or any other language.

Dmitro from Lviv says: "My in-laws, who are originally from Ukraine, primarily speak Russian as their first language. Despite this linguistic preference, they are staunchly pro-Ukraine, having invested significant resources—blood, sweat, tears, time, and money—towards supporting the country's war efforts. However, recently, they have faced comments from fellow countrymen suggesting that they are not truly Ukrainians."