Ukraine's Bilingual Society
Ukrainian and Russian Language Debate Rages Across Geographic Divide
Ukraine is a country split by the use of two main languages, Ukrainian and Russian. Special interests want to eliminate Russian, but do most Ukrainians care?
The Republic of Ukraine, independent since 1991, is still attempting to free itself from the legacy of Russian and Soviet dominance that has enveloped the nation for hundreds of years. Today, there is a movement in Ukraine towards the homogenization of cultural elements such as language and education, with a bias towards everything Ukrainian. This "Ukrainization" of the country will not be easy, as the government and several groups endeavor to undo centuries of entrenched "Russification."
Historical View of Ukrainian Languages
Many people are surprised that Ukrainian was the primary spoken language in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The totalitarian Soviet regime regularly flip-flopped between tolerance and suppression of the Ukrainian language, but ultimately made language policy concessions approving the use of "national languages" for minority groups. These allowances by the Soviet leadership were made to increase literacy and education throughout the diversified nationalities and cultures of the country.
As the Soviet Union crumbled in the late 1980s, many of its republics began asserting tiny elements of independence. In October 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR instituted the "Law of Languages," declaring the Ukrainian language as the only official language of the republic while constitutionally guaranteeing protection of other languages spoken in the country. In 1996, the newly adopted constitution of the independent Republic of Ukraine made Ukrainian the single official language of the young nation.
Ukraine - One Country, Many Languages
Ukrainian may be the country's official language, but Russian remains the dominant language in many areas of the country. Geographically, Russian dominates in the east and south, as well as in many metropolitan areas while Ukrainian proliferates in the western oblasts and most rural areas. Rural areas are also host to many dialects of the mother languages.
Following constitutional guidelines, Ukrainian is usually spoken within all aspects of governmental communications and at most official events. On the other hand, Russian is most often spoken in business settings. In the media, printed publications and the internet are dominated by the Russian language, while television has more Ukrainian-language content.
An interesting twist in this bilingual society is that approximately 15-20% of the population including Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, speak Surzhyk, which is a mixed language combining Ukrainian grammar and punctuation with predominantly Russian vocabulary. The predominance of Russian and Ukrainian language elements in this linguistic hybrid follows the same geographic trends as the individual languages.
The Drive for Two Official Languages
In the fall of 2006, the majority political bloc, Party of Regions, supported by the Ukrainian Communist Party, introduced a new draft language law to parliament making Russian the official second state language. Yanukovych, a leader in the Party of Regions, is most concerned about the effects of the current "Ukrainization" on the Russian-speaking population. Currently, they are 60 votes short of formalizing the draft into law, however that does not mean the Russian language will fade away in Ukrainian society.
Current Events in the Ukrainian Language Debate
December 2006 saw the production of a pro-Ukrainian language event called "Make New Year's Present to Ukraine. Shift to Ukrainian Language in 2007." This was the sixteenth event aimed at popularizing the Ukrainian language around the country. However, studies show the majority of the country's population is not concerned about the language issue. Unlike many politicians, the majority of people are willing to accept a bilingual society, one that celebrates a unique Ukrainian culture while also embracing all the languages and cultural elements of their diverse country.
References
Bernsand, Niklas. "Surzhyk and national identity in Ukrainian nationalist language ideology." Berliner Osteuropa-Info. Vol 17. 2001.
Kryvdyk, Ostap. "Ukrainian language - the third official?" Ukrayinska Pravda. November 28, 2005.
