Ukrainian Language Day

 

Today (October 27th) is The Day of Ukrainian Literature and Language (День української писемності та мови.)

37 Million People speak Ukrainian as their First Language.

15 Million People speak Ukrainian as their 2nd, 3rd, etc. Language.

The Ukrainian Language is a separate Language from the Russian Language in the same way as English is separate from German.

History of the Ukrainian Language in Ukraine:

15th Century to 1945 in western Ukraine: The everyday Official Language was Polish. Ukrainian or Yiddish were used at home in secret.

1650s to 1917 in the rest of Ukraine: Most of Ukraine was forced into the Russian Czarist Empire. The everyday Official Language was Russian. Ukrainian and Yiddish were used at home in secret.

1720: Czar Peter 1 forbade anything to be printed using the Ukrainian Language.

1864: Adoption of the Charter of the Primary School at which education was to be conducted only in Russian. This Charter only legalized the use of only the Russian Language in Schools in Ukraine – a practice done since the 1650s.

1876: Czar Alexander II's Ems Decree banned the printing and importing of any text in Ukrainian from outside the Czarist Empire.

The Ems Decree also banned Stage Performances, Public Recitations and schooling in Ukraine, as well as it ordered removal of all Ukrainian Books from School Libraries, Teachers that were suspected of promoting the Ukrainian Language were to be transferred outside of Ukraine.

 1911: The Resolution VIIth Congress of the Nobility in Moscow made it illegal to use any Language, except Russian, in any School in the Czarist Empire.

1914: Prohibition of celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Taras Shevchenko (who promoted the Ukrainian Language and Culture), the Decree of Czar Nicholas II’s Prohibition of the Ukrainian Press.

1922: Ukraine was forced into the Soviet Union after the 1917 Communist Revolution and Civil War.

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union declared there to be two cultures in Ukraine – the city (which used the Russian Language) and the Peasant (which used the Ukrainian Language.) The CPSU declared the only acceptable outcome would be a Modern Ukraine (ie one where everyone works in the Cities) and so the Russian Language became the only Language Officially allowed in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

1932: Stalin's Campaign to end "Ukrainization” inside Ukraine began (making it illegal to use the Ukrainian Language even at home.)

 

1932-1933: The Man-Made Famine, the Holodomor, was created by the Soviets in Moscow to end Ukrainian Nationalism. 5 Million Ukrainians died.

1941-1944: Nazi Germany occupied Ukraine. The Nazis promised to make the Ukrainian Language a Co-Official Language (along with German) if the Ukrainians fought with the Nazis.

In reality German was the only Official Language with Russian as a 2nd Language.

1945: Western Ukraine was transferred from Poland to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Poland received former Nazi German Territory in exchange.

A rapid period of Russification was carried out by the Communists in Moscow throughout western Ukraine. The Laws making it illegal to use the Ukrainian Language were extended to western Ukraine.

1945-1953: Any Ukrainian that had promoted the use of the Ukrainian Language during the War Years were hunted down and sent to the Gulags by the Soviet Communists.

1958 – The Principles of Legislation of the USSR and the Union Republics on Public Education on the Situation on the Free Choice of Language Learning was created.

Officially it said that Parents across the Soviet Union could decide which Language their Children learned in School. If the Parents chose a Language other than Russian then the Children had to also learn the Russian Language as a 2nd Language.

Unofficially, nothing changed throughout the USSR and all Education was carried out in the Russian Language.

1964: After Nikita Khrushchev’s overthrow by the Communists the Russian Language again became the sole Official Language throughout the USSR.

1970: An Order of the Ministry of Education of the USSR declared that an Academic Thesis could only be written and defended in the Russian Language.

1984: An Order of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR declared that all Soviet Museums only use the Russian Language.

1989:  A Decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU again declared the Russian Language as the sole Official Language throughout the Soviet Union.

1990: The Supreme Soviet of the USSR approved the Law on Languages of the USSR reaffirming the sole use of the Russian Language.

1991: Ukraine became an Independent Country. The Soviet Union collapsed.

The Ukrainian Language became the Official Language of Ukraine for the first time ever.

Russian and other Foreign Languages were also allowed.

2014 to Present Day: The Ukrainian Language (and Ukrainian Culture) have been banned in Russian-Occupied Crimea, Russian-Occupied Luhansk and Russian-Occupied Donetsk. Anyone using the Ukrainian Language or promoting the Ukrainian Culture is sent to Infiltration Camps in Russia to have the “Ukrainian beaten out of them.)

2022 to Present Day: The Ukrainian Language (and Ukrainian Culture) are banned in the Russian-Occupied Parts of Ukraine. Anyone using the Ukrainian Language or promoting the Ukrainian Culture is sent to Infiltration Camps in Russia to have the “Ukrainian beaten out of them.)

At least 700,000 Ukrainian Children have been kidnapped by the Russians and sent to Russia to make sure they “grow up as Russians.” The International Community has declared this to be a War Crime.

2024: In the Non-Russian Occupied Parts of Ukraine; 81% of Ukrainians speak Ukrainian over Russian in their Daily Lives with more Ukrainians (especially those over 50) learning Ukrainian every day.

Note: When I was in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2007 I used Russian since I didn’t know Ukrainian.

 

I heard Ukrainians (both Ethnic Ukrainians and Ethnic Russians) speak to each other in both Ukrainian and in Russian. One would say something in Ukrainian and the other would reply in Russian. No one seemed to mind.