Today Ukrainian has emerged from second-class status, slipping quietly into the chambers of government and popular culture. This marks more than a cultural change: It could doom any hopes Russia may have of restoring its traditional political influence over this country of 47 million.
Just two years ago, some Russian speaking regions in eastern Ukraine talked of secession, fearing dominance by Ukrainian-speakers in the west. The language debate was one of the most divisive of the 2004 Orange Revolution, which helped oust Ukraine’s pro-Moscow leadership.
While competition for political power continues, Ukrainian may already have triumphed in the language war.
From the Kyiv post
I think language is deeply connected with national identity. If Ukraine can be a Ukrainian speaking country and build ties to the Poland and the rest of the EU instead of Moscow, then all would be better off. The effects of forced Russification is slowly going away. Ukrainian is a beautiful language.
3 responses to Ukrainian language gaining strength
Its interesting you bring up Poland. Poland was a country that was partitioned but never conquered. England for example was conquered by the Romans, Vikings and Normans. The language changed radically during these conquests. Polish was partitioned but not conquered in the same sense and the language did not under the same changes that English did. English use to have a gender and case system just like Latin and Polish but this was lost as English was not allowed to be spoken, at least offically.
Your right language is not always an expression of national idenity, but I think most of the time yes.
I think Russian is a nice language but to my ear Ukrainian is softer.
Ukrainian language gaining strength
Russian is certainly not a nice language – it has somewhat guttural overtones. Comparing Russian to Ukrainian languages is akin to comparing the German language to French.
I think, the language can unite the nation (the history of Poland testifies about this – there was no country but there were pople with their language) but language is not expression of the national identity (what about billingual person or foreign roots – identyfity is more complicated and language is only add-in).
But I agree that Ukrainian is a beautiful language, Russian too (softer I think).
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