Ukraine's Russian-Ukrainian Language Debate Explained

Introduction: Language and Independence in Post-Soviet Ukraine

After the demise of the Soviet Union, many of the newly independent former republics changed their official national languages from Russian to their respective ethnic national languages. This was done for both patriotic and practical reasons. In many of the outlying republics of the U.S.S.R. — such as the Baltic republics and the Muslim and East Asian republics — Russian had never been the predominant conversational language of the populace. Russian was a language imposed upon citizens by Soviet leadership as an expression of state authority. However, in republics with a closer relationship to Russia, such as Ukraine, the relationship with the Russian language was far more complex.

Today, Ukraine's official language is Ukrainian, but most residents are bilingual. When Ukraine broke from Russia and established its own constitution, Ukrainian was declared the official state language (Reid 101). This may have been admirable as a political rallying cry of independence; however, as a practical policy in a nation where Russian is the predominant language of nearly 50% of the population in some areas, the wisdom of that decision is questionable ("Ukrainian language," Try Ukraine, 2009). A more reasonable solution would be to establish Russian as the second official language of Ukraine. This would show greater respect for the nation's linguistic diversity and also make Ukraine more competitive on the international stage, given the relatively limited global reach of the Ukrainian language.

Ukrainian and Russian: A Shared Slavic Heritage

Ukrainian and Russian are both Slavic languages, which makes the country's bilingualism relatively easy to sustain. "Both use the Cyrillic alphabet and about a third of the words are similar" between Russian and Ukrainian ("Ukrainian language," Try Ukraine, 2009). While the populations of Ukrainian and Russian speakers are roughly equal overall, "the preferred spoken language in most cities of southern, eastern, and northern Ukraine is Russian," meaning that to deny the influence of Russian on the lives of many Ukrainian citizens is to alienate large portions of the nation ("Ukrainian language," Try Ukraine, 2009).

Many people on a colloquial level merge the two languages: "Large segments of the population — for example, street vendors, laborers, farmers, and many others — speak a mixture of the two languages that leans either towards Russian or Ukrainian. This mix is commonly called 'Surzhyk' or 'Surzhik'" ("Ukrainian language," Try Ukraine, 2009). This hybridization further supports the idea that both languages should be taught in schools, ensuring that good standard Russian and Ukrainian grammar is understood by a wide segment of the population.

The Reality of Russian Dominance in Daily Life

"It would be naive to think that after a generation or two of 'Ukrainization' Russian will disappear or play a marginal role in Ukrainian society. People very rarely change their mother tongue and are almost always successful in passing it on to their children, regardless of the language of instruction in schools. The proportion of Ukrainians who consider Ukrainian or Russian their mother tongue has remained stable over the years" and reflects a long-standing history of close cultural ties between the two nations, no matter how divided their governments may be today ("Ukrainian language," Try Ukraine, 2009).

According to one American living in Ukraine: "Language is one of the most vexing aspects of life in Ukraine. At least, for foreigners. Before moving here last August, I didn't know which language to study. I'm still not sure. Here in Kyiv, you see Ukrainian on street signs and on packages of food in grocery stores, as required by law, but on the street, you hear more Russian" ("Ukraine's language," PRI, 2009). This reaction suggests that foreign investment and tourism in Ukraine may be discouraged if there is uncertainty about how to communicate with the local population and government officials.

While this linguistic coexistence may seem harmless on the surface, it obscures the fact that Ukrainian is spoken by a relatively small number of people compared to the far wider population base of Russian speakers — encompassing both Russians and Ukrainians. "Russian isn't going away. Even Ukrainian language champions like Volodymyr Kulyk don't expect it to, or even want it to. The fact is, Russian is useful. In this part of the world, it's the language of business and science," said one Ukrainian ("Ukraine's language," PRI, 2009). Ukrainian is sometimes used in popular music, but often as slang rather than as the dominant language of conversation or commerce.

Conclusion: The Case for Official Bilingualism

While declaring Ukrainian the sole language of the nation may have been a patriotic gesture during the founding of the new state, on every conceivable practical level it makes little sense. More than 50% of the population speaks Russian nearly exclusively, there is widespread support for using both languages, and teaching and using both would improve the nation's future in commerce and the arts. Recognizing both languages would also create a more economically attractive labor force and a more welcoming environment for foreign enterprises and tourists.