On September 10, 2020, the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations, Lviv Polytechnic National University, in partnership with Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives foundation held a presentation-discussion «Ukrainian language: the path in independent Ukraine». This is another event in a series of online panels that take place as part of the biennial «Ukrainian language in the world: regress or progress?».
Panelists Pavlo Hrytsenko, Director of the Institute of the Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Taras Kremin, Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Mariia Kupriianova, Executive Director of the Ukrainian World Congress, and Iryna Kliuchkovska, Director of the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations, took part in the discussion. The event was moderated by Oksana Trumko, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Research Fellow at IECDR.
Serhii Shapovalov, an analyst at Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, presented the latest data from a nationwide survey on the attitude of Ukrainians to the language situation in Ukraine. The sociologist presented the results of a study that took place in all regions of Ukraine except the Crimea and the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions [https://dif.org.ua/article/ukrainska-mova-shlyakh-u-nezalezhniy-ukraini]. From Serhii Shapovalov’s report, the participants of the meeting, in particular, learned that 72% of Ukrainians are convinced that the Ukrainian language is an important attribute of Ukraine’s independence; 66% agree that the Russian language in Ukraine can be used freely in private life, but the only state language should be Ukrainian; 79% believe that all citizens should know the state language; 82% believe that heads of state and civil servants must communicate in the state language during working hours; 65% of Ukrainians support quotas for the Ukrainian language for national TV channels; 73% of Ukrainian citizens consider Ukrainian their native language, 22% – Russian, 1.7% – another.
The discussion that took place after the presentation was intense and heated, as it once again proves that the issue of such a socially important topic as language is topical, it is relevant and in demand, and most importantly – requires concrete decisions and actions of our government.
Mariia Kupriianova, Executive Director of the World Congress of Ukrainians, stressed the importance and relevance of the topic discussed not only for Ukrainians at home, but for world Ukrainians as well. According to Mariia Kupriianova, «The Ukrainian World Congress consistently emphasizes the importance of Ukrainian as the only state language and the need to strengthen its position in education and all spheres of life. The language unites us as a world Ukrainian people, strengthens the connection between the diaspora and Ukraine». According to Mz. Kupriianova, the results of the survey presented today reflect important trends in society and must form the strategic basis for the future, and «progress or regress – what our tomorrow will be like as the world Ukrainian people – will depend on our actions today».
In her speech, Iryna Kliuchkovska, Director of the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations, stressed that today’s discussion convinces us that the issue of language should continue to remain in public and scientific discourses. According to Mz. Kliuchkovska, the results of the presented study indicate that the society reached a consensus on the language issue, and this is very important: «This is what our message should be based on, and we should address it to different communities in Ukraine… The very fact of reaching a consensus is very important, as it educates society and, moreover, gives a sense of our unity as a whole organism». The Director of IECDR also stressed that right now, in the context of the study, it is worth talking about the need to develop language policy in Ukraine, as well as to develop and strengthen civil society as a major factor in government control.
