Ukraine’s pro-Russian bill a threat to language, culture
Last August, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych signed a bill that will make Russian the official language in certain areas that were formally a part of the Soviet Republic. This has angered his opponents within parliament, who claim that the bill will split the country in two — similar to the cultural difference between East and West Germany during the Cold War.
Other opponents of the bill claim that this is a death sentence for the Ukrainian language. They argue the use and knowledge of Ukrainian in traditional Russian-speaking areas will die out due to the bill, similar to that of the varying and extensive loss of aboriginal languages within Canada.
Opponents say the bill could also potentially cause civil distrust and severe disruption within communities — those whose mother tongue is Russian and those who predominantly speak Ukrainian will undoubtedly come to conflict.
Consequently, the bill has resulted in several street protests in the capital Kyiv over what is perceived as the loss of Ukrainian identity in its own state.
Supporters of the bill say it is a way to avoid discrimination of Russian speakers within Ukraine. However, it is a kick to the weak legs of a country that has previously been fought over and divided between various powers, which include the Russian tsars and of course Stalin.
Yanukovych has also passed a bill aiming to achieve amnesty for participants of ongoing mass protests. It states that the protesters should be evacuated from the state institutions that they have seized in Kyiv within 15 days of the signing of the bill.
There have been anti-government protests ever since the Ukrainian government refused to sign an association agreement with the European Union and chose to commence closer integration with Russia instead. An unknown number of protesters have been killed and approximately 200 police officers have been injured.
So what does this mean for us? I wouldn’t go as far to say this is the return of the USSR’s salami tactics of the Cold War era or Russian imperialism. However, it does bring up some rather evocative topics; the death of citizens fighting for their beliefs and freedom of speech — a law Canadians embrace (and perhaps take for granted) — the potential return of a more Moscow-led Eastern Europe, and the misuse of power within the government.
For Canadians with Ukrainian heritage and ties, it could mean the death of the culture they grew up with and the loss of a language that defines them. Luckily, Canada boasts itself to be a cultural mosaic, and indeed the inclusion of Ukrainian bilingual schools and Ukrainian dance classes ensure that a small part of the heritage stays alive.
My brother and sister attended a nursery school that sang and taught in Ukrainian, making them able to provide small songs and sentences for our grandfather’s entertainment. However, they are older now, attending regular English school, and the short prayers and songs said in my family’s Slavic language before dinner have been forgotten in lieu of a simple “Let’s eat.� The festivals that celebrate cultural diversity provide wonderful entertainment and remind us of where we came from, but is one festival annually enough to keep the previously strong cultures in Canada’s growing mosaic alive?
One can only hope that the healthy division between cultures will remain and that Ukrainian Canadians will continue to teach their children the language and (God bless) the food.
» Alanah Levandosky is a Grade 12 student at Neelin High School.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition February 10, 2014