Russian should be made an official language in Ukraine

[Mazepa]

Originally posted by mikeaverko
Mazepa:

Yeah right!

The site is a Russian newssite (note the .ru ending) and the poll is done by something called "Democratic Initiatives"- don't know who they are

Then why does anywhere from 50%-70% of Ukraine's population (more likely closer to the higher figure) speak Russian as the more preferred language?
Why is the previously mentioned polls is negated and this one is used?

[mikeaverko]

Mazepa

I have news for you that runs contrary to the lies regularly stated in English speaking mASS media - Russian media is very much filled with lies and half truths against Russia and Putin. Some of those media outlets get $$$ from Western stink tanks and "dissident" (corrupt) Russian oligarchs abroad.

Last night, I spoke with a Ukrainian lad from Kiev who was over there during the so called orange revolution.

He confirmed to me how Russian is the preferred language. He also noted the forceful attempts at Ukrainianization by shops and bill board ads being written exclusively in Ukrainian. Another Uke I know said that a museum in Kiev is bilingual in Ukrainian and English.

The Commies attempted to Ukrainianize Donbas in the late twenties and they failed.

English remains the desired language in Scotalnd and Ireland even though its not considered native to those two lands.

[Mazepa]

All polls are a waste of time. For example "Do you think that Russian language should be on a lower status than Ukrainian, like a second class citizen?"-- anyone with democratic ideals would say "no" and you get a result "80% want Russian"
Another question is "Do you think Ukrainian language is important, language of Shevchenko and Franko, a language which was persecuted by both Poles and Russians, language of the cossacks?"-- result "80% want Ukrainian"

Ukrainian 2001 census- 67% of the whole population (Ukr+Russ+others) consider Ukrainian their mother language.

[Mazepa]

Originally posted by mikeaverko

He confirmed to me how Russian is the preferred language.

I have to admit that even I, in the city, would speak Russian. Ukrainian is like a novelty item and hasn't permeated the city YET. Anyone who considers himself an intelligent person should know Ukrainian. I'm sure even in Lviv there are "blatnyye" who speak Russian. (translation for you Misha- "blatnyye"= "cool people") Actually I think it's all there is about Ukrainians speaking Russian- not some identifications with Russians but just people with inferiority complex trying to be "cool". That's the story in the West and Center. In the East they didn't know ukrainian language to start with, although in the villages it might be spoken.

[mikeaverko]

You know the history of Donbas and also know that during Kievan Rus, there were no linguistic differences.

It's no off the wall to understand why Russian is the dominant language in eastern and southern Ukraine and why most there prefer it that way. On the language issue, Kiev is somewhere in between, but leaning more towards Russian as a language. Just look at the signs during those orange demonstrations.

Like I said before, ethnically, religiously and linguistically, Russians and Ukrainians are more interrelated than Scots and English.

[mikeaverko]

I picked this link up from a Politics forum entiled "Blue" over at http://www.ukraine.com/forums (where I'm politically censored from posting, care of the moderator Dobko, who posts here as Demagogue)

http://zadonbass.org/en/news/message.html?id=12037

Ivano-Frankovsk: Russian language is persecuted in local schools

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News | 15 March 2005 | 13:39
Ivano-Frankovsk city council prohibited communication in schools in Russian language, as informed by Alexander Volkov, the Head of Russian community of Ivano-Frankovsk region.

As he said, the city council has approved a "Program for the development and functioning of Ukrainian language in Ivano-Frankovsk for 2004-2006" that violates legal rights, freedoms and interests of national minorities of the city.

"The program says that within all the educational institutions of all the proprietary forms the communication must be only in Ukrainian language. But there are classes in Ivano-Frankovsk where Russian and Polish children study. There are also Russian and Polish groups in the Institute of philology of Prikarpatskiy National University", - Volkov said.

Nevertheless, the new program provides for control of the communication of school children by a special "committee of public language control" with involvement of representatives of parties and public organizations, licensed by the city executive committee. Moreover, city executive committee of Ivano-Frankovsk published telephone numbers for those "nationally conscientious residents of the city" who want to notify on "language violations".

"In accordance with population census of 2001, 13, 774 Russians resided in the city. For 12 years their number was reduced by 61,2%. Russians make 6,4% of total population if the city, being the most numerous national minority. It is evident that discriminatory clauses of the "Program" are headed for the infringement of rights of Russians", - Volkov said.

******************

Let me add that my Russocentric Ukrainian friend tells me that stores in Kiev have items labelled in Ukrainian with no Rusian labelling. Many don't understand some of the labels and often protest this.

A Ukrainian-Ameican NYT and ukraine.com poster untermensch noted how a museum in Kiev had signs in Ukrainian and English, with no Russian.

All of this is occurring despite the fact that up to 70% of Ukraine's population prefers speaking Russian.

[Mazepa]

I won't post my replies here and at Ukr.com- it's stupid.

..Ukrainian friend tells me that stores in Kiev have items labelled in Ukrainian with no Rusian labelling.(Attention! Attention! Genocide in progres) Many ()don't understand some of the labels and often protest this.

The ones that don't know Ukrainian are the lazy duraki.