Young people are increasingly choosing Russian: a teacher explained the reasons and possible actions to address this trend

Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, but even in this difficult time, Ukrainian students are increasingly using Russian, especially compared to the data of 2022-2023. Kateryna Nikonyuk, a lecturer at Borys Grinchenko University of Kyiv, voiced this information.

The lecturer noted that this trend indicates certain shortcomings in the state’s language policy. According to her, this means problems related to the efforts of language ombudsmen. Many public figures are also returning to using Russian, which is worrying. Bloggers and celebrities who do not want to switch to Ukrainian can demotivate young people, and the state often chooses the path of prohibitions instead of actively promoting the popularization of the Ukrainian language.

Nikonyuk emphasized that in the 90s and early 2000s, the Ukrainian language was at the peak of popularity. She recalled that there was a lot of high-quality Ukrainian-language content, such as translations of films, shows, and music, which encouraged young people to use the Ukrainian language. The teacher believes that to revive this trend, it is essential to focus on cultural work and the popularization of the Ukrainian language. However, she also supports the idea of banning Russian-language music during martial law, so that it does not become just an initiative of individual communities.

In the past, the portal “Znay” reported on the forced conscription for 18-year-olds, as well as new benefits for Ukrainians and an increase in fuel prices.