Starting from today, Ukrainian business are obliged to provide services in Ukrainian in a case when a customer requests to get a such one. Sounds very logical, huh? Still, there are a lot of myths and anti-Ukrainian propaganda around this law. Let me try to explain (THREAD)
2/x Indeed, most of Ukrainians understand at least two languages: Ukrainian and Russian. Many of Ukrainians speak the third language: Tatar, Bulgarian, Greek, Polish, Hungarian etc. But in almost ever case when the discussion turns to the topic of language, one mentions Russian
3/x The speed of Russian language has at least 300 years old history. It was a history of prohibition of Ukrainian language (with short interruptions) and forced russification of Ukraine. Therefore, when one says, "Ukraine has always been bilingual", it is just not true.
4/x But let's come back to nowadays. The law requires the business to address the customer in Ukrainian, if the customer requests to get a service in Ukrainian. In a case a customer prefers another language, the business may provide such one (in Russian, English etc.) if possible
5/x The rule would not be necessary in any country worldwide. In Germany I expect a bartender, medic or a cashier to talk to me German as long as I address them in German. In Russia this would be Russian. So why does Ukraine need to have this law? Is it "mocking" of Ru-speakers?
6/x Of course not. The problem is, Ukraine remans one of few (if not the only) country worldwide where Ukrainian-speakers are clearly discriminated and threatened because of their language. Any person who speaks Ukrainian can tell stories of companies which answer you in Russian.
7/x Sometimes this is just annoying - like when you take a taxi. Sometimes it is weird, when you call a bank hotline, select "UA hotline" - but still land to a person who answers only Russian. Sometimes dangerous, as one gets a medical advice in Russian, and does not understand.
8/x In way to often cases, using Ukrainian can be life-threatening and lead to physical attacks. In October 2020, a women was attacked harassed and thrown out of a bus in Sloviansk, because she spoke Ukrainian. vchasnoua.com/donbass/67463-…
9/x In January 2020, a cashier in Odesa supermarket, has harassed, attacked and threatened a customer because he spoke Ukrainian. "Go home and speak Ukrainian there. Here we speak Russian", she shouted. wz.lviv.ua/news/404627-v-…
10/x In December 2019, two teenagers have beaten a man to death because he was speaking Ukrainian while walking in a street. unian.ua/society/107902…
11/x The hate to Ukrainian language is broadly-spread. One of the leading UA TV Channels 1+1 (Kolomiski-owned, most important tool to promote Russian-speaking candidate Zelensky) stated, they make only comedies in Ukrainian "because it's funny", but "serious movies in Russian"
12/x In many shops one finds products imported via Russia with all the labels in RU, what is not only illegal, but can be dangerous especially if it is about cosmetic products, chemicals etc. Every time one raises this question one gets an answer "everyone understands Russian".
13/x So effectively the right to use Ukrainian as a daily language is quite limited in Ukraine, and can even lead to death, while Russian is aggressively promoted by those who try to force everyone to use it at least passively.
14/x I need to stress once again: there is no law that forbids to provide services in Russian, English, Tatar or French. There is only a law that businesses must have an option of Ukrainian. Currently many businesses just ignore this option. It is a tradition of discrimination.
15/15 And of course, it is not a violation of rights of shopkeepers etc. As a shopkeeper one is obliged to provided certain quality standards. It starts from hygiene and ends in fair advertising. No one is forced to be a shopkeeper. But if you are one, you need to respect rules.
THE END
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
