Thread by @ukraine_world

How should we understand Ukrainian society and its language? UkraineWorld spoke to Orysya Demska, professor at the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”. Key points – in our brief, #UkraineWorldAnalysis 1/13

We can find the origins of linguicide in the idea of ​​the Russian Empire, which claimed to be the heir of Kyivan Rus. It insisted on the bizarre idea that all people spoke the same language, which was not the case. 2/13

It is important for an empire to have one language because it is economically efficient. Another factor is that for many people of the former and current Russian empire, the Russian language is a second, non-native language. 3/13

There is a transformation of consciousness under the influence of a non-native language - a secondary individual with a secondary language emerges. 4/13

The Russian Empire developed a system of Russian language hegemony. In the 17th century, there were two restrictions of the Ukrainian language, with another seven in the 18th century, 13 in the 19th century, and 24 in the 20th century. 5/13

The Soviet system invented measures like the destruction of the internal language system. For example, words were shortened and replaced with Russian words with Ukrainian phonetics. 6/13

If you ban a language, then it can simply arise in another place, but if you make such transformations in the language system that it turns into the language of the invader, then there will be nothing to ban. 7/13

Russians have a very big inferiority complex about Ukrainians. Timothy Snyder points out an important thing: it's not so important what you inherit as what happens next. The Russians fell under the Horde system, and Ukraine under the European one. 8/13

We inherited Rus law, while they did not. The apogee of their complex is the Shevchenko monument in Luhansk, which they labelled as a "Russian poet". 9/13

The Russian language and aggression towards other languages ​​appear in the Russian identity, while Ukraine relies on inclusiveness and multilingualism - Greek, Crimean Tatar, etc. Ukrainian remains unifying and state language. 10/13

There are Russian speakers in Ukraine, but not a “Russian-speaking population” as such; they do not want to be the population of the USSR, modern, or Soviet Russia. 11/13

Firstly, we need to review the principles of its domestic language policy. Article 10 in the Constitution stipulates the special status of the Russian language. Instead, in post-war Ukraine, this article should be made simple: Ukrainian is the only state language of Ukraine.12/13

Secondly, Ukraine will become a member of the EU, and the Ukrainian language will become the 25th official language. Certain steps need to be taken, from language diplomacy to creating examinations on the Ukrainian language under the recommendation of the Council of Europe. 13/13