Ukrainians' desire to protect our language and national identity against their violent erasure by Russia is not radical nationalism. It is part of our attempts to decolonise ourselves from Russian cultural hegemony imposed on us for centuries.

1/5 There's no marginalisation of Russian speakers in Ukraine. Instead, we are reclaiming our right to speak our ancestral language in a context that has thus far forced us to use Russian.

Before the recent language laws, my needs as a Ukrainian speaker were constantly ignored.

2/5

'Russia annexed Crimea without bloodshed'?

Only if we ignore the persecution, torture and forced displacement of Crimean Tatars and pro-🇺🇦 sections of the population.

The story of my childhood friend illustrates the discrimination Ukrainians in Crimea face in daily life ⬇️ 🇷🇺 occupation happened when my friend was doing her BA degree in once-welcoming Crimea. She decided to stay for the remaining 2 years of her studies, hoping to then reunite with her family in Ukraine.

One day, she felt unwell and went to the hospital...

Ukraine, January 2022

My grandma (82 y/o) went on a usual grocery run. In the supermarket, she was so pleased with the service of one cashier that she even recited a poem (as a Ukrainian Literature teacher she often does it). To thank her, the cashier gifted her a pack of🍫. 1/4 Shortly after, on the way to a nearby market, my grandma saw a happy family with a little child and decided to give the 🍫 to the 🧒. To her surprise, 5 min later, the same family found my grandma in the market and insisted on buying groceries for her. 2/4

For some, this is just a meme. But do you know how some self-entitled Russians living in Ukraine have treated Ukrainians? Here's a story about what my family has endured from our Russian neighbours in the countryside. Staying at our tiny Soviet-style dacha during the summer was always a nightmare due to the behaviour of a Russian family, whose house is next door. These are wealthy Russians who work at the 🇷🇺 embassy and various academic institutions, and whose children live in 🇪🇺.