Odesa, a city in Ukraine with a majority Russian-speaking population, is currently deliberating whether to implement a ban on Russian-language content in public performances and literature. This consideration comes as Ukraine continues to grapple with the implications of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Under current Ukrainian law, public performances of songs by Russian citizens are already prohibited, with exceptions for artists who have publicly denounced the war. However, Russian-language songs composed or performed by Ukrainians remain permissible. The proposed measures in Odesa would extend this ban to public spaces, including for Ukrainian-produced content.
Proponents of the ban argue that the public use of the Russian language can be deeply distressing for individuals, particularly former prisoners of war and those who have been displaced from occupied territories. Anna Nerush stated that while private conversations would not be affected, the sound of Russian in public can serve as a significant trigger.
Many native Russian speakers in Ukraine have voluntarily transitioned to using the Ukrainian language, a trend that has accelerated since February 2022. Photographer Natalia Mykhailenko, who has actively promoted the non-Russian historical elements of Odesa, including pre-1794 landmarks like a Cossack cemetery, is among those who switched to Ukrainian even earlier. The city itself, reportedly founded by Russian Empress Catherine the Great in 1794, has seen a reevaluation of its historical symbols, with a statue of Catherine removed and streets renamed to honor Ukrainian figures.
"We must understand we were a colony," Mykhailenko said, explaining her support for the language laws as crucial for Ukraine's future identity, even if she acknowledges they may not always align with democratic principles. "But without it, there will be no normal Ukraine in the future."
Conversely, some express concerns that such measures could alienate Russian speakers and infringe upon their freedoms. Anthropologist Anastasia Piliavsky, associated with the group Ukrainian Cosmopolis, believes that Russian speakers are being made to feel like second-class citizens, potentially deprived of their heritage. "In Ukraine, the vast majority of people understand both Russian and Ukrainian. So the question is not really one of language, it's one of liberty," Piliavsky stated. She added that the threat of fines or job loss for using Russian language laws leads individuals to question the very purpose of the ongoing struggle for freedom against authoritarian rule.