I was born in USSR in a military family. When I was 5 years old, the family moved to the then Kiev. I grew up there, lived there and it was the Dnieper consider it my hometown. My parents spoke Russian. I grew up in a Russian-speaking environment. Russian is my native language. I sang a lullaby, which was read fairy tales. Which I heard while growing up.
My wife is Ukrainian. But her native language is Russian. Because I grew up in the river, in the Russian speaking environment, educated in Russian. That has been our life.
My children speak several foreign languages. Perfectly fluent in Ukrainian. But their native language — Russian. Because Russian is the native language of their parents.
My friend from Dnipro, who is Jewish, was the Maidan, identificeret themselves exclusively as Ukrainians. But speaking in Russian. Because Russian is his. Yeah, honestly, I’m in the river for all the years of living there the Ukrainian language is not heard. Russian language is native for this city and its inhabitants.
But when the war came, when they climbed “over the curb”- I took up arms and went to defend their country. And so did thousands of other residents of the Dnieper and other Russian-speaking regions. Those for whom Russian is native. Because the national anthem, which is sung: “Dushu y Tilo set for our freedom,” is our anthem.
In Russian to communicate our military with the volunteers from Georgia and Chechnya, who came to help us fight our enemy. It happened to me. Because Russian is the only language which is equally proficient in all of them. And it’s not that we are all part of some illusory “Russian world”. We simply had spent too much time inside the state of education was “the great, mighty, truthful and free” Russian — and were all the other languages. And it is the possession of this “velopress” opens for you the doors and Windows of opportunities.
Now that language is English. In knowledge and development of the English language our powers that be don’t see a problem. Meanwhile, we have a generation is growing up that he speaks English better than Ukrainian or Russian. And no amount of laws and restrictions this situation will not change. Just a little for Ukrainians in childhood make no mistake: you will not know English good work you can not see. About the Ukrainian do not speak. About the Russian way, too.
Why is this happening? We have, like, no laws giving English preference? So in that and salt that the development of language does not need laws and conditions! English is evolving, because everything is new that comes to us, comes in the English language. Computers, smartphones, tablets, drones, software, digital technology — what’s the default language? What language is business correspondence? What language gives of Facebook metrics? The list of questions can be sooooo long. English is needed just in order to have access to the latest achievements of civilization. It is a matter of prestige. That’s the whole secret.
No law prestige language will not add. Here it is impossible to go the simple way, accustomed to our legislators: painted the law, put a bunch of restrictions with penalties and lowered people. Like, try, what happens? Tea, not die. No, gentlemen, with the language issue did not happen.
We should really develop the Ukrainian, truly make it part of the national DNA. And for this we will have to work long and hard to work with. And “sharovarschina” and “gorlan-gopana culture”, which accustomed to have to replace work, there is harm. Let’s make it so that people WANTED to learn and know Ukrainian. Let’s talk about the real victories of our country in Ukrainian. Show what are the prospects (except the dubious pleasure of being a public servant) opens the knowledge of Ukrainian language. We will create in Ukraine a product that will encourage the study of Ukrainian. In the end, take care of the economy! Why now the demand for specialists in Chinese? Solely because of the development of the Chinese economy.
Change the approach to television. Make a really quality product on the Ukrainian people will want to watch. Let’s shoot for Ukrainian films that will be of interest not only to the festival jury and fans of art-house. Let’s creation! After all, the group “Okean Elzy” in Ukrainian sing along at concerts, not because there is a law, but because there is a quality product that people like. And sing along, mind you, not only in Ukraine.
Russian language for us, Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine is not the language of the occupier, as it was dubbed by some crazy woman. It’s just our native language. And today it is the language that gives you more features than the Ukrainian — matter how bitter it may sound. Therefore, if the government wants to change the situation — she needs to work on creating opportunities, not restrictions.
In my opinion, of course, the Ukrainian should be the only state language. Because language is a code of the nation. Of course, it must also remain the language of official documents, the language of officials, language of the authorities. But the main thing — it must become a language of the Ukrainian victories and achievements. The language of prospects and development. The language associated with success.
That is what you need to think, instead of scaring and divide the population of regular statements of “professional patriots”. Such statements of these “professional Amateurs of Ukraine” only drive a wedge between Ukrainians — thereby playing into the hands of the Kremlin. And if this is said sincerely and not on someone’s orders — it is the simplicity that worse than theft.
I repeat: the law should create opportunities and not to impose restrictions. And these possibilities are what people should feel and not be afraid of fines and criminal liability. Is it so difficult to understand that no one reads the Talmud that put on “publcize negotiated” — where the common man can not understand anything. People hear the threat, perceive it as a prohibition to speak the language to which you are accustomed from childhood. Thousands of Russian-speaking Ukrainians who stood up to defend the homeland from the invading hordes of wild Muscovy, feel betrayed. Devotees of this Home.
War, which is now in the Donbas is not a war for the right of any language to develop. And not even a war for territory and spheres of influence. This is a war of civilizations. A war of Imperial values (like the leading role of the metropolis, which “brings light” dense colonies) and European values. War is a categorical belief in their uniqueness and superiority with a belief in equality and respect for everyone. So why help the enemy and artificially to divide Ukrainians?
