Some eighty prominent political and cultural leaders in Ukraine have signed an appeal to the Verkhovana Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine to pass the proposed draft law designed to ensure the full implementation of Article 10 of the Constitution of Ukraine on the state language of Ukraine.
The draft bill on the Ukrainian language must be passed immediately
The registration in the Verkhovna Rada of the draft bill No. 5670-d “On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language” gives Ukraine a realistic chance to build a coherent system for the development, protection and support of the Ukrainian language.
This bill is designed to ensure the implementation of the requirements of Article 10 of the Constitution: “The state ensures the comprehensive development and functioning of the Ukrainian language in all spheres of public life throughout Ukraine.” Failure to comply with the requirements (of the Constitution) have already led to grave consequences, including contributing to Russia’s armed aggression in Crimea and the east of Ukraine, and continues to threaten the independence and integrity of the country.
The Ukrainian language is not simply a means of communication or a cultural heritage. It is an important element of constitutional order, a factor in state unity and national security.
Passing the law on the status of the Ukrainian language is an urgent duty of the parliament.
The fact that the bill No. 56670-d is supported by the Committee on Culture and Spirituality and that 76 deputies are its co-authors attests to the growing awareness of the importance of this issue. The draft law amended by the Committee has been signed by representatives of 6 factions as well as by non-factional representatives, including the majority of the co-authors of three previous bills on the Ukrainian language. This makes it possible to minimize any political speculation and inter-party competition when considering an issue of national importance.
Public and expert circles have reached a broad consensus regarding the draft law No. 5670, which served as the basis for the revised No. 5670-d bill. The adoption of this law was supported in letters, statements, and appeals from more than 70 national and hundreds of local community organizations, as well as academicians from the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, the Kyiv National University, the Lviv National University and other scientific and academic institutions, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Science and Education, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting, and community and cultural leaders.
This bill guarantees to everyone the right to receive information and services in the Ukrainian language in all public spheres, provides for an effective system of control and sanctions for violations, and abolishes the odious Kivalov-Kolesnichenko law. At the same time, the project is not directed against any languages or national minorities. It is a methodical quality document that is based on the best models of European language legislation and meets the challenges of the time.
The thesis that is being thrust on Ukrainian politicians that the law on state language supposedly will lead to confrontations in society has no basis. Polling data clearly indicates that the majority of Ukrainian citizens support the key provisions of the bill.
For example, in a nationwide poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (May 2017), 64% of the respondents said that the state needs to support the Ukrainian language first of all, 19% said that all languages should receive equal support, 2% said the Russian language should be supported.
Of those polled, 61% believe the task of the state language policy is to “promote the spread of Ukrainian in all spheres of life”; 68% believe that documentation in state institutions should be conducted only in Ukrainian; 59% support Ukrainian as the only language of communication in institutions; 54% consider that in trade and services requests posed in the Ukrainian language should always be answered in Ukrainian.
There is not only the necessity but also all the prerequisites for adopting the critical law.
We call on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to take advantage of the historical opportunity to fulfill its obligation to adopt immediately the draft law No. 5670-d “On ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as the state language” as a basis, and then, after the addition of possible constructive amendments, to adopt it in its entirety.
We call on the President, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, the members of the government, all political forces and community associations who understand the significance of this issue, every deputy and every responsible citizen, to reject external pressures and groundless bias and together to support the law on the Ukrainian language as an important step on the way to national unity and the state development of Ukraine.
Oleksandr Avramenko, linguist, teacher, radio and TV anchor
Bohdan Azhniuk, Director at the Institute of Linguistics, The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Alina Akulenko, Editor-in-chief, Ukrainian Radio, political and community programs
Ivan Andrusiak, poet, writer, translator
Hennadii Afanasiev, community activists, former political prisoner of the Kremlin
Myroslava Barchuk, TV anchor
Mykhailo Basarab, political scientist
Oleksandr Borysenko, journalist
Volodymyr Vasylenko, Doctor of Law, Professor, Extraordionary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine
Yurii Vynnychuk, writer, journalist, editor
Irma Vitovska, Honored Artist of Ukraine
Volodymyr Viatrovych, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory
Viktor Heneraliuk, Zarevo Association of Ukrainian Students
Yurii Hnatkevych, Yevhen Chykalenko Center of National Renaissance
Pavlo Hrytsenko, professor, Director of the Institute of the Ukrainian Language at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Roman Holovenko, head of the legal project at the Institute of Mass Information
Analoliy Dnistrovyi, writer, artist
Ivan Drach, poet, Hero of Ukraine, laureate of the National Taras Shevchenko Prize
Otap Dovzhenko, journalist
Mykola Zhulynskyi, literary scholar, academician at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Director of the Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Oleksandr Ivanov, Speak Ukrainian initiative
Olena Ivanovska, Professor at the Taras Shevchenko National University
Oleksandr Irvanets, poet, translator
Serhiy Kvit, literary critic, journalist, professor at the National University of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy
Vladyslav Kyrychenko, founder of the Nash Format publishing house
Oleksiy Kliashtornyi, Defense of Ukraine Foundation
Ivanna Kobieleva, “Drizhdi” initiative
Maksym Kobielev, language policy portal
Ihor Kozub, Volunteer Association of Participants in Maidan and the War
Ihor Koliushko, chairman of the Center for Political and Legal Reforms
Serhii Kuzan, NGO “Free People”
Ivan Lenio, musician, leader of the Kozak System group
Sviatoslav Litynskyi, Nezalezhni (Independents) organization
Ivan Lozovyi, Committee to Protect the Ukrainian Language
Rostislav Luzhetsky, artist
Ivan Malkovych, poet, publisher, founder of the publishing house “A-ba-ga-la-ma-ha”, laureate of the National Taras Shevchenko Award
Yuriy Makarov, journalist
Taras Marusyk, deputy chairman of the Committee on the Application of the Ukrainian Language in All Spheres of Public Life under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine
Larisa Masenko, sociolinguist, doctor of philology, professor at the National University of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Oleksandra Matviichuk, human rights defender
Roman Matys, initiative to protect the rights of Ukrainian-speakers
Dzvinka Matiiash, writer
Alina Mykhailova, volunteer “Army-SOS”, paramedic
Pavlo Movchan, Head of the Ukrainian Prosvita Society, Laureate of the National Taras Shevchenko Prize
Michael Moser, professor of linguistics at the University of Vienna, president of the International Association of Ukrainian Studies
Serhiy Osnach, Member of the Expert Committee on the Distribution and Exhibition of Movies at Derzhkino (Ukrainian State Film Agency)
Svitlana Ostapa, journalist
Serhii Pantiuk, publisher, poet, writer
Dmitry Pavlychko, poet, translator, Hero of Ukraine, Laureate of the National Taras Shevchenko Prize
Svitlana Pyrkalo, writer
Yaroslav Pidhora–Gviazdovskyi, film critic
Svitlana Povaliaieva, writer
Pavel Podobied, Heroiika charity foundation
Vitaly Portnikov, journalist, political scientist
Maxim Potapchuk, Liberi Liberati Foundation
Yevhen Repetko, community activist
Victor Roh, editor-in-chief, Shliax Peremohy (Path to Victory) newspaper
Anastasia Rozlutska, Free Ukrainian Language Courses
Angelica Rudnytska, singer, TV presenter, artist
Mariana Savka, writer, publisher
Olha Salo, Research Center of the Liberation Movement
Dmytro Sinchenko, Association of Political Sciences
Olena Sinchenko, Eksampei Center for Ukrainian Policy “”
Oleg Slabospytskyi, Public Sector for Euromaidan
Ivan Sprynskyi, “Slaves are not admitted to paradise” NGO
Valerii Subotin, “Musical Battalion” association
Viktor Taran, Center “Eidos”
Nadia Trach, linguist
Solomia Farion, Youth Nationalist Congress
Serhiy Fomenko, singer, composer, Honored Artist of Ukraine, leader of the band “Mandry”
Kateryna Chepura, Community Defense Movement
Yaryna Chornohuz, Language Marathon Initiative
Taras Shamaida, Prostir Svobody (Freedom Space) movement
Yurii Shevchuk, linguist, journalist, professor at Columbia University
Nadiya Shelestak, “Varta 700” NGO
Vasyl Shkliar, writer, laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Award
Andriy Shchekun, “Ukrainian House” Crimean Center for Business and Cultural Cooperation
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Reforms Center of the Institute of Social Innovations Development.
Andrii Yusov, School of Responsible Politics
