On the historical Cossack land, the Ukrainian language should feel at home – a hostess!

In the language of our day, the seal,
She is like a light in the middle of the night...
You can't forget her
She is the soul of your eyes.
V. Saussure, «To a brother»

Once again in recent years («Zaporizhka Sich» dated February 5, 2011 and April 12, 2014) I publicly raise questions related to the use and development of the Ukrainian language in the Zaporizhzhia region and directly in the regional center before the Zaporizhzhia authorities and community. Perhaps there would not be a need to appeal to the editor again with a request to print my article, if the answers to the previous publications that I received from the regional state administration and the Zaporizhzhia City Council, the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting, and my own analysis did not convince me that, against the background of some statistical advancement, real and qualitative changes in the development and functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state language in Zaporizhzhia did not take place.

Formally and bureaucratically, something is being done, but the dry balance is «0». At best, there is trampling on the spot. After the adoption of the Law «On Languages ​​in the Ukrainian SSR» in 1989, according to which the Ukrainian language became the state language, until 2001, when the population census was conducted, the number of speakers of the Ukrainian language as their native language in the Zaporizhzhia region increased by only 0.9% (to 50.2%) in 12 years. And this is provided that Ukraine as a state has been independent for 10 years, had a Constitution with Article 10, which confirmed the status of Ukraine as a state.

Inertially, consciously or not, even after the collapse of the USSR in some Ukrainian regions, including the Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian language continues to be planted as a divisive element of Ukrainian society. The Jesuit method of undermining the language from within, introduced by the tsarist and Bolshevik empires, continues to work. Neither in 10 nor in the last 25 years, after the adoption of the language law by the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR on October 28, 1989, the majority of the Ukrainian bureaucracy never learned to speak Ukrainian. During Yanukovych’s time, the parliamentary majority even made changes to the regulations that allowed those who do not speak Ukrainian to speak in Russian in parliament.

Yurii Shevchuk, a Slavologist from the USA, explains this Ukrainian phenomenon: «… There was such a thing as decorative independence, decorative language policy, decorative state. It has all the attributes – national anthem, colors, bureaucracy, army, but in essence it was controlled by Soviet-era communists.» And further. «… Without exception, all the political scientists in the West whom I heard or read said that the main feature of the Ukrainian political elite of the highest saber is the absence of state thinking, the absolute reluctance to leave behind in history anything other than the statistics of their own enrichment. This feature is characteristic of all Ukrainian presidents without exception» (statement of 2012). That’s how it really is!

The position of the parties of the regions and the communists regarding the granting of the status of the second state language to Russian created prerequisites for the conservation of the articles of the laws, which provided for preferences for the development of the Ukrainian language as a state language. With the appointment of B. Petrov as the head of the Zaporizhzhia regional state administration, and after him – O. Peklushenko, with clear orientations towards the state – Russian, it quickly became clear that the further development of the Ukrainian language in the region should be forgotten. The position of the governors was quite actively and concretely supported by the heads of the regional council, P. Matvienko, V. Mozheyko, M. Yarmoshchuk and others. He did not miss the opportunity to support the policy of his protégés and V. Yanukovych. While in Zaporizhzhia and meeting with activists and journalists, he demonstratively communicated with them in Russian.

The events of the last year, the position of the new government regarding the state system of Ukraine, the state language, repeatedly made public by the President of Ukraine P. Poroshenko, the appointment of the Ukrainian-speaking V. Reznichenko as the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration inspired me to once again raise in the pages of the newspaper «Zaporizhka Sich» the issue of the need for radical changes in the work of state bodies, local self-government, mass media, educational institutions, cultural institutions, advertising organizations and the introduction of life of Article 10 of the Constitution of Ukraine, laws and other normative acts of Ukraine, which regulate the use and development of the Ukrainian language.

Everyone should remember that Ukraine is a unitary country and, as President P. Poroshenko emphasizes, it will not be different! The state language in Ukraine is Ukrainian! It’s time to move from declarations and appeals to the practical implementation of normative acts.

And it will have to be done in conditions not only of war, a difficult economic situation, but also in conditions of the absence of a strong national elite that would have economic weight.

In my opinion, among those reforms to which the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are involved, language is one of the most important and most difficult. The time has come to stop the multi-year and fruitless debate on language issues, imposed from the outside and supported from the inside, by moving it into the direction of their solution. At the same time, there is no need to look back both at the Kremlin and at home-grown Ukrainophobes, who in recent years have practically destroyed even quite insignificant linguistic assets.

Remains fresh in the memory, as is well known, not without the participation of political figures of the neighboring state, the issue of the organization of Ukraine and the use of languages raised by the parties of the regions and the communist party and promoted by them to the level of national problems, agitated the society in the last ten years, distracted people from solving many national problems.

During the presidency of Yanukovych, who had a majority in the Verkhovna Rada, which included our compatriots, the Ukrainian language lost even a theoretical possibility for its further development due to the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On the Basics of State Language Policy», the efforts of the «vertical authorities» on the ground, and the decisions of the Zaporizhzhia regional and some city councils.

The voice of many thousands of intelligentsia and journalists was not heard. The position of the deputy of the regional council, doctor of historical sciences of the Zaporizhzhia National University F. Turchenko, individual representatives of the opposition in the regional council «Batkivshchyna», their speeches in the mass media and at sessions of the regional council, my support for them – this was a voice in the wilderness.

Why did the majority of Zaporizhzhia Oblast residents remain silent, including 58% (315,000) of Ukrainians, residents of the regional center, who, during the 2001 population census, reported in questionnaires that their native language was Ukrainian?

What can I say here? «Whose language is the power,» said the ancient Romans. «… Only the occupiers, slaves and fools do not speak the state language…» Karl Marx said for Ukrainian communists and regionalists. «Nations do not die of a heart attack. First, their language is taken away.» This was said by the Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko.

I completely share the opinion of Lina Kostenko. Tell me, please, in which European country, apart from Ukraine, are discussions about language taking place today? Maybe in Italy, Germany, Poland, France, where, in addition to Italians, Poles, Germans, and French, there are millions of Turks, Arabs, and many Ukrainians, the language question is put «at the head of the corner?» Certainly not! So, maybe we will stop fruitless conversations and get down to work, which is enshrined in the Constitution?!

Indeed, Ukraine, its institutions, and the public have a fairly decent set of legislative acts that allow, in the presence of the political will of the country’s leadership, state and regional programs to work on the development and functioning of the language, especially in those regions where, as a result of anti-Ukrainian policy, several generations of ethnic Ukrainians were deprived of the opportunity to study and communicate in the Ukrainian language.

The basic legislative act in this area, in addition to the Constitution of Ukraine, remains the Law «On Languages in the Ukrainian SSR», adopted in 1989 under pressure from the Ukrainian public. I would like to note that in the conditions of the Soviet Union, this law was quite progressive. I will give an example of several of its articles, the implementation of which, like Article 10 of the Constitution of Ukraine, is often ignored by officials at all levels.

Article 2. Ukrainian is the state language. The Ukrainian SSR ensures comprehensive development and functioning of the Ukrainian language in all spheres of public life.

Articles 25, 26, 27, 28, which regulate the use of the Ukrainian language as the state language in educational institutions of all levels.

Article 29. Applicants entering higher and secondary special educational institutions of the republic shall take a competitive entrance exam in the Ukrainian language.

Article 35. Texts of official announcements, notices, posters, posters, advertisements, etc. are performed in Ukrainian.

Do you think that at least the above articles of the law are always implemented here in Zaporizhzhia? The answer is clear. Rather, no! And if yes, then only partially! The question arises: «Why?». Maybe there is no state authority or responsible persons in our region who would ensure the implementation of the Constitution and other normative acts? And there is power, and bureaucracy. Apparently, there are no state-minded responsible persons among them. The problem lies in the people who are elected or appointed to the respective positions.

Quite important are the Laws «On Education» and «On General Secondary Education», the articles of which establish that the language of education in children’s preschool institutions, education and training in general education schools, vocational and technical schools, secondary special and higher educational institutions is the Ukrainian language.

Language issues are raised in a number of other laws, including the Law «On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges», the Law «On Television and Radio Broadcasting…».

While preparing the materials for the article, I made sure that the employees of state institutions and local self-government are quite indifferent to the implementation of laws, if not worse. There is practically no liability for their non-fulfillment. How else can one explain the fact that not a single official was punished for disrespecting the Constitution and language laws.

I do not know who was the initiator of the development of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of October 2, 2003 No. 15 4/0 «On the approval of the program for the development and functioning of the Ukrainian language for 2004-2010» (I assume that it could have been the Minister of Education and Science Academician V. Kremen, who headed the ministry in 1999-2005), but not V. Yanukovych – at that time the Prime Minister of Ukraine and who signed this document. The first paragraph of the Resolution formulates the essence of the program: «… Development and functioning of the Ukrainian language for 2004-2010».

In the «Expected results» section of the program, it is written: «Implementation of the program will ensure the practical implementation of Article 10 of the Constitution of Ukraine regarding the development and functioning of the Ukrainian language in all spheres of public life.»

In my opinion, this was the first state-level document in more than a dozen years of Ukraine’s independence, which provided for the implementation of 40 areas at both the state and regional levels, with their financial support, that would qualitatively change not only education, culture, application and use of the Ukrainian language, but would generally change Ukraine, the life of Ukrainian society.

Unfortunately, this did not happen, with the exception of the educational sphere, where in the context of the program, the number of preschools and secondary schools with the Ukrainian language of instruction increased in almost all regions, including and ours, except for the Crimean AR, Donetsk, Luhansk and Odesa regions.

The program was designed for 2004–2010, when President V. Yushchenko was in power for 5 years, and Yu. Yekhanurov, Yu. Tymoshenko and V. Yanukovych were prime ministers.

Why was it not fulfilled? Because of the lack of political will or intelligence and state responsibility? Lost opportunities created the prerequisites for V. Yanukovych and his entourage to come to power, which led Ukraine to war…

Knowing not only from analytical reviews of the Razumkov Center about the situation of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine and directly in the Zaporizhzhia region, but also from my own research, I am looking for answers to the question, what can be done without much expense so that those residents of cities and other settlements of the Zaporizhzhia region, where there are problems with the development and use of the Ukrainian language, can get rid of them, how to help those tens, and in the regional center – hundreds of thousands of citizens who during the census population in 2001 named Ukrainian as their native language, to feel the Ukrainian-speaking environment, what must be done so that children studying in kindergartens and secondary schools in the cities of Zaporizhzhia, Berdyansk, Melitopol and Energodar do not perceive the state language as a foreign language, so that high school graduates, having enrolled in colleges and universities, feel that they have entered Ukrainian educational institutions?!

I think there are answers.

This is the readiness of everyone – authorities, heads of enterprises, organizations, heads of kindergartens, directors of schools, colleges, rectors of universities and other institutions with the Ukrainian language of instruction, parents who send their children to study in Ukrainian-language educational institutions, owners and editors of newspapers, magazines, radio and television, vehicles, restaurants and cafes, shops, judges and prosecutors – to live in Ukraine according to its Constitution, laws which, if perform, will qualitatively change our lives, and the Ukrainian language will return to its place determined by history.

Heads of the region, local self-government, civil servants of all levels should set an example by demonstrating the clear implementation of the provisions of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine both at work and outside of it. Recently elected people’s deputies must also respect the Constitution, some of whom, on the contrary, perhaps unconsciously, publicly emphasize their disrespect for the state language.

I will dwell on one more extremely important aspect, the solution of which will depend on either development or humiliation, further stagnation of the Ukrainian language, not even as a state language, but simply as a language. Representing the head of our regional state administration V. Reznichenko, the President of Ukraine set before him a key task – to clean the state power of anti-Ukrainian ballast and to appoint Ukrainian patriots with a high level of professional training to public positions. If I understood correctly, the President’s mandate covers not only the apparatus of regional and district administrations, but also the entire budgetary sphere, which includes education, medicine, and culture. Patriots of Ukraine who received a profession by calling should work with our children (from kindergarten to universities).

What is really happening? With the appointment of the head of the Zaporizhzhia regional state administration, the formation of the governor’s team and, first of all, his deputies will begin. Of course, no one will be interested in the opinion of the public.

And yet, I would like to express my subjective vision, especially regarding the appointment of people to the humanitarian block (deputy head of the regional state administration, departments of education and culture, heads of mass media, theaters), on whom the implementation of state policy, the implementation of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine regarding the development and use of the Ukrainian language, culture, and traditions will depend. What criteria should officials of this rank meet, President P. Poroshenko said at a recent meeting with the Zaporizhzhia asset.

Today, associate professor of the Zaporizhzhia National University E.A. is interning at the humanitarian block of the regional state administration. Gugnin, who has already publicly demonstrated his reluctance to use the state language. Thus, when giving an interview on the Zaporizhzhia TV channel, he answered the TV journalist’s questions in Ukrainian, as he did on other TV programs, in Russian. This is a rather negative signal for the public of Zaporizhzhia. It can be assumed that for Eduard Anatoliyovych Ukrainian is not his native language, he either does not know it or does not respect it.

In one of the universities that prepares future teachers, an anonymous survey was conducted. Students were asked to answer one question: «Why did you join our faculty?». The answer for the teachers of the department was shocking: «I didn’t have enough points for another specialty.» This was the answer of 80% of the respondents. I had the opportunity to talk with one of these students, who skips lectures, constantly cheats the teachers. The parents of this student live and work in one of the villages of the Vasyliv district. The time will come when he will receive a diploma not for his knowledge, but for his stay at the university, and he will come to his village not to teach, because he himself has not learned anything, but to torment the children of fellow villagers. Would you, the reader, want such a «teacher» to teach your children and grandchildren? I wouldn’t want to! Imagine for a moment that the faculties that train teachers are enrolled according to the specified principle, and not according to vocation, and graduate young people with diplomas every year? Who then works in schools?

Recently, at one of the meetings in the regional state administration, representatives of one of Zaporizhzhia universities reported anti-Ukrainian sentiments among a certain part of teachers, which they do not hide in their communication with students. Similar conversations are going on about similar attitudes in some other educational institutions.

The title of teacher should become prestigious and highly paid. There should be a competitive selection for the faculties of universities and colleges that train teachers. Without state approaches and support, focusing on the residual principle, the country loses its perspective.

The rector of the Zaporizhzhia National University, People’s Deputy of Ukraine Mykola Oleksandrovych Frolov, who works in the parliamentary faction of P. Poroshenko, has the opportunity to work out these issues at the legislative level, qualitatively changing the selection of students, including and to pedagogical faculties.

I am convinced that the heads of educational institutions and their teachers should create such conditions in which students and pupils will spread the Ukrainian-speaking atmosphere from classrooms and classrooms and beyond their borders, in transport, gymnasium, and everyday life.

Our children, preschoolers, schoolchildren, students are the future of our country. Who, if not they, will ensure the revival of Ukrainianism in Ukraine, preserve and increase the language, culture, traditions of their people, write their history?

Today it is worth finding out why students of national universities often communicate in a non-state language, or even some slangs, during the break, draw conclusions and help them get rid of these problems. I am convinced that university rectors, directors of colleges and schools can change the situation in educational institutions in favor of the development of the Ukrainian language! This requires only will and desire!

Local self-government, which provides financing, development and functioning of the Ukrainian language and culture, should help parents who teach their children in kindergartens and schools with the Ukrainian language to master Ukrainian.

The legislation clearly regulates the activities of TV channels, radio, newspapers, and magazines, which, as the analysis shows, calmly bypass the laws, broadcasting Russian-language programs and series for many times more than the regulated time.

I will give one of the typical examples for the Zaporizhzhia region. At my request, the representative of the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting, V. Kuchugurnyi, sent a message with the following content: «… On February 13, 2014, the leading specialist of the secretariat of the representative in the Zaporizhzhia region, M.F. Revenko, conducted a 24-hour monitoring of the KP »Municipal Television Network«, broadcast type – broadcast (television), 60 television stations in the city of Zaporizhzhia, logo »MTM«. The broadcast of the channel with the »MTM« logo (outputs from Zaporizhzhia) is 8:38:20, the entire broadcast is in Russian (with the exception of the 3 screensavers of »MTM” at 0:00:51).

It is well known what the mass media treatment of the residents of Crimea and Donbas has led to. If we do not want to see Donbas in Zaporizhzhia, it is necessary for the leadership of the region and regions, together with the media, to find answers to today’s questions.

Theatre, as you know, begins with the wardrobe. Any establishment, institution or shop begins with a sign. The law requires that the sign be in the official language. Like advertising. And what do we really have? Unregulated and uncontrolled bacchanalia.

Various types of messages in Zaporizhzhia city council, as well as the communication of its employees, are conducted in Russian. The language of communication in the Zaporizhzhia state television and radio company is also Russian, many teachers after lectures, teachers after lessons switch to Russian when communicating with each other, students, and pupils. Therefore, we should not be surprised when we hear from pupils and students on TV screens a far from literary Ukrainian language.

The low level of training of people entrusted with working with children, students, TV and radio journalists often leads to an «amateur» rather than a highly professional attitude to work. Please tell me why the high school students, teachers and other employees of Secondary School No. 1 named after T. G. Shevchenko of the regional center with the Ukrainian language of instruction at the meeting with G. Shapovalov, doctor of historical sciences, who conducted it in Ukrainian, did they address him in Russian? The answer is simple. The Ukrainian language has not become a language of communication, a native language for them. Who is to blame for this?

Discussing the development of Ukraine with many heads of regions, cities and districts, I often hear that it is necessary to be more active and primarily engaged in the development of the economy, fight corruption, introduce reforms, and improve the lives of Ukrainian citizens. Which I certainly wholeheartedly agree with. When I hear that today is not the time to raise the issue of the development of the Ukrainian language, I categorically deny it. The issue of the state language for any country, and even more so for Ukraine, which as an independent state has not yet reached its 25th anniversary, was, is and will always be timely! Many of our troubles are due to the misunderstanding of this not only by ordinary people, but also by presidents, prime ministers and people’s deputies.

It is important to learn to respect and obey the laws. In the countries of the European Union, no one allows even the thought of disobeying laws. It is quite important for citizens of EU countries. Ukraine signed the association and intends to become a member of the EU, which means that its citizens simply need to learn to respect the laws and live by them.

Having Article 10 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine «On Education» as amended on March 23, 1996 (Article 7) and a number of other acts and based on the request of communities, in my opinion, it is necessary to develop measures for the development of the Ukrainian language, culture, and traditions in the Zaporizhzhia region. This document should clearly define the tasks to be solved by the government, local self-government, mass media, educational and cultural and sports centers.

Developed measures must be adjusted to the final goal!

The primary organizations of the All-Ukrainian association «Enlightenment» can do much more work than today, the network of which should cover all educational institutions, methodical institutions, and territorial communities. An important role in this issue is given to the intelligentsia, which, with its level of training, activity and professionalism, and patriotism, is able to «sow» the field of human souls with the Ukrainian language, culture, and traditions.

Today, at the forum of the intelligentsia of the Zaporizhzhia region, the issue of its participation in solving problems, including the development of the Ukrainian language, will be discussed. I would like this event not to end with conversations and the publication of a brochure with the speeches of the participants. I suggest that the organizers of the forum, together with the regional state administration, develop a regional program that would cover the implementation of the entire spectrum of problems that will be discussed at it, involving in its implementation both state units and public organizations, VO «Prosvita», universities, institutions and local self-government bodies.

The great trouble of the Ukrainian nation and its intelligentsia is their division, which was imposed on them by the imperial policy of the neighboring state. To the question: «Why don’t you speak Ukrainian?» I hear from civil servants, rectors, school directors, teachers, friends who know the Ukrainian language well, in response: «What’s the difference?». The majority of deputies of the regional and many city councils have the same position.

«And what’s the difference? – answered my old associate and friend. – The language issue did not prevent you from communicating and solving problems when you were the first deputy chairman of the regional executive committee, did you?» It really didn’t matter. But I was fluent in Ukrainian as my native language and Russian. In addition, at that time I lived and worked in a country that was called the USSR and in which the working language of communication was Russian.

Civil servant, teacher, journalist «What’s the difference?» should not speak To those who take a non-state and unpatriotic position, to those who don’t care what language to speak, the poet V. Sausyura answered back in the 50s of the 20th century:

...When, leaving from the toil of the road,
You don't put the words in your mouth
Like a jacket from someone else's shoulder
That will be the language for you!

In any case, Ukraine needs to become a strong, independent and economically prosperous state. Myths about fraternal peoples, close ties and related cultures of the great Slavic peoples must be finally destroyed: they become mortally dangerous for Ukraine and Ukrainians.

Having returned the Ukrainian language to Cossack Zaporizhzhia, which is absolutely real, we will free the 5th column, which includes supporters of the so-called «Russian world» and Putin, from the self-declared «protection» of Russian-speaking citizens, using which as a slogan, Russia annexed the Ukrainian Crimea and unleashed a war in Donbas.

Turning to the readers, among whom I would like to have civil servants, deputies, teachers, rectors, directors of colleges and schools, heads of kindergartens, I would like to ask you to express your vision regarding the use and development of the Ukrainian language, to give yourself answers to the questions raised in it. I, but I am sure that many of our compatriots would like to receive answers to fairly simple questions:

1) Why is it that in our Zaporizhzhia universities, which have the status of national ones, as well as in others, the Ukrainian language is not spoken at the level of Kyiv National University named after T. G. Shevchenko?

2) When in general educational institutions their principals, head teachers and teachers will know the state language, will use it from morning to evening, both in lectures and lessons, and during breaks?

3) When will the MTM TV channel become a Ukrainian-language channel?

4) When will an information environment be formed in the regional state administration, the regional center, the cities of Berdyansk, Melitopol and Energodar, in which the state language would feel comfortable, not as a foreign language?

5) When, driving through our cities, reading the signs, the citizens of the cities will feel that they live in Ukraine?

6) When will all regions of the region be able to watch the TV channel of the Zaporizhzhia State Television and Radio Company?

I am convinced that the answers to the questions posed in the article, as well as to others, will help the Zaporizhzhia community to get rid of many problems and raise the status of Ukrainian as a state language.

And I would like to conclude again with the words of V. Sausyura from his work «To a Brother»:

What a beautiful native word!
It is not the world, but all worlds...
Shevchenko language and Frankov
Will you throw it under your feet?

Olexandr Bilousenko, People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the first convocation, Honored Economist of Ukraine, Honorary Doctor of ZNU

Printed in the Zaporizhzhia City Council newspaper
«Zaporozhka Sich» No. 37 (5763) Thursday, 28.02.15