One Language for 135 Nations

Early in December, young representatives of Kyiv’s ethnic associations and communities took part in a competition entitled “Blossom, O Language, Shining with Verbal Brilliance,” in which they competed in Ukrainian language proficiency and demonstrated their knowledge of their native languages. In Kyiv, this contest is traditionally timed to coincide with the anniversary of Ukraine’s Nationwide Independence Referendum. The State Library for Young People initiated this contest six years ago. True to tradition, the young people donned brightly-colored national costumes, recited poetry, and performed songs in both the Ukrainian language and their mother tongues. Karine Tumasivna Tumagayan, director of the Mesrop Mashtots Armenian Sunday School, one of several Armenian Sunday schools in Kyiv, told The Day, “Such events in Ukraine bring together different ethnic groups and help overcome the language barrier. I think that since we live in Ukraine it is our duty to master the Ukrainian language. Such competitions motivate children to learn it. The more languages we know, the more confident we will feel in life. We, Armenians, Kurds, Germans, Estonians, and Russians have shown that we also belong to the Ukrainian people as citizens of a single, indivisible country. I’ve been to Independence Square. People there are not rallying for a specific president. They are defending the truth, which means that they are defending us. I was very pleased that the contest participants were more fluent in Ukrainian than in their native languages. As a linguist, I’m in a position to say so. This is proof that they have overcome the language barrier, and Ukrainian has become their native language. It has even occurred to me that in Armenian language classes Ukrainian analogies and examples are more accessible to children than Russian ones. We badly need similar nationwide contests, not only ciy-based ones. They bring together young people of all nationalities, consolidate the Ukrainian nation, and reinforce the state’s sovereignty.”

Many participants of various nationalities said that they have forever linked their lives to the Ukrainian land. For example, Tetiana Kan, a fourteen-year-old ethnic Korean, links her future with Ukraine and wants to become a popular singer. She gave a deeply moving performance of “A Swan’s Devotion,” a popular Ukrainian song, which earned her a first-degree diploma.

Volodymyr Horovy, deputy chairman of the Nationalities and Migration Department at the Kyiv City State Administration, pointed out that this year’s contest featured a novelty, a research paper on the history of Kyiv’s ethnic associations, but he added that not everyone who wished to participate could do so because of the complex situation in the country, which propelled many students to Independence Square. Incidentally, Kyiv is home to 135 nationalities represented by 62 ethnic civic organizations with municipal status and over 100 organizations with national and international status.

Natalia Teres, docent of the Ukrainian Ethnopolitics History Faculty, told The Day, “Ukraine has the most democratic laws regulating interethnic relations. Keep in mind that for the past fifteen to twenty years Russians have not raised the Russian question in Ukraine, while Ukraine has 11 million ethnic Russians, 60% of them born in Ukraine. The Russian factor has not worked in Ukraine, despite promises of dual citizenship and second official language status for Russian. Russians residing in Ukraine hold Ukraine dear as a country and therefore have not yielded to provocations. The simple truth is that representatives of various ethnic groups feel that Ukraine needs them. All the ethnic associations in Ukraine are bridges to other countries. But Ukraine’s policy on ethnic associations must be even more mindful of their needs. For example, the funding for the language competition is minimal, while the emotional feedback is immeasurable.”