Russification going full blast in Ukraine

Crimea’s billboards reading “Russian Language: From Regional to National Status!” appear to have started being translated into life this Monday. The initiative belongs to the Verkhovna Rada MP Oleksandr Chernomorov, the co-author of the scandalous language bill submitted to the Ukrainian parliament by MP Vadym Kolesnichenko. Chernomorov represents the Party of Regions (PoR) in the Crimea. Recently, he tabled the bill “On Changes to the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Principles of the State Language Policy [of Ukraine].’” This bill is aimed at enhancing the status of the Russian language.

The bill reads that the government will guarantee all citizens the right to freely use Russian as the language of the indigenous people of Ukraine, the language of interethnic and international communication – where this language is spoken by local compact communities – so that this language will be regarded on a par with the official Ukrainian language, and that the Russian language – being used by a large number of Ukrainian nationals – will be placed on the same official footing as Ukrainian.

One can only wonder about the reasons behind what looks like another rift in Ukrainian society after the Kivalov-Kolesnichenko bill; even more so about the absence of response from the ruling Party of Regions when this issue was being put to bed.

Predictably, PoR member Volodymyr Zubanov told The Day that this was a matter of diplomacy and pluralism, that “we have a democracy where each can express his/her views.” The overall impression is that the Party of Regions care little if at all about the language bill. Why?

An answer can perhaps be found by taking a closer look at the bill’s author: Oleksandr Chernomorov, born in Leningrad, Russia. Member of the Verkhovna Rada (nominated by PoR, sixth convocation, as of November 2011, No. 166 on the party list; MP, fifth VR convocation, late in May 2006; MP nominee on the Russian Bloc slate, No. 144; April 2002 – on the election date he was the leader of the Crimean NGO “Russian Movement in the Crimea” and member of the party “For Russia Only.”

Chernomorov is in an embarrassing situation these days, as a candidate MP (Majoritarian District No. 2, Kyiv District, Simferopol, Crimea), as a self-promoted candidate, nothing to do with the Party of Regions, considering the presence of their official nominee, Oleksandr Batalin. In other words, Chernomorov’s bill is his last attempt to attract the electorate’s attention, let alone the fact that his bill is absolutely unprofessional from the legal point of view.

“This document is proof of the author’s ignorance or deliberate neglect of the existing laws. The official language is determined by the Constitution, so any changes [to the law on the languages] can be made after amending the Constitution. This initiative [i.e., Chernomorov’s bill] should be regarded as a dirty campaign stunt. Let me tell you again that this is absolutely against the law,” Ihor KOLIUSHKO, head of the Political and Legal Reforms Center, told The Day.

Campaign stunt or not, candidate MP Chernomorov’s bill is perfectly in accord with the Kremlin’s scheme in regard to Ukraine. Interfax Ukraine quotes Moscow’s Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin as saying that signatures started being collected on September 21, marking another anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo, that the disunity between the Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians counters the interests of these peoples, impeding their progress and well-being.

Vsevolod Chaplin is quoted as saying: “We are the inheritors of a thousand-year-old civilization, a great one; we have its experience of creative and neighborly relationships, of making life on this planet better for everyone, so we must learn from this experience of our people and translate it into life when we achieve this unity.”

Interestingly, the authors of this initiative gathered at the Church of St. Nicholas on the Three Mountains in Moscow (with Vsevolod Chaplin as Rector of the Church) to offer up prayers, begging the Lord’s blessings for their noble cause of Slavic brotherly reunion.

By Ivan KAPSAMUN, The Day

COMMENTARIES

AS GOOD AS SAYING UNCLE

Ostap SEMERAK, MP (BYuT-Batkivshchyna):

“Apart from procedural aspects, this is undoubtedly another campaign technology of the Party of Regions. The electoral district in the Crimea where Chernomorov comes from has its PoR nominee, so what Chernomorov is doing is absolute political blasphemy. The man is serving his own interests. People who have read his bill must realize that this man can’t have any [reasonable] views on the language situation [in Ukraine]. This man is busy making his own [political] fortune at the expense of Ukraine’s well-being and independence. He and the likes of him must have no seats in parliament…

“I’m convinced that this issue won’t be solved by the Party of Regions until the end of the election game. Chernomorov isn’t their man, least of all their spokesman. Most likely, this is his way of saying uncle, the last straw he can grab for. What is really surprising is the absence of response from the Party of Regions – probably further proof of their unfriendly attitude to the Ukrainian language, to Ukrainian national independence and territorial integrity.

“There is one way of fighting this attitude, with all conscientious Ukrainians casting their ballots, on October 28, for those they actually trust. Otherwise there will be 226 and more seats in parliament [Verkhovna Rada] occupied by Chernomorov-minded characters, and the situation will be the way we see it these days. If and when true Ukrainian patriots get seats in parliament, the situation will change. We reject all accusations as opposition, simply because we have our standing order… our parliamentary minority can’t pass a bill. The majority can do so. A month from now, the Ukrainian electorate will be able to change this situation. Hopefully, keeping fingers crossed.”

EVERY MP CAN EXPRESS HIS/HER VIEWS

Volodymyr ZUBANOV, MP (Party of Regions):

“Our party action plan has it that Russian must receive the status of a second official language. Passing this bill as an amendment to the Constitution requires 300 yeas. Now let’s see what we have. Thirty-five percent during the past election campaign, not enough to amend the Constitution. No matter how many ballots are cast for the protection of this or that language, no one can be forbidden to learn and use Ukrainian. Ukrainian is the regulations language in our Armed Forces, for example. I can propose several options aimed at solving the language problem. Russian could become the second official language, but Ukrainian must be preserved as the language of Ukraine, as part of its cultural heritage.

“The Ukrainian language has the predominant official status, but it is also true that certain politicians have waged unreasonable language policies. Back in October 2009, Mr. Vakarchuk [ex-Minister of Education] ordered Russian banned as a language the schoolchildren could use during the intervals between classes in Ukraine. There is Ms. Farion who keeps telling everyone that Russian is the occupier’s language [in Ukraine]. Does this mean that all ethnic Russians are occupiers? A preposterous attitude that can have unpredictable consequences. As regards Kostusiev’s directive about all official documents to be rendered in Russian, this adds to my assumption [about the preposterous attitude and consequences].

“The Party of Regions has 1.5 million members, including 192 MPs, and each member of parliament is entitled to voice his/her views. I also believe that Russian should have an official status, on a par with Ukrainian, if and when three-quarters of the Ukrainian nationals vote for this during the referendum. That’s my view. Mr. Chernomorov has his view on the matter. What attitude the Party of Regions will adopt along these lines will become clear after the [parliamentary] elections, depending on the number of votes.”