The power of language

Today it is clear: those who realize the value of the language and the security it brings have long chosen Ukrainian. The rest, it seems, need new, decisive arguments - without ambiguity and compromises. The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Olena Ivanovska, stated that the surge in the transition of Russian-speaking Ukrainians to Ukrainian after the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in 2022 has reached its end. Thus, in a frank conversation for the YouTube project “Nobody Will Watch This,” she voiced this disturbing truth.

“Self-Ukrainization, which gained momentum in 2022, became a real wake-up call for everyone. We felt responsible for our own security. The Russian word that we heard did not just provoke denial - it opened our eyes to a real threat. It pushed us to action and forced even those for whom Russian was native to switch to Ukrainian. But now, statistics indicate one thing: this potential, unfortunately, has been exhausted,” Ivanovska emphasized.

At the moment, everyone who is even slightly aware, who has a mature vision of causes and consequences, has already made their choice in favor of Ukrainian. For the rest, Russian-speaking fellow citizens, a powerful argument is now needed - practical, with clear benefits. After all, this is not just a question of identity; language is a strategy that shapes our actions.

Let's not forget that in the first three quarters of 2023, the Ombudsman received 2,227 complaints about violations of language legislation from Ukrainians. This is 271% more than last year. With such figures, the Language Ombudsman understands: in conditions of true confrontation with irresponsibility, we must act decisively!

Putin's demands are a challenge, and we cannot back down. Language is power. It's time to take a consistent path without compromise. The choice is yours.