The question of identity has always been important for any nation, because identity itself indicates what values and traditions we uphold as a people and how we interact with the world. A defined national identity helps to preserve language, traditions, history and art, promotes the unity of society, which is very important in the conditions of political and social changes. For Ukrainians, the issue of identity is, first of all, a matter of preserving the nation, and therefore it is particularly relevant today.
How well-formed national consciousness is among Ukrainians and how Ukrainian-language content contributes to the process of reviving Ukrainian identity
First, let’s establish what exactly the concept of “national identity” means. The Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine gives the following definition of this concept:
“National identity is the identification of oneself with the national community on the basis of a stable emotional connection that arises as a result of a formed system of ideas about traditions, culture, language, politics, as well as the acceptance of group norms and values.”
“Nthis identity not only defends itself against the Russian one, but also competes with the whole world for every Ukrainian, so that he chooses our community, our state, our language, instead of primarily Moscow, but also Warsaw, Berlin, London”, – notes the writer and historian Oleksandr Donii.
Historically, it has already happened that before the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, two languages and two cultures closely coexisted: Ukrainian and Russian. Passports were filled out in Ukrainian and Russian, Russian was taught in schools twice a week, and programs and films in Russian were broadcast on television. A significant part of Ukrainian youth consumed Russian content thanks to popular bloggers, through communication on social networks and constant reading of memes.
It is obvious that under such conditions, the Russian language began to pull the blanket over itself and invade all spheres of life: mass media, television, musical space. Even communication in everyday life was carried out more in the Russian language. But it cannot be said that Ukrainian content stood aside all this time. After all, there were programs such as “Karaoke on the Maidan”, “Revisor”, “Pydyom”, “Shikanemo”, “Kartata Potata”. Ukrainian-language content made its way to the viewer, albeit uncertainly and somewhat sluggishly. But the sending of cheap Russian content in the form of TV shows and serials made full competition impossible.
However, with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, the situation changes dramatically.
“The large-scale war showed how badly the Russians wanted to destroy the language. And the first thing they do when they come to our territory is to throw out Ukrainian textbooks from schools. And this countermeasure is to preserve what the aggressor is trying to destroy”, – says Kateryna Kobernyk, editor-in-chief of the “Babel” publication, about her transition to the Ukrainian language of communication.
According to a German-British study of tweets by users of the X network (formerly Twitter), more than half of users immediately switched to the Ukrainian language.
“By its very nature, the use of language is often a political vehicle for cultural identity and a basis for nation-building. We observed a conscious choice of users in favor of a more Ukrainian identity and self-definition as Ukrainians”, the researchers note in their article.
According to the results poll, which was conducted by the sociological service of the Razumkov Center from June 6 to 12, 2024, 91% of respondents are proud to be citizens of Ukraine, and 65% of respondents are proud of the state language. The number of those who are proud of the state symbol is also significant:
- flag – 64%;
- coat of arms – 63.5%;
- anthem -61%.
During the survey, a tendency to increase the number of those Ukrainians who identify themselves with Ukraine (53%) was revealed. Only 3% of respondents identify with Europe, and there are still those who identify with the Soviet Union, although this number is insignificant (2%).
74% of respondents refer to only one nation – Ukrainians. Since 2006, this indicator has shown growth dynamics and reached 84%. The share of respondents who identify themselves with the Ukrainian cultural tradition has increased by 76% in recent years at the expense of the Russian-speaking population, which indicates changes in the views of Ukrainians regarding the language issue. The largest number is observed in the southern (73%) and eastern (64%) regions.
What influenced the increase in the level of Ukrainian identity
After the full-scale offensive of the Russian Federation on our territory, at one point someone began to perceive the Russian language as the language of the aggressor, and someone was so shocked by the actions of the Russian troops that they no longer wanted to communicate in the language of those who kill Ukrainians. Whatever the reason, the main thing is that Ukrainians began to understand their identity and reached out to their natives. Moreover, the development of Ukrainian content on television, on the Internet, and in the book business contributed to this process.
So, on July 17, 2024, the clauses entered into force Article 40 The Law of Ukraine “On Media”, according to which broadcasting in the state language must fill at least 90% of the airwaves. From now on, the speech of a guest invited to a program or talk show, if its duration exceeds 10% of the time of the entire program on the air, must be dubbed, voiced, or must contain attached subtitles.
At the same time, everything is much more complicated with social networks, because they are unregistered and, therefore, not subject to control. Here it remains to rely on the conscience of the authors of digital content and the attitude of the users themselves. According to Ukrinform research, 62% of Ukrainians have already completely abandoned Russian-language content, 31% of respondents have reduced their consumption of Russian content, and 7% now perceive information only in a foreign language.
Popular bloggers of Ukrainian origin, who previously gained an audience by communicating in the more common Russian language, translated their content into Ukrainian. But this process was preceded by a whole series of complications. There was no support from the YouTube platform. Ukrainian-language videos were not included in the recommendations due to the reason that the platform did not understand the language of the broadcast.
Difficulties arose even with the Google search system, when the share of Russian-language queries was 74%, and Ukrainian-language – only 26%.
Ukrainian companies also did not contribute to the financial support of the blogosphere. Many Ukrainian bloggers had to support Russian brands in order to obtain funds for the existence of their channels.
Currently, despite all the difficulties, the Ukrainian blogosphere increasingly touches on topics important to Ukrainians and encourages active discussion.
According to the study “How Ukrainians read during a full-scale war – 2023″, the interest of Ukrainians in reading has doubled.
“This is not reading essays for study, for school. This is exactly the kind of reading during which a person makes a free choice between watching YouTube, scrolling through social media or reading a book,” he says. Anastasia Shurenkova, Head of Info Sapiens Socio-Political Research Department.
21% of respondents still prefer a printed book, while 15% prefer an electronic format, and 10% spend their free time listening to audiobooks. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the interest of Ukrainians has been attracted by historical literature, displacing fiction. More and more Ukrainians seek to explore the historical path of their country’s development, to understand controversial issues caused by propaganda posts on social networks.
The decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) adopted in 2019 regarding sanctions against Russian online bookstores and Russian publishers contributed to the development of domestic e-book platforms. The law “On restrictions on Russian books and translations” also played an important role in the development of Ukrainian content in the book industry. Russian-language literature was removed from websites and stores, and a ban was imposed on the import of books from Russia. Publishing houses began to actively translate popular bestsellers into Ukrainian, and also allowed authors unknown to a wide range of readers to be published. Demand for quality Ukrainian books has grown not only among Ukrainian readers, but also abroad. Before the full-scale invasion, residents of the EU and the USA mistakenly perceived Ukrainians and Russians as one people.
“Ukrainian publishing houses have new tasks: to tell the world the truth about Ukraine and this war through a new Ukrainian book, establish international delivery and cooperation with modern Ukrainian authors“, – says Yulia Orlova, general director of the “Vivat” publishing house.
Currently, watching a Ukrainian-language video or listening to a Ukrainian-language podcast is a conscious choice of Ukrainians, a manifestation of national identity. Support and popularization of Ukrainian content will make it possible to increase the level of patriotism among citizens and make society more cohesive. More and more people not only in the country, but also outside its borders will be able to learn about the Ukrainian past and present, will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the values of Ukrainian culture. The development of Ukrainian-language content reveals the potential of young creative authors and expands the subject matter of creative projects. Ukrainian-language content in social networks, blogs, on video platforms and in the media plays a key role in shaping public opinion, popularizing Ukrainian traditions and linguistic culture.
All this should be understood by the Ukrainian audience, because as you know, demand gives birth to supply.
The more we use Ukrainian content, the more interesting projects will appear, the more often the Ukrainian language will be heard in society. And education, culture, the language of cinema and television, as well as communication in social networks should contribute to this process. The thought “what’s the difference” has no place in modern society.
Back in 1941, in the newspaper “Ukrainian Slovo”, Ulas Samchuk addressed the readers with the following words:
“It does not matter who speaks how, what gods he prays to, what books he reads. It doesn’t matter what names the streets of our cities are called, it doesn’t matter whether Shevchenko or Pushkin is dominant for us. It doesn’t matter who we teach at school, it doesn’t matter what our relationship is to Russian literature. No! It doesn’t matter… And when it doesn’t matter, it means that it doesn’t matter to you who we are! This means that we are not a nation, not some common historical collective force, but a vague crowd, a gray mass, eternally humiliated, without any ideals of blacks”.
Ukraine is a country with centuries-old history, rich culture and linguistic diversity. Among our fellow citizens there are those who consider themselves speakers of the Ukrainian language, and there are also those who speak Russian, Crimean Tatar, Hungarian and other languages. This diversity reflects the complex history of our country and its ethnic composition.
However, today, when Ukraine is choosing its place in the world, the issue of language is becoming even more urgent. The choice in favor of the Ukrainian language is not only a matter of respect for our history and culture, but also an act of national identity and state unity. It is a language that unites us and helps preserve a unique cultural heritage, making us stronger before the challenges of globalization and external aggression.
So who are we? We are a nation with a rich culture, history and linguistic heritage. The choice of which language to speak is our choice. It defines who we are and what our future will be. By choosing the Ukrainian language, we strengthen our identity and unite into a single, strong nation. The choice is ours.
