Kherson State University

The student and teaching community joined in watching and discussing the documentary film ‘Return to the Ukrainian Language’ from the Ukraїner media community.

Before the screening began, department head Svitlana Klymovych emphasised that such events are fundamental to shaping the professional worldview of future specialists. She also noted that a deep understanding of linguistic processes is the foundation of national identity and a guarantee of the country's information stability.

Ukraїner is a media community that has been promoting Ukrainian culture and history both in Ukraine and abroad for many years. The film ‘Return to the Ukrainian Language’ shows the difficult history of our language. A history that began with prohibitions, oppression and imposed stereotypes. The film raises acute and topical questions about why Ukrainians are returning to their native language en masse right now, and what motivates foreigners to learn Ukrainian.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the Ukrainian language fought for its place in the media, show business and everyday life against the backdrop of constant pressure from Russian cultural products. The participants in the discussion drew attention to how Russia had long used humour, music and television to promote the stereotype of the ‘inferiority’ of the Ukrainian language.

The history of Russification in the Kuban region was discussed, where at the beginning of the 20th century more than 50% of the population considered Ukrainian their native language, and hundreds of Ukrainian schools and theatres operated. However, systematic repression and forced identity change have led to the Ukrainian language being virtually eradicated in these territories today.

The participants in the film demonstrate this through their own stories. Language populariser Andriy Shymanovskyi recounts how, after the start of the full-scale invasion, he received hundreds of messages from people who had decided to change the language they used to communicate. Actress Marichka Shtyrbulova shares her memories of how it was once ‘unfashionable’ to speak Ukrainian in the capital, and how this path has now become a real homecoming. Even the musicians of the band TNMK recall that it was culture and festivals that changed their identity.

Experienced teachers from the department joined in the lively discussion about the film. Svitlana Martos, Ivan Nemchenko, Vasyl Zahorodniuk, and Olena Karabuta shared their thoughts and professional observations. Andriy Solomakhin, Candidate of Philological Sciences and senior lecturer at the department, noted that although the issue of language communication has its own peculiarities at the front, society must show solidarity and support for those who choose the path of Ukrainisation. It is important not to condemn mistakes, but to help everyone feel confident in their new environment.

Ksenia Kobzareva, a representative of the Journalism speciality, emphasised that while the military is defending the country on the front lines, it is the duty of every Ukrainian in the rear to hold the linguistic front. ‘If weapons are the main tool for defenders, then for citizens, and especially for future media professionals, words are such a weapon.’ It is through the Ukrainian language that national resistance is being formed and identity is being preserved today. Sofia Paparyga and Vladyslava Kulchikovska also spoke about the regional aspect and the support of their classmates from Kherson.

The screening of the film once again confirmed that a language lives as long as it is spoken, taught, used in creative work and in dreams. For Kherson State University students, the event was an important step towards strengthening national consciousness and shaping the professional worldview of future specialists.

The author of the material is Daria Bukayeva, a student

majoring in journalism at Kherson State University.