Media space under occupation: how to return the Ukrainian language to Crimea

A roundtable discussion on “Violation of the right to education in the state language in the context of the occupied Crimea” was held in Kyiv. Participants – representatives of government agencies, NGOs and journalists – discussed Russia’s criminal actions against the Ukrainian language and education on the temporarily occupied peninsula. Volodymyr Lyashenko, a representative of the National Council in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, took part in the discussion.

During the event, they discussed the restrictions on the right to study in Ukrainian and the difficulties faced by Crimean children and parents who want to preserve their national identity. The speakers emphasized that Russia is systematically destroying everything Ukrainian and doing everything possible to push Ukrainian out of the public space in Crimea.

At the meeting, they presented a new book “Formation of the Modern National Consciousness of Ukrainians in Crimea: Trends, Prospects and Assimilation Threats (Late Nineteenth – Early Twenty-First Centuries),” which explains in simple and clear terms how Ukrainians on the peninsula formed their identity. They also talked about criminal investigations against those who violate international law and human rights in the occupied Crimea.

Anton Bozhuk, Andriy Ivanets, Iryna Krasnodemska and Volodymyr Lyashenko

Only three Ukrainian-language media out of almost 7000 registered

Representative of the National Council Volodymyr Lyashenko focused on the situation with Ukrainian print and online media, which remain virtually “offline” in the occupied Crimea.

“According to the Ministry of Justice, 6974 print media outlets were registered in Crimea, including 440 in Sevastopol. We checked a part of the register and found out that among them there is not even one percent of those that would be published in Ukrainian. Or at least claimed to be,” said Mr. Lyashenko.

The representative of the media regulator noted that today, only three Ukrainian-language print media have been officially re-registered under the Law of Ukraine “On Media” in the entire temporarily occupied Crimea: the Krymska Svitlytsia newspaper, the Black Sea Security magazine, and the specialized publication Scientific Notes of the Vernadsky Tauride National University. The representative emphasized that print media will become critically important during the de-occupation of Crimea, as they can function without the Internet or in difficult conditions of destroyed infrastructure.

Ukrainian word as the foundation of recovery

Volodymyr Lyashenko emphasized that education and media are interconnected: education shapes the Ukrainian-language environment, while the media nourish and strengthen it. After de-occupation, according to the representative of the National Council, Crimean Ukrainians will need to be provided with targeted support and development of Ukrainian-language print media, radio and television channels, as this was not the case before the temporary occupation and even more so after 2014. This will be facilitated by adapted legislation that protects the rights of all citizens in Ukrainian Crimea.

Volodymyr Liashenko with the book “Formation of the Modern National Consciousness of Ukrainians in Crimea: Trends, Prospects, and Assimilation Threats (Late Nineteenth – Early Twenty-First Centuries)”.

“Our goal is to create a natural Ukrainian-language environment in Crimea. It’s not about one language lesson a week, but a full-fledged Ukrainian cultural, educational and social life,” summarized Volodymyr Lyashenko.

The participants of the roundtable emphasized that the violation of the right to education in the Ukrainian language is only part of a large-scale policy of oppression by the occupation administration against Ukrainians in Crimea. But thanks to the joint efforts of government agencies, the public, and international partners, investigations are underway and a strategy is being developed to restore full life in Crimea after it returns to Ukrainian control.

The event was organized by the Crimean Center for Business and Cultural Cooperation “Ukrainian House” with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation and the Crimean Ukrainian Council.

Source: National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting

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