De-russification of Public Space in Ukraine

• In Event: Language and Memory: Decolonization, War, and Identity in Contemporary Ukrainian Narratives and Language Use

Abstract

Russia's war against Ukraine has profoundly impacted the language policy and linguistic practices within Ukrainian society. Public discourses about the war show that culture and language can be used both as a reason for geopolitical ambitions, military attacks, and violence, and as a strong argument for national self-determination, national unity, and military defense. This paper will examine the de-russification strategies in public space in Ukraine, driven by the full-scale invasion of 2022. It focuses on the evolving de-russification efforts in public space such as public signage, business names, advertisements, and street names as well as toponyms, which are prominent indicators of sociolinguistic change. The paper argues that these de-Russification strategies should be analyzed within the broader context of decommunization and decolonization policies (Grytsenko 2022, Riabchuk 2016).

Author

• Svitlana Melnyk, Indiana U Bloomington