Language after the Rally: The Persistence of Wartime Language Shift in Ukraine

• In Event: Languages and Language Ideologies in Wartime Ukraine

Abstract

Much has been written about a remarkable shift away from Russian in the first year of Ukraine's full-scale war against the imperialist Russia, which is closely related to the consolidation of Ukrainian national identity and can be seen as a manifestation of rallying-around the flag. This paper will examine language identifications, patterns of language use, and language attitudes in Ukraine three years into Russia's full-scale invasion, seeking to analyze whether the language shift persists after the initial consolidation gives way to widespread fatigue and frustration. It is based on two nationwide mass surveys and two series of focus group discussions in different parts of the country, both conducted in 2022 and 2025.

Author

• Volodymyr Kulyk, Kyiv School of Economics (Ukraine)