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Borys Kosarev: Modernist Kharkiv, 1915-1931 at The Ukrainian Museum thru May 2, 2012
Posted by Andrew K on October 13, 2000 at 06:29:16:
In Reply to: Re: Богданові щодо українізації: Nothing New posted by Bohdan Oryshkevich on October 12, 2000 at 20:42:05:
: You provide a whole series of arguments appealing to some form of historical justice. But the Odesit wants to speak Russian because that is the language he uses and knows now.
As far as I understood Mykola was talking mainly about young Odesits, those who are just fresh from the school and should know Ukrainian pretty well. Changing the language of education in Odesa universities and government organizations should not be a very hard task. It may be unpleasant or unusual for some, but it is far from impossible.
:His ancestor may or may not have spoken Ukrainian. Much of the Odesa population came from non-Ukrainian parts of the Russian Empire or even from abroad.
This is simply false. We have to mention real facts, not invent something that fits our arguments.
: You fail to understand the fact that the person in Odesa does not feel discriminated against because he speaks Russian. He would feel discriminated against if he were made to speak Ukrainian.
And a Spanish-speaking person may feel discriminated if he is forced to speak English. We still don't see Spanish language riots, do we? In fact, practically everyone in Odesa knows Ukrainian, perhaps passively, but they do. Thus the problem is even smaller than with Spanish speakers.
: If I were your teacher I would give you an F for not designing a practical implementation approach. Ukrainians always resort to emotional and abstract appeals without realistic approaches.
And I would give you an F for not listening to your opponents. Mykola proposed a very simple solution: follow the law that already exists in Ukraine.
: You have to 1) design a practical implementation approach.
Already designed and adopted in Ukraine's laws.
: 2) You have to persuade people to accept it. People who already have another language.
Ukraine is a representative democracy, not anarchy. If something is a law, then you don't have to "persuade" anyone. You simply follow what the law says. This has been done many times and it works.
: You have to start over again. You have to create the circumstances for such a change as you stated.
The circumstances are already created. There must be a political will to use these circumstances.