Posted by habelok on March 27, 2000 at 11:23:08:
In Reply to: The problem of languages in another countries posted by lesia on March 25, 2000 at 17:05:56:
Lesia,
Why always do we have to copy or to look up for cultural matters outside of Ukraine? It is not of a technological importance for us. What do YOU think about it? What is YOUR opinion? What is a language for you anyway? Is it one of the means of communication or is it a religious matter? Why are we so dramatic about it? By the way it is not the Russians who keep Russian language alive, it is the Ukrainians who find it more convenient to use in their every day life. Yes, under the Soviets people were put in the position to speak Russian. Yes, they are used to it. So what? Let it be. Why is it such a big deal? Sure we shout "Shame!". But I think, a language, same as a religion, is something that every individual decides for himself or herself personally. Plus, everybody, why almost all of you picking on the Ukrainians from the Eastern Ukraine? They speak what ever they can. Leave them alone. Be tolerant people. Don't become language fundamentalists.
Take a note. I am not from the Eastern Ukraine. And my primary language IS Ukrainian.
: I have read all messages here, and I would like to ask - why we don't want to see in which way it is done in Europe. You know that France, Italy, Spain, etc. aren't monolingual, monocultural and mononational countries. There are places where Bretons, Basques, Catalons, Galicians, Germans, etc. live. Not as Russains in Ukraine, these nations was even living in these places before Frence, Spain, Italy exist. The history of their languages was difficult, some of them, as Breton, are disappearing. But now in the new Europe thay have the possibility to mantain their culture, to educate their children in these languages, in some place to have local national government, etc. Of course, there aren't a possibility or danger that Paris became speaking Breton! Why when we speak about Ukraine we try to do something different?! Russians, of course, can have their schools, newspapers, TV programmes, etc. But why we need and even speak about a possibility to do Russian one of the official languages of Ukrain?!!!