Yulia Svyrydenko: The Ukrainian language is the foundation of our identity and statehood

On International Mother Language Day, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko thanked every man and woman who nurtures, preserves, and develops the Ukrainian word.

The Head of Government emphasised that for centuries attempts were made to ban and displace the Ukrainian language from education, the church, and public life. Circulars, decrees, and laws were issued; people were punished and tortured for using the language – everything was done to make it disappear.

Yet the language survived thanks to people who passed their native tongue down from generation to generation – in grandmothers’ recipes, in folk songs, in lullabies, in words of guidance.

“Today, the Ukrainian language no longer needs to be hidden in order to be protected. It rings out loudly and confidently across the world – in the radios of our defenders on the front lines, in diplomatic halls, on international stages, and in our everyday lives,” the Prime Minister noted.

Yulia Svyrydenko stressed that the language is one of the cornerstones of Ukrainian identity and statehood; it unites society and shapes the nation.