Language Situation in the post-Soviet Ukraine (longish)

[Alexander Ushakov]

No
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Flier" <flier at FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
To: <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2000 3:52 PM
Subject: Re: Language Situation in the post-Soviet Ukraine (longish)


> Dear Mr. Ushakov:
> 
> Thank you for forwarding the Kuzio article. It is difficult to interpret
> the true significance of Kuzio's interpretation, however, without
> information about the nature and size of the polls he cites. Does he
> provide that information as well?
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Michael Flier

Dear Mr. Flier:

I pasted the entire article which can be viewed here:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/5-not.html

If you are interested in my personal opinion, I'd say the situation described is in general close to the real one. However, I have doubts about the following figures he provided:

____________________
Data from an Intermedia National Survey in late 1999 conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology asked "In which language is it easier for you to talk?" Of the respondents, 44.2 percent said in Ukrainian and only 38.7 percent said in Russian. In response to the question "which language do you speak at home?" 47.8 percent said Ukrainian, 36.3 percent Russian, and 14.4 percent both. 
____________________

If the above figures are for the entire country, the ratio should probably be different and in favor of Russian. On the other hand, many people speaking "surzhik" (Russian-Ukrainian mix, sometimes with heavy prevalence of Russian words) consider it Ukrainian, especially in the Central Ukraine. 

Alex Ushakov

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