While public performances of music by Russian nationals are already prohibited throughout Ukraine—except for a few artists who have openly denounced the invasion—songs in Russian written or performed by Ukrainians remain permissible.
The proposed measures would extend this ban to include Russian‑language songs in public spaces.
Anna Nerush clarified that the restriction would not apply to private celebrations, such as a birthday spoken in Russian within a restaurant room, provided the conversation cannot be heard outside.
“But hearing Russian spoken on the streets can be deeply triggering—for instance, for former prisoners of war or residents returning from occupied territories,” she added.
Since the full‑scale Russian invasion in 2022, many native Russian‑speakers in Ukraine have increasingly adopted Ukrainian in daily life.
Photographer Natalia Mykhailenko made the shift even sooner; she now conducts tours of Odesa that emphasize the city’s non‑Russian heritage.
Among the sites she highlights is a Cossack cemetery predating 1794, the year traditionally attributed to the city’s founding by Empress Catherine the Great—a claim that has been increasingly contested.
In 2022, a statue of Catherine was taken down from a central Odesa square following a council vote, and several streets have been renamed to honor Ukrainian writers and activists.
“We must recognize that we were once a colony,” Mykhailenko stated. “These language laws are crucial; while they may not always appear democratic, they are essential for securing a normal future for Ukraine.”
Anthropologist Anastasia Piliavsky, a member of the Ukrainian Cosmopolis initiative that advocates for freedom of thought and expression, argues that Russian‑speakers are being treated as second‑class citizens and denied access to their cultural heritage.
“In Ukraine, most people comprehend both Russian and Ukrainian, so the issue is less about language and more about liberty,” she explained.
“Ukraine is striving for freedom; the war aims to prevent authoritarian rule, which is what Russia represents. Consequently, when fines or the threat of job loss arise from violating language laws, people begin to question the purpose of their struggle.”
