Crimea Media Tackles Languages

When the Soviet Union collapsed nations finding new independence found themselves with significant Russian-speaking minorities. New found pride in nationhood brought calls to elevate national languages and suppress Russian. From Estonia, Latvia and Estonia in the north to Ukraine to Georgia in the south native Russian speakers became marginalized.

One group of ethnic Russians gathered in front of the Ukrainian Broadcasting Authority offices in Simferopol to moan about new rules limiting Russian language programming on Ukrainian radio and TV. Protesters brought along TV and radio sets, which they smashed, according to a report by RIA Novosti (March 19, 2007).

The Crimea is one of the many “unusual” regions of the former Soviet Union. Originally part of Russia, the Crimea – home to Yalta, Simferopol and Black Sea resorts – was “given” to Ukraine by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. Russian language is pervasive.

Ukrainian and Russian are not the only languages common to the Crimea. There is Crimean Tatar, related to Turkish. And from early February Crimean Tatar radio listeners in the Simferopol area have their first FM station, Meydan. The station is also broadcasting in Ukrainian and Russian with “modern, east” music and “big attention” paid to news, said chief editor Nadzhie Ablaeva.

Ukraine’s political leaders continue to argue about the status of national and, now, regional languages. Russian is the dominant language of eastern Ukraine and their “guy,” Viktor Yanukovych is now the Prime Minister. Attempts to class Ukrainian as the language required for media outlets have failed. Dominant, yes: exclusive, no. Ukraine has adopted Council of Europe guidance on minority languages, particularly in mass media.

One of the (many) unintended consequences of the Soviet Union’s break-up for the satellite states, according to a ftm Media Sleuth in Georgia, is the lack, so far, of writers, journalists and editors experiences in the newly-enfranchised languages. - March 20, 2007

Keywords:Ukraine broadcasting, Russian minority

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