On Wednesday, just days after the country celebrated the final whistle of the European football championships, Ukraine once again demonstrated its position as one of the former Soviet Union's more turbulent political cultures.
Ukrainian vs. Russian Language
BBC: Ukrainians polarised over language law
An activist of Ukraine's opposition party and riot police face off during protests against the language bill during a rally in central Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, July 5, 2012. About 1,000 opposition activists were rallying in the capital of Ukraine on Thursday to protest legislation upgrading the status of the Russian language. The Ukrainian parliament passed the bill Tuesday that would allow the use of Russian in courts, education and other government institutions in Russian-speaking regions of the country. The inscription on the strip, 'My language is my freedom' (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
