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Brookings: What Ukraine’s new language law means for national unity

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Aug. 22, 2012, 5:10 p.m. | Op-ed — by Steven Pifer and Hannah Thoburn

Deputies of the Ukrainian opposition fight with deputies of the pro-presidential majority during a session of parliament in Kyiv, as opposition parties protest a bill proposed by the ruling party which would make Russian an official state language along with Ukrainian on May 24, 2012.
© AFP

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Dyakuyu or Spasibo? The controversy over whether Russian should be recognized as an official language of Ukraine is so heated that it has compelled Ukrainian politicians to tear each other’s clothes, flip parliamentarians over bannisters, and recently provoked the speaker of parliament to tender his resignation.

On August 8, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych signed a new law, “On the principles of language politics,” that allows cities and regions to pass legislation that would give Russian (or any other minority tongue) the status of an official language if 10 percent or more of the population of that region speaks it as a native tongue.

Read more here.

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The Kyiv Post is hosting comments to foster lively debate. Criticism is fine, but stick to the issues. Comments that include profanity or personal attacks will be removed from the site. If you think that a posted comment violates these standards, please flag it and alert us. We will take steps to block violators.
AL BALA Aug. 23, 2012, 9:54 p.m.    

Ukrainian language is the most respected attribute of an independent Ukrainian state . This is evidenced by a survey conducted by the Razumkov Centre in cooperation with the "Democratic Initiative" to them. Ilka Kucheriv.

http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/ukrayinci-z-atributiv-nezalezhnosti-naybilshe-povazhayut-movu.html

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AL BALA Aug. 24, 2012, 7:56 p.m.    

Russian court upheld the elimination of the Ukrainian diaspora

http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2012/08/23/6971358/

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AL BALA Aug. 25, 2012, 1:59 a.m.    

In the Donetsk region nine cable operators disabled TVi

http://tvi.ua/video/na-donechchyni-9-kabelnykh-operatoriv-vymknuly-tvi.html

PS At the above link, people are making comments from different parts of Ukraine, about closure of TVi in other parts of of Ukraine to this very day.

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Eugene Al Gagins Sept. 5, 2012, 12:37 a.m.    

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Father, please protect our native Russian language in our Motherland.
Native People of Odessa

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