Ukraine’s European Charter for Regional or Minority languages budget
April 22, 2012It’s Sunday. I don’t want to rant. It seems I have ranted for most of the week and I only write about one topical and current Ukrainian issue each day. I can assure you there is much more than one Ukrainian issue to rant about each day, but I try to bump my gums about those things that don’t necessarily get reported on by the media as much as they could or should be.
After all, if you want to read the standard media agenda for Ukraine when it comes to reporting, you would read the standard media regurgitation from any number of sources main stream sources. That generally, like the politics here, is personality driven with hardly a mention of policy unless it is an after-thought.
When you do get “experts” commentating it is to state the blindingly obvious that in no way requires any qualifications in political science, economics or anything more than common sense. Recently an “expert” stated the electricity prices in Ukraine will begin to rise towards the end of the year.
Well, no shit Sherlock! Ukrainians pay an electric bill equivalent to about 26% of the cost to generate the said electricity. Of course it has to rise as the government cannot afford to continue to subsidise it to that extent. However prices are not going to rise before the next election in October for political reasons and is will make sense to incorporate any rises in the 2013 budget rather than the last few months of 2012. Does it take an “expert” to state the obvious?
Anyway, returning to the subject of the post, we all know about the “language issue” in Ukraine which (wrongly) is simply seen as Ukrainian verses Russian by those looking to score political points given the very large Russian speaking minority. The fact is, Ukraine recognises far more ethnic minorities and minority languages than Russian and those languages are protected by not only by the Constitution but also by Ukraine’s ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages many years ago.
Russian simply happens to be one of those languages recognised and due to the volume of Russian speakers, not to mention the usual meddling and propaganda from Moscow, it creates a political (and when stirred by the politicians), and public issue.
When all is said and done, however, the official State language for Ukraine is Ukrainian. People will speak what language they want to regardless of that fact, just as they Welsh will speak English or Welsh as they prefer. The Swiss and the Belgians do the same amongst the multiple languages used in those nations. It really shouldn’t be the big deal that it all too often becomes given that numerous nations have numerous languages used within them around Europe.
So, returning to the title of this post, and the budget allocated by the Ukrainian government in support of regional and minority language (and culture) in the national budget in accordance with the European Charter, just what sum of money has been allocated?
The answer is here. UAH 1.7 million ($212,500) for the numerous minority languages and UAH 964,000 ($120,500) for minority cultural development. A grand total of $330,000.
Unfortunately English isn’t a recognised regional or minority language in Ukraine, otherwise this blog (and my others) may well attract something in the region of about $3 in governmental development aid from such a massive budget.
If you are wondering which languages Ukraine does list with the ECRML, they are Belorussian, Bulgarian, Crimean Tartar, Gagauz, Greek, German, Hungarian, Jewish, Yiddish, Moldavian, Polish, Romanian, Russian and Slovakian.
I am not sure whether to give credit for the recognition of Ukraine’s responsibilities under the ECRML and doing something, however small, to adhere to those responsibilities in austere and gloomy economic times, or whether to ridicule the sums involved which may just (if you are lucky) meet the cost to purchase a reasonable apartment near the sea in Odessa.
Oh well, it’s Sunday and I don’t want to rant. Time for some locally made Cognac and a nice cigar. Tomorrow’s another day and my new kitchen is getting delivered. That’ll give me something to rant about I’m sure!
It’s interesting to see Ukraine has so many minority language, but assuming that those who speak one of the minority languages also speak Ukranian or Russian and therefore in the end it will still boil down to Ukrainian vs. Russian.
When I travelled from Kiev to Lviv you could notice the absence of Russian in Lviv, however I also didn’t try to use my (very basic) Russian because I thought it might be considered as offensive/impolite in a way, considering history, and perhaps Ukranian also more symbolising the post-sovjet Ukraine. Though, during my short stay I was not really able to figure that out.
So, how is that in your experience? Do people consider it as impolite when you speak Russian in a Ukranian language area?
I have to be honest and say on the few occasions I have been in Lviv I have spoken Russian as more people there understand Russian than English.
The fact I speak Russian with an obvious English accent was generally welcomed that I had made the attempt to communicate in a language they easily understood.
Points awarded for trying instead of being presumptuous enough to expect them to know English I suspect.
I think as foreigners the Ukrainian speaking Ukrainians will make allowances for us knowing and speaking Russian, probably based on a perception that it is far easier to learn Russian in most foreign nations than it is Ukrainian so we are doing the best we can LOL.
Well, English may not be an official language, somehow though if I wanted to buy a flat in my town the $ appears to be the official language…. just saying.
However, I am doing my best to learn Ukrainian rather than Russian. Where I live many people use both Ukrainian and Russian in the same conversation with little or no problem understanding each other. Quaint. So I pick up Russian along the way. But I have to note that more and ore younger people that I know speak Ukrainian than Russian in everyday conversation as well as school.
Fortunately (or not) for me Russian is still the daily language for most people in Odessa, even the kids. (Handy as a god-father to a talkative 3 year old niece to know exactly what you are agreeing to.)
That said, we were particularly robust in making sure our boy (17 today!) learned Ukrainian well to the point where if somebody holds him down, a-fixes thumb screws and threatens to remove his eyes with a spoon, he can fluently speak read and write Ukrainian.
As I told him, if nothing else it will be useful for completing official forms, as both his mother and I are clueless and need them explaining in Russian if confronted with reams of text in Ukrainian. He will also need to know it if he is successful in his chosen career path (MFA).
Mind you, I’ve become incredibly used to signing my name and then writing it in Ukrainian underneath. Probably just laziness on my part that I don’t learn Ukrainian properly, but I really wouldn’t use it much in Odessa and as anybody who reads the occasional post here in Russian I make will state, I still need to master Russian properly before learning another language. LOL