Language and Liberation: The Rise of Ukrainian in Daily Life

In the midst of war, identity is both forged and revealed. For Ukraine, the widespread embrace of the Ukrainian language since 2014—and in particular since the full-scale Russian invasion of February 2022—has been nothing short of a cultural revolution. Once viewed as interchangeable with Russian in many urban centres, Ukrainian has re-emerged as a marker of resistance, resilience and national rebirth. The transformation of daily linguistic habits, especially among younger Ukrainians and those in historically Russophone regions, signifies a profound shift not just in language use, but in the internal architecture of Ukrainian identity.

The Pre-War Linguistic Landscape

For much of Ukraine’s post-Soviet independence, the country operated under a de facto bilingualism. Ukrainian was the official language, but Russian retained strong footholds in media, business, and urban life, particularly in the east and south. Soviet-era Russification policies had embedded Russian deeply into the public and private spheres. Even Kyiv, the capital, was linguistically mixed well into the 2010s, and cities such as Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro often leaned toward Russian in everyday communication.

The 2012 “Kivalov-Kolesnichenko” law, which allowed for official regional use of Russian and other minority languages, further institutionalised this linguistic ambiguity. Many Ukrainians were comfortable code-switching between Ukrainian and Russian, depending on context, and language choice was frequently depoliticised in daily life.

Language as a Site of Resistance

That began to change dramatically after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the occupation of parts of Donbas in 2014. For many, the war revealed language not as a neutral tool, but as a vector of imperialism. The association between Russian language and Russian aggression was not just symbolic: the Kremlin repeatedly justified its military interventions by claiming to protect “Russian speakers” abroad, including in Ukraine.

As a result, a movement began—not imposed from above, but led from below—to reclaim Ukrainian as not only the national language but the moral language of resistance. Ukrainian soldiers, civil society activists, and ordinary citizens began switching consciously to Ukrainian in speech, social media, and public discourse. Schools, businesses, and even cafes began adopting Ukrainian as the default. The language came to represent not merely a mode of communication, but a declaration of loyalty and belonging.

The 2022 Invasion and the Linguistic Shift

The full-scale invasion of 2022 accelerated these changes dramatically. Russian airstrikes, atrocities in cities like Bucha and Mariupol, and the Kremlin’s genocidal rhetoric obliterated any residual ambiguity. Russian was no longer just a legacy of empire; it became the language of the aggressor.

Cities like Kharkiv and Odesa—long considered bastions of Russian-speaking culture—experienced a surge in Ukrainian-language use. Educational institutions accelerated the shift to Ukrainian-language instruction. Ukrainian-language books, podcasts, YouTube channels and TikTok accounts flourished. Even those who continued to speak Russian as a first language often made clear in their actions and affiliations that they were unequivocally Ukrainian.

Importantly, this linguistic shift did not translate into exclusion. Rather than punishing Russian-speakers, Ukrainian society began cultivating what the philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko has called “linguistic hospitality”: encouraging a national embrace of Ukrainian while respecting the multilingual realities of individual identity.

Policy and Practice

The Ukrainian state has played a careful, supportive role in this linguistic transformation. Language laws—such as the 2019 statute requiring Ukrainian as the language of public life (Russian used to be used particularly in the legal sector)—created legal incentives for the use of Ukrainian in education, media, and services, while allowing for private use of other languages. The government’s approach combined principle with pragmatism: rather than coercing, it cultivated.

Moreover efforts to support Ukrainian language learning were widespread. Municipal governments provided free Ukrainian courses for adults. Online platforms and apps popularised language learning. The Ukrainian cultural sector began actively promoting Ukrainian-language content: films, books, memes, and music.

Television and streaming services now offer more content in Ukrainian than ever before. Public broadcasters switched nearly entirely to Ukrainian. Even formerly Russian-dominant private channels transitioned their presenters and programming.

The Next Generation

One of the most striking features of this shift is generational. Ukrainian children and teenagers today are growing up in a linguistic environment vastly different from that of their parents. In schools, playgrounds, and online spaces, Ukrainian dominates. Language is no longer just a classroom subject—it is part of the culture of patriotism, humour and resistance that defines Ukrainian youth.

This generation, born into war and hardship, is linguistically Ukrainian by default. Their speech patterns, slang and online creativity are increasingly shaping the national discourse. In doing so, they are building a post-colonial linguistic identity that is both rooted in tradition and vibrant with innovation.

The Role of Culture and Art

Ukrainian music and literature have played a crucial role in normalising the use of Ukrainian in daily life. Artists like Kalush Orchestra, Go_A and Jerry Heil have popularised Ukrainian as the language of modern popular music. Contemporary authors such as Serhiy Zhadan, Oksana Zabuzhko and Sofia Andrukhovych have helped make Ukrainian literature fashionable again.

Social media influencers and meme-makers have further democratised language. Humour, irony and satire—long dominated by Russian—have become tools of Ukrainian expression and defiance. Even in the darkest times, Ukrainians have used their language to laugh at their enemies and bolster their own morale.

Language and Liberation

The rise of Ukrainian in daily life is not just a linguistic phenomenon; it is a cultural and political renaissance. In reclaiming their language, Ukrainians are also reclaiming their agency, dignity, and sovereignty. Language is no longer an accident of geography or family—it is a conscious choice of nationhood.

This transformation does not require denigrating the Russian language or those who still speak it. Ukraine’s strength lies in her plurality. But the embrace of Ukrainian as the common tongue of state, society and struggle sends a powerful message: the nation is united not by ethnicity, but by shared sacrifice—and shared speech.

In the final analysis, the Ukrainian language has become what it was always meant to be: not a weapon, but a home.