Every tenth Ukrainian wants Russian official in their region - a survey

According to sociologists, the most tangible changes in the Ukrainianization of official communication - in the south and east of Ukraine. In the southern regions, 69% support the complete elimination of the Russian language, in the Eastern regions - 52% against that it is official. As of February 2024, 81% of citizens want to remove Russian from official communication throughout the country or against its use in their region.

This is evidenced by the results of the survey "Dynamics of the Rules of the Russian Language in Ukraine", conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) and published on March 12. Therefore, the gentle Ukrainianization of society is supported by more than 80% of the country's inhabitants, but there are 10% who seek to leave Russian official in their region or even the second state.

In addition, there are 3% who claim that the Russian language should gain the status of the second state, and 24% suggest that the Russian language can become official in the regions where most of them want. In general, after the survey: "It is important to note that although the views of the respondents who lived in the occupation were somewhat different, but the general trends were quite similar.

That is, the inability to interview such respondents now does not significantly affect the quality of results. There are other factors that They can affect the quality of the results in wartime that the KIIS was earlier, "the survey report reads. At the same time, among those who advocated the regional official status of Russian, 15% said they would not support such a decision in their region, 7% said they would support.

It is noteworthy that, according to KIIS, the opponents of Russian use in official communication gradually increased since the 1990s: in 1997 it was 18%, in 2013-19%, in 2015-21%of respondents. "Thus, for 2024 in Ukraine there are 10% of those who would like to see Russian or official in their region or at all the second state.

Instead, 81% either wish to eliminate it from official communication throughout the territory or against its use in to its region, " - said in the conclusions of the executive director of KIIS Anton Hrushetsky. The most tangible changes take place in the south and east of Ukraine. Thus, in the southern regions, in 2015, 37% wanted to see Russian the second state language, and 43% believed that it could become official where the majority of the population wanted it.

Only 13% replied that it should be eliminated from official communication. In February 2024, most of the inhabitants of the South - 54% - advocated the complete elimination of the Russian language from official communication. At the same time, the proportion of those who think the Russian language should gain state status decreased to 6%.

Another 30% of those who believe that the Russian language can become official in certain regions, but 15% of them to make the Russian language official in their region. They would like to see the official in their region - 12%, not decided - 3%. "Thus, in the south, 69% support either complete elimination from the official sphere, or at least against the Russian language in their region. In contrast ".

Regarding the East of Ukraine, from 3% in 2015 to 40% became more than those who support the elimination of Russian from official communication throughout the territory. At the same time, from 31% to 6% fewer those who stand for the state status of the Russian language. At the same time, 43% believe that the Russian language can be official in individual regions where most of it wants.

Of these, 12% are against the Russian language official in their region, 28% support such an initiative, and 2% are not determined. "So, in the East, 52% support either complete elimination from the official sphere, or at least against the Russian language in their region. In contrast , - sociologists specify. KIIS emphasizes that the survey concerned the official, not domestic communication in Russian.

Among those who advocate for the lack of Russian in official communication, 43 survey participants reported that they communicate Russian at home. "It is important that in Ukraine mainly normal (positive or neutral) attitude towards Russian -speaking fellow citizens, but the long -term course is the development of the Ukrainian language as an important component and symbol of the Ukrainian civic nation," - commented the results of the survey by the CIIS Executive Director.

In addition, Hrushetsky draws attention to the change in the perception of the Ukrainian language in the age section. "In the early 2000s (in fact and later) the Ukrainian language was associated in many as the language of older people and people from rural areas (the language of" grandparents "). Now we see that they most insist on a single state and official status of Ukrainian Languages ​​are the youngest Ukrainians, ”the sociologist states.

The survey was conducted during February 17-23, 2024. Sociologists interviewed the computer interviews using a computer with a computer, who live in all regions of Ukraine (except Crimea, residents of temporarily occupied territories and Ukrainians abroad). The statistical error did not exceed: 3. 4% for indicators close to 50%; 3. 0% - for indicators close to 25%; 2. 1% - for indicators close to 10%; 1. 5% - for indicators close to 5%.