Summitspeak: Russian prevails

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Ukraine may have finally formally achieved recognition of equal standing from its former nemesis with the signing of a treaty on friendship and cooperation with Russia, but it still tipped its hat in deference to its northern neighbor when it came to what language would be used during the summit talks.

At virtually all official meetings, and invariably during private discussions, Presidents Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine and Boris Yeltsin of Russia, and the diplomats they brought to the tables with them, spoke in Russian. Volodymyr Yatsenkivskyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, explained to The Weekly that it was expedient. "During negotiations every minute is golden. We didn't want to waste time on translations," he said.

The director of protocol for President Kuchma, Mykhailo Denysenko, confirmed that the two sides had agreed to use the Russian language so that "the two presidents could understand each other." He said, "What is important is what we achieved, not how."

However, at the signing ceremony in Mariinsky Palace President Kuchma made his official statement in the Ukrainian language, and the document of the treaty that he signed was in Ukrainian.

At press conferences, while introductions at times were in Ukrainian, the introductory statements and question-and-answer periods were in Russian. The presence of the Russian press made it necessary to conduct the conference in the Russian language. Again, a matter of expediency over a matter of principle.

The only government official to even allude to the irony of conducting official affairs on Ukrainian soil in Russian, which was forced on the Ukrainian people during hundreds of years of Russian and Soviet hegemony, was Foreign Affairs Minister Hennadiy Udovenko. "Maybe we will conduct this press conference in Ukrainian. After all, we are in Ukraine," he said. After his press secretary, Mr. Yatsenkivskyi, explained to him that no interpreters were present, he went ahead in Russian.

In reality, however, the use of Russian is not a big surprise. Ukrainian may be the state language of Ukraine, but Russian is still the language of choice for many Ukrainians. It is still overwhelmingly used in the homes and on the streets of most major cities. On some days in the Verkhovna Rada, it is heard more often during debate than Ukrainian.

Even at the Chervona Ruta music festival, dedicated to Ukrainian song, the performers may have sung in the Ukrainian language, but backstage the Russian language was far from scarce. The explanation for this, although it may be understandable, is still hard to accept: it is easier and more convenient for people to use Russian; they are comfortable with it. Again, a matter of expediency over a matter of principle.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 8, 1997, No. 23, Vol. LXV

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