All went black. In that second, I felt I would burst a vessel in my brain. The absurdity of what I heard really caught me off guard.
I attended the showing of “Music of Survival,” a new documentary on Ukrainian history and culture of the 20th century. It was fascinating and very well researched and presented – a real achievement. Afterwards, I complimented the filmmaker. But, I had one question. Why, through the whole film, did the narrator pronounce the name of Ukraine’s capital as “Kiev” and not “Kyiv”? The answer floored me. The reply was that it was a conscious decision after a market research survey found that Americans did not recognize “Kyiv” but were familiar with “Kiev.”
At the end of 2014? Not recognizing “Kyiv”? I wonder if market research had been done by China and India before announcing that their capitals will now be Beijing and Mumbai? I could not believe that Ukrainians would worry about such nebulous non-recognition of “Kyiv.” Are Americans really that dumb? How about giving them a bit more credit? This could have been such an educational and promotional moment, as the film itself was. Is this the bending over backwards to please others? Not rocking the boat? Maintaining the status quo? And this conscious complacent acceptance of the Russian name for our capital is at a time when the fate of Ukraine is on the line. Market research about such a vital part of Ukrainian identity?
Is this being finicky, picky and not worth worrying about since it’s such a “minor” issue? What about the whole issue of the status of Ukraine in the world, in international media? There are enough pro-Russians still in Ukraine undermining this whole issue. Do we need our people on this side of the ocean thoughtlessly doing the same?
It saddened me, it angered me, it bewildered me. We have finally almost completely deleted the “the” from before the word Ukraine. We are beginning to use “Kozak” instead of “Cossack.” Because of the Maidan, and now the present situation in Ukraine beyond the nation’s control, the world finally knows what and where Ukraine is, and that it is clearly a separate nation. In these tragic circumstances, Ukraine has proven its distinct identity.
One would have thought that, by now, Ukrainians in North America do not worry about being unworthy, about being that insecure and timid. We have achieved so much in promoting Ukraine and its identity, countering the Russian specter the nation has been under all these years.
Worrying that the public cannot or will not accept the Ukrainian identity through the true name of its capital is beyond comprehension.