Rethinking Language Sovereignty: Ukraine’s Postcolonial Challenge

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dc.contributor.authorRomaniuk, Svitlana en_US
dc.contributor.authorMierzwa, Philip
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-12T09:24:35Z
dc.date.available2026-01-12T09:24:35Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractBackground. Ukraine’s post-Soviet language policy has often been inter- preted through geopolitical or normative lenses. However, insuficient attention has been paid to the enduring impact of colonial and imperial structures on language hierarchies and societal attitudes. The Russian language, while often framed as a pragmatic tool or cultural bridge, retains a symbolic dominance rooted in historical asymmetries of power. Contribution to the research field. The present study raises the possibility that Ukraine’s current language policy cannot be fully understood without a postcolonial framework that interrogates both external pressures and internal- ized linguistic hierarchies. This combination of findings provides some support for the conceptual premise that language sovereignty is inseparable from broader struggles for epistemic and cultural decolonization. Purpose. The article aims to critically reassess Ukraine’s newest language policy reforms in light of its postcolonial condition, exploring how questions of language sovereignty intersect with identity, memory, and resistance. Methods. This study applies a qualitative, interdisciplinary approach, draw- ing on critical discourse analysis of legal texts and public debates, as well as theoretical perspectives from postcolonial studies and sociolinguistics, espe- cially in the context of language policy. Results. The findings show that the legal and symbolic prioritization of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine functions not only as a tool of nation-building but also as an act of symbolic decolonization. These measures primarily chal- lenge the enduring effects of Russification. Discussion. These findings raise intriguing questions regarding the nature and extent of postcoloniality in Ukraine, particularly in contexts where the co- lonial relationship was ideologically denied. The Ukrainian case suggests that efforts to reclaim language sovereignty may entail complex negotiations be- tween past oppression, present pluralism and future aspirations. en_US
dc.identifier.citationRomaniuk S. Rethinking Language Sovereignty: Ukraine’s Postcolonial Challenge / Svitlana Romaniuk, Philip Mierzwa // Мова: класичне - модерне - постмодерне. - 2025. - Вип. 11 (спеціальний випуск). - С. 32-49. - https://doi.org/10.18523/lcmp2522-9281.2025.11.32-49 en_US
dc.identifier.issn2522-9281
dc.identifier.issn2616-7115
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.18523/lcmp2522-9281.2025.11.32-49
dc.identifier.urihttps://ekmair.ukma.edu.ua/handle/123456789/38069
dc.language.isoen en_US
dc.relation.sourceМова: класичне - модерне - постмодернеuk_UA
dc.statusfirst published en_US
dc.subjectlinguistics en_US
dc.subjectUkrainian language en_US
dc.subjectlanguage policy en_US
dc.subjectminorities en_US
dc.subjectpostcolonializm en_US
dc.subjectneocolonization en_US
dc.subjectdecolonization en_US
dc.subjectarticle en_US
dc.titleRethinking Language Sovereignty: Ukraine’s Postcolonial Challenge en_US
dc.typeArticle en_US
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Випуск 11 (Спеціальний випуск)