Are Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages leaving Crimean schools? Ukrainian language in Crimea: pariah status What are the official languages in Crimea

At the end of May, the Crimean parliament adopted in the first reading the draft law “On the state languages of the Republic of Crimea and other languages of the Republic of Crimea.” In the explanatory note to the bill, its authors, deputies of the State Council of Crimea Remzi Ilyasov, Efim Fiks and Sergei Trofimov, indicate: “a constructive language policy presupposes the desire for balance in the language situation, the creation of a social base, and increasing the importance of native languages for the peoples living in the Republic of Crimea.”

The new law, according to the authors of the document, will lay down legal basis for use and development state languages republic and will create the necessary conditions for their study. Deputies emphasize that their bill is based on fundamental norms of international law, which provide that every ethnic group has the right to preserve its national and cultural identity, and that all ethnic groups have the right to use their native language and culture.

The Crimean parliament's consideration of a new law regulating the sphere of language policy aroused keen interest among the Crimean Tatar public. On June 15, at the initiative of activists of the national movement Ilyas Bilyalov, Reshat Ablyazisov, and the chairman of the Council of Crimean Tatar Elders of Alushta Shevket Kharakchiev, public hearings on the bill were held at the Crimean Engineering and Pedagogical University.

Representatives of the public and the university teaching staff who took part in the discussion were unanimous that the bill does not sufficiently provide opportunities for the development of the Crimean Tatar language.

The head of the department of social and humanitarian disciplines of the KIPU, Refik Kurtseitov, recalled that for 20 years in the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the Crimean Tatar language functioned as the state language. After the forced eviction of the Crimean Tatars from their homeland in 1944, their language lost its status. Since 2014, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea, it, along with Russian and Ukrainian, has been the state language in the territory of Crimea.

The scientist noted that the most important issue today is the compulsory study of the Crimean Tatar language in the education system. Characterizing current state educational system in the Crimean Tatar language, the scientist cited a number of interesting figures received from the Republican Ministry of Education.

Thus, by the beginning of the 2016/2017 school year, there were 463 preschool educational institutions in Crimea. Of these, only one institution is with the Crimean Tatar language of education in the village of Sarybash, Pervomaisky district, and another one is with the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages of education in Belogorsk (Karasubazar). In other kindergartens there are 38 groups with the Crimean Tatar language. That is, 915 children were brought up in the Crimean Tatar language (1.4% of the total number of pupils in preschool institutions).

“In 2012, according to the Medical Center for Services to Deportees, 5.5 thousand children of Crimean Tatar nationality were born. In total, according to statistics, about 20 thousand children are born in Crimea per year. Thus, every fourth child born in Crimea is a Crimean Tatar child,” says R. Kurtseitov.

In the 2016/2017 academic year in secondary schools There were 187.6 thousand students in Crimea. Of these, 4,835 children studied in the Crimean Tatar language (2.6% of all students). 12 thousand students studied the Crimean Tatar language as a subject, and another 11.8 thousand students studied their native language as an elective. At the same time, according to R. Kurtseitov, approximately half of Crimean Tatar students do not study their native language in any form.

Activist R. Ablyazisov called on Crimean Tatar linguists to express their attitude to the bill and, having formulated their proposals, send them to the authorities. According to KIPU teacher Milyara Settarova, state languages should be studied compulsorily, on a parity basis. Dean of the Faculty of History, Arts and Crimean Tatar Language and Literature Emine Ganieva noted that today no one forbids Crimean Tatars to speak native language, but for full use language, appropriate conditions must be created. She complained that today in government institutions There are not enough people in Crimea who could communicate with citizens in the Crimean Tatar language. As E. Ganieva believes, the problem could be solved if all students in schools studied the Crimean Tatar language for 1-2 hours a week. Otherwise, the use of language will be purely declarative, and the language will be in danger of extinction.

Leading specialist of the State Public Institution of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Information, Methodological, Analytical Center” Kemal Mambetov noted that Article 68 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation gives republics the right to establish their own state languages, which should be used in state institutions on an equal basis with the state language of the Russian Federation - Russian. In order to develop constitutional norms, the republic must adopt laws defining the status of its state languages. K. Mambetov cited as an example the positive experience of Tatarstan, whose legislation provides for the study of the state languages of the republic (Russian and Tatar) in equal volume. He also recalled that there is a federal law “On the State Language Russian Federation", which describes all the functions of the state Russian language. Clause 7 of Article 1 of this law contains an important provision - “The obligation to use the state language of the Russian Federation should not be interpreted as a denial or derogation of the right to use the state languages of the republics that are part of the Russian Federation and the languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation.”

As a result of the hearings, their participants approved a resolution in which they called on legislators to enshrine in the future law the provision on the compulsory study of the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian languages as the state languages of the republic. “Without the functioning of a continuous education system in three languages, the equal state status of the Crimean Tatar, Russian, and Ukrainian languages will remain only a declaration in the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea,” the document says.

At the suggestion of the director of the Research Institute of Crimean Tatar Language, Literature, History and Culture Ismail Kerimov, the hearing participants supplemented the resolution with a proposal: when considering the bill in the second reading, provide the opportunity to speak at the session of the State Council to Kemal Mambetov and Refik Kurtseitov in order to convey to the deputies the position of Crimean Tatar scientists.

Encyclopedic YouTube

1 / 4

✪ 10 reasons why I hate Crimea

✪ Interesting territory: Crimea (part 1)

✪ 10 reasons why I love Crimea

✪ English Jey Camp with native speakers: Sochi, Krasnaya Polyana and Crimea

Linguistic composition of the population

In the Republic of Crimea itself, according to the 2014 census, 81.68% of the region’s population, or 1,502,972 people out of 1,840,174 who indicated their native language, named Russian as their native language; Crimean Tatar language - 9.32% or 171,517 people; Tatar language - 4.33% or 79,638 people; Ukrainian language - 3.52% or 64,808 people; Armenian language - 0.29% or 5376 people; Azerbaijani language - 0.12% or 2239 people; Belarusian language - 0.09% or 1,700 people; Romani language - 0.09% or 1595 people; Turkish language - 0.06% or 1192 people; Moldovan language - 0.04% or 703 people; Greek 0.02% or 434 people. According to language proficiency in the republic, according to the 2014 census, the following are distinguished: Russian language - 99.79% or 1,836,651 people out of 1,840,435 who indicated language proficiency, Ukrainian language - 22.36% or 411,445 people, English language - 6.13 % or 112,871 people, Crimean Tatar language - 4.94% or 90,869 people, Tatar language - 2.75% or 50,680 people, Uzbek language - 1.66% or 30,521 people, German language - 1.09% or 20,132 people, Turkish language - 0.45% or 8305 people, French language - 0.30% or 5529 people, Armenian language - 0.27% or 4988 people, Belarusian language - 0.25% or 4620 people, Polish language - 0.17% or 3112 people, Azerbaijani language - 0.13% or 2320 people, Tajik language - 0.10% or 1932 people, Italian language - 0.10% or 1831 people, Spanish language - 0.09% or 1726 people, Moldovan language - 0.09% or 1682 people, Greek language - 0.07% or 1315 people, Georgian language - 0.07% or 1225 people, Romani language - 0.06% or 1148 people, Arabic - 0.06% or 1092 people, Kazakh language - 0.06% or 1086 people, Bulgarian language - 0.05% or 959 people.

According to the 2014 census, among Russians in the republic, 99.82% called Russian their native language, and 0.14% said Ukrainian. Among Ukrainians, 78.59% named Russian as their native language, 21.35% said Ukrainian. Among Crimean Tatars, 74.18% named Crimean Tatar as their native language, 20.27% named Tatar, 5.46% named Russian. Among Tatars, 74.18% named Tatar as their native language, and 23.08% named Russian. Among Belarusians, 90.63% named Russian as their native language, 9.15% said Belarusian, and 0.20% said Ukrainian. Among Armenians, 55.21% named Armenian as their native language, 44.38% named Russian. Among Karaites, 93.17% named Russian as their native language, 6.02% - Karaite, 0.60% - Ukrainian. Among Krymchaks, 95.48% named Russian as their native language, 3.39% - Krymchak, 0.56% - Tatar, 0.56% - Crimean Tatar.

According to the 2014 census, among Russians in the republic, 99.89% speak Russian, 19.49% speak Ukrainian, 1.15% speak German, 0.12% speak Polish, 0.11% speak Tatar, etc. Among Ukrainians, 99.78% speak Russian, 44.57% speak Ukrainian, 1.22% speak German, 0.37% speak Polish, etc. Among the Crimean Tatars, 99.55% speak Russian, 38.86% speak Crimean Tatar, 13.63% speak Ukrainian, 13.53% speak Tatar, 2.14% speak Turkish, 0.53% speak German, etc. Among the Tatars, 99.69% speak Russian, 39.94% speak Tatar, 9.17% speak Ukrainian, 1.35% speak Turkish, 1.01% speak Crimean Tatar, 0.43% speak German, etc. Among Belarusians, 99.91% speak Russian, 18.40% speak Ukrainian, 18.26% speak Belarusian, 1.33% speak German, 0.58% speak Polish, etc. Among Armenians, 99.55% speak Russian, 46.08% speak Armenian, 15.34% speak Ukrainian, 1.95% speak Azerbaijani, 1.14% speak German, 0.52% speak Turkish, 0.47% speak Tatar. , Crimean Tatar - 0.22%, etc.

Intercensal dynamics 1989-2014

Dynamics of the linguistic composition of Crimea (with Sevastopol) in 1989, 2001 and 2014

Census 2001

Main languages Crimean peninsula according to the 2001 census

Native language	Total	Share, %	Share, %
Total	2401209	100,00%
Russian	1890960	78,75%	79,11%
Crimean Tatar	230237	9,59%	9,63%
Ukrainian	228250	9,51%	9,55%
Tatar	8880	0,37%	0,37%
Belorussian	5864	0,24%	0,25%
Armenian	5136	0,21%	0,21%
Moldavian	1460	0,06%	0,06%
Gypsy	1305	0,05%	0,05%
Greek	689	0,03%	0,03%
other	16061	0,67%	0,67%
indicated	2390319	99,55%	100,00%
not specified	10890	0,45%	0,46%

Languages of the Republic of Crimea in administrative-territorial context according to the 2001 census

Name ATD units	Russian language	Ukrainian language	Crimean- Tatar language	Belorussian language	Armenian language
Simferopol City Council	85,82	6,35	6,47	0,12	0,32
Alushta City Council	83,68	9,67	5,58	0,19	0,22
Armenian City Council	78,52	16,90	2,91	0,18	0,12
Dzhankoy city	83,14	7,60	7,13	0,18	0,11
Yevpatoria City Council	83,69	8,73	6,42	0,18	0,27
city of Kerch	91,34	5,27	0,81	0,18	0,14
Krasnoperekopsk city	79,62	16,48	2,63	0,20	0,13
Saki city	84,26	8,87	5,27	0,27	0,36
Sudak City Council	71,45	8,42	17,31	0,23	0,33
Feodosia City Council	87,32	7,35	4,23	0,31	0,29
Yalta City Council	86,79	10,12	1,12	0,20	0,28
Bakhchisarai district	69,30	8,21	20,11	0,26	0,10
Belogorsky district	60,43	7,92	28,92	0,20	0,19
Dzhankoy district	62,04	15,84	20,44	0,33	0,16
Kirovsky district	64,18	8,38	23,96	0,47	0,19
Krasnogvardeisky district	69,42	11,94	15,43	0,40	0,22
Krasnoperekopsky district	53,26	26,78	15,53	0,35	0,11
Leninsky district	79,39	10,57	14,80	0,39	0,24
Nizhnegorsky district	72,72	10,47	15,21	0,31	0,06
Pervomaisky district	58,44	19,27	19,87	0,45	0,13
Razdolnensky district	63,97	20,84	12,64	0,35	0,49
Saki district	64,48	16,91	16,48	0,54	0,28
Simferopol district	66,95	9,62	21,42	0,27	0,29
Sovetsky district	64,37	10,38	21,16	0,31	0,07
Chernomorsky district	70,94	14,81	11,93	0,27	0,25
Republic of Crimea total:	76,55	10,02	11,33	0,26	0,23

Census 1979

Census 1897

Native language	Number	Share
Tatar	194 294	35,55 %
Great Russian	180 963	33,11 %
Little Russian	64 703	11,84 %
German	31 590	5,78 %
Jewish	24 168	4,42 %
Greek	17 114	3,13 %
Armenian	8 317	1,52 %
Bulgarian	7 450	1,36 %
Polish	6 929	1,27 %
Estonian	2 176	0,40 %
Belorussian	2 058	0,38 %
Turkish	1 787	0,33 %
Czech	1 174	0,21 %
Italian	948	0,17 %
Gypsy	944	0,17 %
other	1977	0,36 %
Total	546 592	100,00 %

Story

In the past, at different periods of the history of Crimea, other languages (Greek, Italian, Armenian, Turkish-Ottoman language) also played a significant role on its territory.

Presumably, on the territory of Crimea, the most ancient of the currently known languages was Cimmerian. The Cimmerians were pushed back to the peninsula by the Scythians. However, between 280-260. BC e. and the Scythians themselves were forced to take refuge in the Crimea from the Sarmatian invasion. During this period, the traditional division of Crimea into coastal Greek-speaking regions and internal steppe zones, which included Tauro-Scythia and where until the middle of the 3rd century. n. e. The Scythian language was dominant. Then the Goths invaded the inner steppe Crimea, settling mainly in the foothills Crimean mountains, where the Crimean-Gothic language was preserved until the 18th century. The Greek language was preserved as the native language of the Greeks, and was also used as a second language by many inhabitants of the peninsula until the end of the 17th century. The gradual Turkization of the peninsula began after the Mongol-Tatar invasions of the 13th century. By the end of the 15th century, Turkic speaking spread to the foothills of Crimea, including the Principality of Theodoro. Only in the southern coastal regions did the predominantly Greek, Italian and Armenian languages continue to be used. By the end of the 18th century, Turkic speech had spread everywhere: even the remnants of the Christian population of the peninsula switched to the Crimean Tatar language. However, the diverse Turkic dialects of the peninsula during this period could be called the Crimean Tatar language very conditionally, since they belonged to different typological subgroups.

As part of Ukraine

As part of independent Ukraine (1995-2014), the main three languages (Russian, Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar) were used in the education system and office work, although in unequal volumes. For example, a speech in the Crimean Tatar language in the Verkhovna Rada was made for the first time only in 2012, after the adoption of the law on regional languages. In the conditions of independent Ukraine, there has been a tendency towards the gradual displacement of the Russian language from the official written sphere in the republic, with a parallel command and administrative introduction of the Ukrainian language into the education and office systems.

Language policy within Ukraine

Ukrainianization of the school education system

The issue of introducing the Ukrainian language on the peninsula in Soviet institutions, schools, press, radio, etc. was first raised almost immediately after the transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR. Delegate Sushchenko did this at the Crimean regional party conference on March 10. The greatest successes of Ukrainization of 1995-2014 were achieved precisely in the system school education Republic of Crimea. The initiator of a more intensive Ukrainization of Crimean schools was Ivan Vakarchuk. Considering the almost total Ukrainization of the education system in Kyiv, the demand for Ukrainian-language education in the AR increased, outstripping the supply. The reason for this was the desire of Crimeans to continue their studies in Kyiv or other Ukrainized or actively Ukrainized universities in Ukraine. In the 2010/11 academic year, 167,677 students studied in general educational institutions of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, of which 148,452 (88.5%) studied primarily in Russian, 13,609 (8.1%) studied in Ukrainian, and received education in Crimean Tatar. 5,399 (3.2%) people. At the peak of Ukrainization, in the 2011/12 school year, 8.1% of the republic’s schoolchildren received the entire school curriculum in Ukrainian, which approximately corresponded to the share of those who considered Ukrainian their native language (10%). By 2012/2013, this share decreased by 0.5%. . At the same time, Ukrainian-language subjects were actively introduced into formally Russian-language schools, which actually turned them into bilingual ones, with a gradually decreasing predominance of the Russian language. But the forced Ukrainization of the late 2000s also caused protests from the Russian-speaking population, as well as resistance from the republican wasti bodies. In turn, on December 13, 2008, Education Minister Ivan Vakarchuk criticized Crimean universities and Crimean Education Minister Valery Lavrov for the fact that only 5% of disciplines in Crimean universities were taught in Ukrainian. A feature of the Ukrainization of the Crimean education system was its urbanized nature: in rural areas There was not a single educational institution on the Crimean peninsula with Ukrainian as the language of instruction.

Languages of instruction at school

In the 2012/2013 academic year in secondary schools of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (without students of special schools (boarding schools) and special classes organized at secondary schools), 89.32% of students received education in Russian, 7.41% - in Ukrainian , 3.11% in the Crimean Tatar language, in addition 0.15% received education in English language. In the 2014/2015 academic year, according to the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Crimea, there was a reduction in the number of students studying in the Crimean Tatar language from 5,406 to 4,740 people, and the number of students in the Ukrainian language decreased especially sharply - from 12,867 to 1,990 people. There are 15 schools in the republic with the Crimean Tatar language of instruction (2,814 students). In addition, in 62 schools of the republic there are classes with the Crimean Tatar language of instruction, 1,926 students study in them. Ukrainian language studied as a subject in 142 classes; As of the fall of 2014, there are classes with education in Ukrainian in 20 schools, but there are no schools with education only in Ukrainian.

Languages of instruction in secondary schools of the Republic of Crimea
(based on data for the 2012/2013 academic year)

Name ATD units	Total students	Russian language	Ukrainian language	Crimean- Tatar language	English language	Russian language,	Ukrainian language,	Crimean- Tatar language,	English language,
Simferopol City Council	35402	31141	3512	749	-	87,96	9,92	2,12	-
Alushta City Council	4182	3933	239	10	-	94,05	5,71	0,24	-
Armenian City Council	2347	2056	291	-	-	87,60	12,40	-	-
Dzhankoy city	4086	3796	280	10	-	92,90	6,85	0,25	-
Yevpatoria City Council	9683	8760	597	326	-	90,47	6,17	3,36	-
city of Kerch	9966	9541	425	-	-	95,74	4,26	-	-
Krasnoperekopsk city	2829	2541	288	-	-	89,82	10,18	-	-
Saki city	2708	2420	288	-	-	89,36	10,64	-	-
Sudak City Council	3174	2702	133	339	-	85,13	4,19	10,68	-
Feodosia City Council	8510	7954	445	111	-	93,47	5,23	1,30	-
Yalta City Council	10018	9594	424	-	-	95,77	4,23	-	-
Bakhchisarai district	8309	7455	227	627	-	89,72	2,73	7,55	-
Belogorsky district	6205	5008	468	729	-	80,71	7,54	11,75	-
Dzhankoy district	6909	5599	891	419	-	81,04	12,90	6,06	-
Kirovsky district	5409	4538	379	492	-	83,90	7,01	9,09	-
Krasnogvardeisky district	7903	6815	821	267	-	86,23	10,39	3,38	-
Krasnoperekopsky district	2630	2274	350	6	-	86,46	13,31	0,23	-
Leninsky district	4997	4368	601	28	-	87,41	12,03	0,56	-
Nizhnegorsky district	4792	4352	345	95	-	90,82	7,20	1,98	-
Pervomaisky district	2940	2788	71	81	-	94,83	2,41	2,76	-
Razdolnensky district	3131	2936	172	23	-	93,77	5,49	0,74	-
Saki district	6471	5970	380	121	-	92,26	5,87	1,87	-
Simferopol district	12252	10962	654	636	-	89,47	5,34	5,19	-
Sovetsky district	3362	2901	124	337	-	86,29	3,69	10,02	-
Chernomorsky district	3197	2854	343	-	-	89,27	10,73	-	-
educational establishments republican subordination	2197	1813	119	-	265	82,52	5,42	-	12,06
Republic of Crimea total:	173609	155071	12867	5406	265	89,32	7,41	3,11	0,15

Russian language in Crimea

The linguistic picture of the Crimean peninsula is characterized by the predominance of the Russian language. According to the 2001 population census, among the native languages, in addition to Russian (77.0%), Crimean Tatar (11.4%) and Ukrainian (10.1%) languages were also noticeably present. During the period of being part of Ukraine, there was a disproportion between nationality and language of use (native language), as well as their use in the education system and office work. During this period, there was a tendency towards the gradual displacement of the Russian language from the official written sphere in the republic, with a parallel command and administrative introduction of the Ukrainian language into the education and office systems. Although, according to a survey conducted in 2004 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), the absolute majority uses the Russian language for communication - 97% of the total population of Crimea.

After 2006, a number of local city councils declared Russian a regional language. However, these decisions were often declarative in nature and/or encountered fierce resistance from the Kyiv authorities, who continued to pursue a policy of Ukrainization, especially in the field of education and film distribution. It is noteworthy that the Crimean Rada did not consider the application of the law on regional languages of 2012, stating that it did not add anything new to the existing provisions of the Constitution.

After Crimea joined the Russian Federation, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea adopted in April 2014, 3 state languages were proclaimed in the new subject of the Russian Federation: Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar.

According to the results of the population census in the Crimean federal district in 2014, the absolute majority of the population of the peninsula called their native language

Despite the state status of the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages in the territory of Crimea, their functioning at the proper level, according to observers, remains in question. In this regard, Vice-Speaker of the State Council of Crimea Remzi Ilyasov proposed adopting a law guaranteeing the use of these languages on an equal basis with Russian in various fields. However, his legislative initiative was negatively perceived by government officials and individual experts. Politicians believe the bill's prospects for passage are unlikely.

At the end of February this year, Vice Speaker of the State Council Remzi Ilyasov registered the bill “On the functioning of state languages and other languages in the Republic of Crimea.” The document, in particular, provides for the teaching and study of Crimean Tatar, Russian and Ukrainian languages as the state languages of Crimea, as well as the creation of conditions for the study and teaching of other languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation living in Crimea. All three languages, according to the draft law, are taught and studied in state and municipal educational organizations located on the territory of the republic.

In addition, the bill provides for the use of the three state languages of Crimea in the work of Crimean authorities and local self-government. Citizens of the Russian Federation living in the territory of Crimea who do not speak state languages are given the right to speak at meetings, conferences, meetings in government agencies, organizations, enterprises and institutions in the language they speak.

Also on the territory of Crimea, citizens have the right to contact government and local authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations with proposals, statements and complaints in state languages or in other languages.

“Officials of state authorities of the Republic of Crimea, local government bodies, state enterprises, institutions and organizations are required to speak the state language of the Russian Federation and one of the state languages of the Republic of Crimea to the extent necessary for the performance of their official duties,” says one of the paragraphs of the bill. “Heads of state authorities and local governments create conditions for employees to master state languages to the extent necessary to perform their official duties.”

The draft law proposed by Ilyasov also spells out liability in case of violation of Crimean language legislation.

As stated in the explanatory note, the bill, taking into account historical features, lays “the legal basis for the use and development of state languages in Crimea, provides for the creation of the necessary conditions for the study of state languages, and also defines the basic principles for the regulation and functioning of other languages in the field of state, economic and cultural life, based on two fundamental norms of international law: all ethnic groups have the right to use their native language and culture; the right of an ethnic group to preserve its national and cultural identity.”

According to the author of the bill, its adoption will resolve issues related to the legislative support for the functioning of the state languages of Crimea, and will also create additional conditions for the implementation of constitutional guarantees of the rights of citizens to use their native language, to freely choose the language of education and training, taking into account regional, national and ethnocultural characteristics republics.

“The bill does not correspond to the realities of Crimea”

The top officials of the republic have not yet directly expressed their opinion on the draft law proposed by Ilyasov. However, at a meeting with teachers of Krymsky federal university(KFU) Head of the State Council Vladimir Konstantinov, discussing the need for compulsory study of the Crimean Tatar language, stated that he was opposed to such an initiative. This is how Konstantinov responded to the proposal of KFU professor, Doctor of Philology Aider Memetov that the Crimean Tatar language, as a state language, is subject to compulsory education.

“If you force me to learn the Crimean Tatar language, I will learn it the way I learned English - I don’t remember anything since then that was taught to me. You can force someone to teach, but the result can be completely opposite. Here we need to find some completely different forms,” Konstantinov said.

Later, associate professor at KFU, member of the commission on education and science, youth affairs and sports of the Public Chamber of the Republic Victor Kharabuga stated that the bill on the functioning of state languages does not correspond to the realities of Crimea.

According to him, the document submitted by Ilyasov for consideration by the State Council “blindly copies” the legislation of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. “We need to understand the difference between the situation in these two republics and in Crimea. Both of these republics are the national statehood of the Bashkirs and Tatars. The Republic of Crimea is not like that. Crimea is a territorial autonomy, the subject of statehood of which is its entire multinational people. There are no indigenous people or ethnic groups on the peninsula that would have the right to create their own national statehood here,” Kharabuga said in a commentary for Crimea Media.

An associate professor at the Crimean Federal University believes that, in accordance with these constitutional provisions, the compulsory study of languages declared as state languages in Crimea cannot be imposed on Crimeans. “These languages, of course, must function, meet the needs of their ethnic communities and have the support of the state. But they cannot be imposed by the state on this or that person as mandatory to study,” he is convinced.

The priority in this situation, according to Kharabuga, should be the “principle of voluntariness.” “If a person wants to study a particular language or study in it, such a right should be given to him, which today is being successfully resolved even in the absence of this law on languages,” the expert believes.

L. Grach:Before you become a judge, pass exams in three languages

Politicians interviewed by the publication Crimea.Realities, they doubt that the bill proposed by Remzi Ilyasov will be supported by the State Council. At the same time, they agree that the adoption of such a document would have a positive impact on the situation in Crimea.

First Deputy Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Nariman Celal believes that the ideas contained in the bill should have been implemented even earlier. “Two points need to be highlighted here: firstly, that all schoolchildren should have studied the Crimean Tatar language, and by today we would have a whole generation, or even more than one, of young people who would know one of the languages at an elementary level Crimea – in this case, the language of the indigenous people. And the fact that every Crimean Tatar had the right and opportunity to apply to all official institutions and authorities, receive answers or perform some other actions using their native language,” Dzhelal emphasized.

In his opinion, speculation that it is difficult for someone to learn a language is absolutely inappropriate, because no one demands that children of other nationalities study the language at a deep professional level. “As a former teacher, I know that for children with their open minds there are no difficulties. They learn whatever is taught to them,” added the first deputy head of the Mejlis.

He also noted that for the development of tolerance in Crimea, learning the Crimean Tatar language would be extremely important. Regarding the prospects for the adoption of Ilyasov’s bill, Jelal responded as follows: “Taking into account the statement of the head of parliament and court political scientists, I have very serious doubts that the bill will be adopted in the form in which it is needed for Crimea and the Crimean Tatars.”

The head of the Crimean republican branch of the political party “Communists of Russia”, ex-speaker of the autonomous parliament, also does not believe in the adoption of this draft law Leonid Grach .

“Knowing the current leadership of Crimea, its anti-Tatar sentiments in terms of attitude towards all media, this is unlikely, these are people of opportunism,” said L. Grach.

At the same time, according to the communist, the adoption of such a bill in Crimea is necessary: “What Ilyasov proposes, he, as it were, deciphers the Constitution of Crimea, which spells out the state status of three languages.”

“Anyone who wants to see himself as an official should prepare to learn languages. I don't see any problems in this. This is also impossible: to proclaim the equality of three languages, and then come to court, and the judge, who does not know either Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar, will tell you that he does not have an interpreter. Before you become a judge, pass exams in three languages,” noted Leonid Grach.

He is not surprised by Konstantinov’s reaction to the initiative to compulsorily study state languages: “This is not surprising, knowing the expressions he uses, his illiteracy in Russian, not to mention the fact that he will never master either Crimean Tatar or Ukrainian.”

At the same time, in Ilyasov’s initiative, Grach saw the vice speaker’s desire to earn political points in the fight against his former comrades in the Mejlis.

Crimea. Realities

15:10 — REGNUM

In Crimean schools, the number of children who choose to study Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages is decreasing. If in the 2012-2013 academic year 10.5% of schoolchildren studied in the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages, then in 2015-2016 - just over 3%, the correspondent reports IA REGNUM.

According to the Ukrainian State Statistics Service, in the 2012-2013 academic year in secondary schools in Crimea (excluding students from boarding schools and special classes organized at secondary schools), 89.32% of students received education in Russian, 7.41% in Ukrainian, 3.11% - in Crimean Tatar, and 0.15% studied in English. At the same time, the Ukrainian agency does not disclose real figures.

According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of the Republic of Crimea, in the 2013-2014 academic year ( Last year education in Crimean schools according to the school curriculum of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education) 5,500 schoolchildren studied in the Crimean Tatar language on the peninsula, in 2015 - 4,835 people. At the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, the ministry announced a figure of 5,083 children (2.76% of Crimean schoolchildren). “Compared to the last academic year (2014-2015), the number of students in classes with the Crimean Tatar language of instruction increased by 188 people,” the ministry stated in September 2015.

Ukrainian was the language of instruction in 2013-2014 for 12.6 thousand children in Crimea. In 2015, only 894 children studied there, which was 0.5% of the total number of students in the republic. In September 2015, the ministry cited a figure of 949 students at the beginning of the school year.

The Ministry of Education of the Republic reminded that the choice of language of instruction is the right of parents, and if they exercise this right, then schools are looking for an opportunity to meet the demand. “In the Republic of Crimea, in accordance with the law on education, parents themselves determine the language of instruction for their children, that is, they must write a statement stating what language the child should be taught in,” the department noted. “Now parents are writing such statements, and complete data on the number of students and schools where Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages are the languages of instruction will be processed by the Ministry of Education of the Republic after the start of the school year - in September,” the press service reports.

Fluctuations in the popularity of the Crimean Tatar language among schoolchildren are difficult to explain. “Perhaps parents simply do not know that they have the right to come and write an application for their child’s education in their native language,” the ministry suggests. The Ukrainian language in the republic has simply lost its relevance: the Ukrainian military left Crimea with their families, the Ukrainian language is no longer required for Crimean applicants to enter universities in Ukraine, since there is no longer a need to enroll there. In addition, in Ukraine, Ukrainian is the only state language; all office work and even instructions for medicines in pharmacies are in it; until 2014, Crimean children were forced to learn it.

Let us remind you that there are now three official languages in Crimea: Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar. The Ministry of Education of Crimea assures that there are enough textbooks and manuals in all three languages.

Especially for Crimea.Realities

During the years of Russian occupation, the number of children studying Ukrainian in Crimea has decreased tenfold. But the Russian authorities do not see this as a problem, explaining this situation only by a decrease in the interest of Crimeans in one of the official languages of the peninsula.

Head of the Kremlin-controlled State Committee for Affairs interethnic relations and deported citizens Zaur Smirnov On September 19, 2017, at a press conference in Simferopol, he said that no one oppresses the Ukrainian language in Crimea. “We all understand perfectly well that there is no oppression of the Ukrainian language. We all know why interest in it has decreased - because it used to be instilled. There is no harassment from the authorities. It’s just that the Ukrainian language in Crimea will have to start over,” he emphasized.

How can we talk about “implanting” the Ukrainian language if there were only 8 schools teaching in Ukrainian on the entire peninsula?

However, the occupation authorities are once again turning everything upside down. How can we talk about “implanting” the Ukrainian language in Crimean schools if there were only 8 schools teaching in the Ukrainian language throughout the entire peninsula? If out of 209,986 students (as of September 1, 2013), only 13,688 children (6.5%) studied in Ukrainian. With this “implantation”, the number of classes with the Russian language of instruction exceeded the number of classes with the Ukrainian language by 9 times (7731 versus 829).

True, the Ukrainian language was compulsory for all school students, starting from 1st grade. But it was studied only as a subject, while in the vast majority of schools in Crimea, teaching was conducted in Russian. In addition, 206,866 children (99.2%) studied Russian as a subject, 18,020 students (8.6%) studied Crimean Tatar.

At the same time, on the entire peninsula (including Sevastopol) there were only 8 schools with the Ukrainian language of instruction and 15 with Crimean Tatar. Russian was taught in 414 schools in Crimea (66% of the total number of Crimean schools).

One of the official languages of the peninsula actually found itself in a pariah position in Crimea

According to the Russian-controlled Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Crimea, as of September 1, 2016, 192.3 thousand children were studying in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Of these, only 371 children (0.2%) received secondary education in Ukrainian. Thus, over the three years of Russian rule, the number of children studying in Ukrainian decreased by 37 times, the number of schools where teaching is conducted in Ukrainian decreased by 8 times (from 8 to 1), and the number of Ukrainian classes in Crimea fell by almost 30 times (from 829 in 2013 to 28 in 2016). Let's add to this almost one hundred percent training in Russian in the system of special and higher education and we will get a real picture that completely refutes the words of the occupation authorities in Crimea. But after the annexation of Crimea, one of the official languages of the peninsula, which was recognized as such by the occupation authorities themselves, in fact found itself in a pariah position in Crimea.

The Russian authorities, citing such figures, say that Crimeans do not want to learn the Ukrainian language. However, this is far from true - school administrations, under various pretexts (heavy workload, lack of teachers, premises, etc.), refuse children to study the Ukrainian language even as a subject, not to mention the opening of Ukrainian classes.

The only thing that is still allowed is to study the language optionally, which is what 12,892 children (6.7%) do. But if these kids are willing to spend free time for additional classes, it is quite obvious that they would be happy to learn Ukrainian in class. But the Kremlin-controlled Crimean authorities deprived them of this opportunity.

Crimean authorities are trying to reduce the number of Ukrainian languages in order to make it more difficult for children to enter universities in mainland Ukraine

It is possible that one of the reasons why the Russian authorities in Crimea are limiting the study of the Ukrainian language in every possible way was Ukraine’s expansion of opportunities for applicants from the peninsula. In 2017, Kyiv has 2,604 budget places for Crimean residents in different universities of the country. And although the final results of the admissions campaign regarding Crimeans admitted to universities in mainland Ukraine have not yet been summed up, even preliminary results indicate, albeit a small, increase in students from Crimea in Ukrainian universities.

At the same time, Crimean universities are reporting a shortage of budget places, which is quite obvious - young people understand the futility of studying on the peninsula, preferring to travel either to mainland Ukraine or to neighboring Russia. Therefore, the Russian authorities in Crimea are trying by any means to reduce the number of Ukrainian languages in order to further complicate the process of entering universities in mainland Ukraine for children.

As a result, a paradoxical situation is emerging on the peninsula: learning the language of the second largest nation, Crimea, has been reduced to almost zero. The Ukrainian language itself has not yet come under a complete ban, but the taboo of everything Ukrainian makes even its study an undertaking, if not dangerous, then extremely undesirable.

Evgenia Goryunova, Crimean political scientist

The views expressed in the “Opinion” column convey the point of view of the authors themselves and do not always reflect the position of the editors

It might be useful to read:

Are Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages ​​leaving Crimean schools? Ukrainian language in Crimea: pariah status What are the official languages ​​in Crimea