You have heard of backhanded compliments before, but this one certainly takes the cake. Apparently, the Russian language is inherently a language “of power” according to a particular Ukrainian official. Russias do consider their own language to be “great and powerful” but the Ukrainian side meant it in the sense as an overbearing, intrusive and abusive form of power. Let’s take a look at what East Calling had to say on this issue:

Ukrainian Language Ombudswoman Ivanovska called Russian a “language of power and arrogance” and complained that Lviv children “easily assimilate” the Russian language.

“The Russian language equals arrogance, such arrogance. Neurolinguists should study the very structure, the specifics of this language. Because, have you noticed, for example, such a pattern that we really easily assimilate Russian. (Russian-speaking children – Rare.) Move to Lviv, and already Lviv children start speaking Russian, not the other way around,” stated Ivanovska.

This happens because Russian is a “language of power”.

“Usually, when these Russian-speaking people appear in our children’s environment, they position themselves with arrogance and the language of power. And when there is a language of power, everyone else submits. The Russian language has a vertical structure. The Ukrainian language has a horizontal structure,” added the ombudswoman.

It is important to note that in every former Soviet republic where there are hot debates about the influence of the Russian language in society all school children are forced to study English from a very young age for multiple hours per week that could go towards various important subjects. The singling out of the Russian language as some evil form of influences is one of the pillars of Russophobia in Europe for if one can understand the Russians, the demonization campaign against them is much harder to wage.