Ukraine's language ombudsman laments absence of comics, rappers fluent in Ukrainian
KYIV. Feb 21 (Interfax) - Ukraine should create Ukrainian-language cultural products in areas which currently lack them, in order to make the official language prestigious and interesting, Ukrainian Commissioner for the Protection of the Official Language Tatiana Monakhova said.
"Until the Ukrainian language spreads to every sphere of life, not just the public one, until Ukraine has a normal rap culture in Ukrainian, proper rap in Ukrainian, young people are watching YouTube, and until we have stand-ups and comics speaking Ukrainian, popular YouTube channels, until that time, we remain in this official state where the language law regulates public spheres of socializing," Monakhova said at a roundtable entitled "Language Unites, Diversity Enriches," in Kyiv on Friday.
The Ukrainian language must be prestigious, interesting, and beneficial, she said. "For these three mercantile reasons, it should be promoted, as the young people say, in Ukraine," Monakhova said.
On February 21, Ukraine will mark International Mother Tongue Day.