BILINGUALISM IN TIMES OF WAR. THE UKRAINIAN CASE

Maksym Cheremisin

doi:10.36074/logos-13.03.2026.030

BILINGUALISM IN TIMES OF WAR. THE UKRAINIAN CASE

Maksym Cheremisin

Conference proceedings: Collection of scientific papers «ΛΌГOΣ» with Proceedings of the VII International Scientific and Practical Conference «Theoretical and practical aspects of modern scientific research» (March 13, 2026; Seoul, South Korea)

Section: Philology and Journalism

Publication date: 2026/03/13

Pages: 164-171

DOI: 10.36074/logos-13.03.2026.030

ISBN: 978-617-8440-88-6

Publisher: Case Co., Ltd.

Language: en

PDF for indexing Original PDF in OJS archive DOI

Abstract

This paper examines changes in bilingual practices in Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian war, with particular attention to language choice and identity under conditions of conflict. The study shows that while Ukrainian–Russian bilingualism persists, its social and symbolic meanings have shifted. Ukrainian increasingly functions as a marker of civic and moral identification, whereas Russian is limited to more restricted communicative contexts.

Author affiliations

Maksym Cheremisin: Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa, POLAND; ORCID

References

Auer, P. (1998). Code-switching in conversation: Language, interaction and identity. London: Routledge.
Bilaniuk, L. (2005). Contested tongues: Language politics and cultural correction in Ukraine. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Blommaert, J. (2010). The sociolinguistics of globalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Blommaert, J., & Rampton, B. (2011). Language and superdiversity. Diversities, 13(2), 1–21.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K. (2005). Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach. Discourse Studies, 7(4–5), 585–614.
Bugarski, R. (2005). Language and identity in the Balkans. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Edwards, J. (2009). Language and identity: An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fishman, J. A. (1991). Reversing language shift: Theoretical and empirical foundations of assistance to threatened languages. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Greenberg, R. D. (2004). Language and identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croatian and its disintegration. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Grosjean, F. (1982). Life with two languages: An introduction to bilingualism. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Gumperz, J. J. (1982). Discourse strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hogan-Brun, G., Ozolins, U., Ramonienė, M., & Rannut, M. (2008). Language policy and practice in the Baltic states. Current Issues in Language Planning, 9(4), 469–504.
Joseph, J. E. (2004). Language and identity: National, ethnic, religious. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Kulyk, V. (2018). Shedding Russianness, recasting Ukrainianness: The post-Euromaidan dynamics of bilingual identity. Post-Soviet Affairs, 34(2–3), 119–138.
Masenko, L. (2017). Mova i suspil’stvo: Movna polityka ta movni konflikty v suchasnii Ukraini. Kyiv: Krytyka.
Pavlenko, A. (2008). Multilingualism in post-Soviet countries: Language revival, language removal, and sociolinguistic theory. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 11(3–4), 275–314.
Pavlenko, A. (2011). Language rights versus speakers’ rights: On the applicability of Western language policy models in Eastern Europe. Language Policy, 10(1), 37–58.
Pavlenko, A., & Blackledge, A. (2004). Negotiation of identities in multilingual contexts. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Shohamy, E. (2006). Language policy: Hidden agendas and new approaches. London: Routledge.
Spolsky, B. (2009). Language management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Weinreich, U. (1953). Languages in contact: Findings and problems. New York: Linguistic Circle of New York.

[1] Auer, P. (1998). Code-switching in conversation: Language, interaction and identity. London: Routledge.

[2] Bilaniuk, L. (2005). Contested tongues: Language politics and cultural correction in Ukraine. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

[3] Blommaert, J. (2010). The sociolinguistics of globalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[4] Blommaert, J., & Rampton, B. (2011). Language and superdiversity. Diversities, 13(2), 1–21.

[5] Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

[6] Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K. (2005). Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach. Discourse Studies, 7(4–5), 585–614.

[7] Bugarski, R. (2005). Language and identity in the Balkans. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[8] Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

[9] Edwards, J. (2009). Language and identity: An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[10] Fishman, J. A. (1991). Reversing language shift: Theoretical and empirical foundations of assistance to threatened languages. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

[11] Greenberg, R. D. (2004). Language and identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croatian and its disintegration. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[12] Grosjean, F. (1982). Life with two languages: An introduction to bilingualism. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

[13] Gumperz, J. J. (1982). Discourse strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[14] Hogan-Brun, G., Ozolins, U., Ramonienė, M., & Rannut, M. (2008). Language policy and practice in the Baltic states. Current Issues in Language Planning, 9(4), 469–504.

[15] Joseph, J. E. (2004). Language and identity: National, ethnic, religious. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

[16] Kulyk, V. (2018). Shedding Russianness, recasting Ukrainianness: The post-Euromaidan dynamics of bilingual identity. Post-Soviet Affairs, 34(2–3), 119–138.

[17] Masenko, L. (2017). Mova i suspil’stvo: Movna polityka ta movni konflikty v suchasnii Ukraini. Kyiv: Krytyka.

[18] Pavlenko, A. (2008). Multilingualism in post-Soviet countries: Language revival, language removal, and sociolinguistic theory. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 11(3–4), 275–314.

[19] Pavlenko, A. (2011). Language rights versus speakers’ rights: On the applicability of Western language policy models in Eastern Europe. Language Policy, 10(1), 37–58.

[20] Pavlenko, A., & Blackledge, A. (2004). Negotiation of identities in multilingual contexts. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

[21] Shohamy, E. (2006). Language policy: Hidden agendas and new approaches. London: Routledge.

[22] Spolsky, B. (2009). Language management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[23] Weinreich, U. (1953). Languages in contact: Findings and problems. New York: Linguistic Circle of New York.