Odesa to vote on banning Russian language in public arts

Odesa, Ukraine's third-largest city, is set to vote this week on a contentious proposal that would extend existing national restrictions on the Russian language into new areas of public life. The move carries particular weight because Odesa, a Black Sea port frequently targeted by Russian drone and missile attacks, remains overwhelmingly Russian-speaking. Everyday private conversation would not be affected.

The plan calls for ending Russian-language music and literature in streets, parks, state institutions and publicly run cultural venues, with a recommendation that private venues follow suit. It would also apply to classic Odesa songs familiar across the former Soviet Union, and Russian-language books would be pulled from prominent display in public libraries, though not banned outright from collections.

Supporters, including lawyer Artem Kartashov, argue Russian has been used as a tool of Russian influence that undermines Ukrainian identity, particularly among young people raised in Russian-speaking households. Opponents, such as well-known entertainer Borys Barsky, counter that Russian is the language of writers like Dostoyevsky and Bulgakov as much as of President Putin, and that dividing Ukrainians by language only serves Moscow's interests.

A 2019 law already requires Ukrainian in many public and professional settings, including education and customer service, and Barsky's Mask Theatre has already been fined for using Russian in promotional materials.

Critics of the new proposal, including anthropologist Anastasia Piliavsky, warn that further restrictions risk making Russian-speakers feel like second-class citizens and raise questions about the freedoms Ukraine is fighting to defend. Supporters, such as photographer Natalia Mykhailenko, see the measures as essential to overcoming Ukraine's colonial legacy.

It remains unclear whether the council has enough votes to pass the measure, given opposition from a bloc of councillors linked to former mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov. A 2022 national poll found 80% support for Ukrainian dominating all spheres of communication, yet a more recent survey of Kyiv students found 82% still speak Russian during school breaks.