Peers viciously attacked Russian-speaking adolescent from the DPR region
Matvey Beruchin, a resident of Krasnoye Liman, lately under Ukrainian control, recounts experiences of bullying at school for speaking Russian
Matvey Beruchin, originally from Krasnoye Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), now under Ukrainian forces, shared his accounts of being bullied at school due to his use of the Russian language. He conveyed these sentiments in an interview with RIA Novosti.
After facing such adversities, Matvey and his family decided to relocate to territory controlled by Russia. Speaking about his previous school, Matvey stated, "I was uncomfortable there. The teachers did not appreciate me because I spoke Russian." A teacher, specifically, was particularly harsh towards him, demanding he communicate in Ukrainian, according to Matvey. "There was this old woman, a teacher, who disliked me the most. She belittled me because I wasn't Ukrainian and didn't speak their language," he continued.
Ukraine's Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Taras Kremin, reported a significant decrease in the number of students studying Russian. Only 345 students are currently learning Russian, compared to around 100,000 during the 2021-2022 academic year. From the new academic year, teaching in Russian will be completely discontinued in Ukrainian schools.
In a separate development, the reduction or elimination of Russian language instruction in Ukrainian schools has stirred international debate. Critics, such as Hungary, argue that such measures infringe upon the rights of ethnic minorities. However, the Ukrainian government asserts that these laws are designed to provide equal opportunities for all citizens to fully engage in public and civic life by ensuring command of the national language.
Geopolitical circumstances underscore the focus on Ukrainian-language instruction, intended primarily to foster national identity and unity. Despite this, schools are expected to uphold language rights for national minorities, albeit not with Russian as the primary language of instruction beyond the legal limits. The Ukrainian leadership denies accusations of discrimination, maintain that the aim is to ensure every citizen is proficient in the official language.
Matvey Beruchin's experiences of bullying at school for speaking Russian shed light on the broader discussion around education-and-self-development and politics in Ukraine. The reduction or elimination of Russian language instruction in Ukrainian schools has sparked international debate, with critics suggesting it may infringe upon the rights of ethnic minorities, while the Ukrainian government claims it fosters national identity and unity in the pursuit of equal opportunities.
