Household Russian-Language Communication as an Existential Challenge in the Vision of Ukrainian Youth

Abstract

The article examines one of the important aspects of the language issue in Ukraine – the use of the Russian language in everyday life (everyday communication). According to the Constitution of Ukraine, it is one of the languages ​​of national minorities, however, as a result of Russia’s neo-imperial policy, this language has become a lever of modern hybrid war, and in this sense it is a key ideological tool for encroaching on the national security of Ukraine, its state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The main factors of «fluctuations» in the household use of the Russian language by the young population (senior schoolchildren) of Ukraine are substantiated. According to the authors, these are the following factors: a person’s permanent stay in a relevant social (micro)environment, historical tradition (which is very noticeable at the family level), belonging to different age groups (uneven degree of a person’s dependence on social values, landmarks, hobbies), state policy as a set of measures aimed (or not) at strengthening the security strategy. Realizing the complexity of understanding and the difficulties of solving the problem, it is proposed to interpret its various aspects through the criterion of an existential challenge, which is Russian aggression, which aims to destroy the Ukrainian national community.

The analysis of everyday Russian-speaking communication of high school students convincingly demonstrates several circumstances that stand in the way of creating innovative approaches and relevant social practices. First, young people are rarely guided by current legislation, instead preferring established traditions, social moods, and fleeting conjuncture. Secondly, the change of generations has little effect, because in the family (family) a critical rethinking of the language issue is relatively rare. Thirdly, an adequate response to the current existential challenge is possible when a person is able to rise to higher standards of spirituality and morality, and in adolescence this requires additional efforts from the state and the person himself.