(article)

Учітесь, читайте,                                             Learn and read
І чужому научайтесь,                                    And study from foreigners
Й свого не цурайтесь.                                   And don`t shy away from yours,
Бо хто матір забуває,                                     For whoever forgets their Mother,
Того бог карає…    (Тарас Шевченко)      God punishes them    (Taras Shevchenko)

The Ukrainian language, which belongs to the East Slavic language family, has a rich and complex history. Its development was shaped by various cultural, political and social factors.

The roots of the Ukrainian language can be traced back to the Proto-Slavic language, which is believed to have been spoken by the population of Eastern Europe about 2,500 years ago. As it developed, this language eventually split into three main branches: East Slavic, West Slavic, and South Slavic.

During the period of Mongol rule, the Ukrainian language was significantly influenced by Turkic languages. Therefore, there are many borrowed Turkic words in the Ukrainian language, in particular in the military, administrative and cultural spheres.

Under Lithuanian rule, the Ukrainian language was used as the language of administration and culture in certain regions.

Polish became the main language of the Commonwealth of Nations somewhere in the 16-18th centuries. It had an important impact on the Ukrainian language too. But Ukrainian was able to survive as a spoken language, especially in rural areas.

The Soviet Union sought to suppress Ukrainian nationalism and promote Russian as the state language. Just as in the 19th century, their predecessors tried to delete the language by introducing the Valuev Circular, the Ems Ukaz (decree) and other bans on the use of Ukrainian, so in the 20th century they did the same. They tried to kill or exile the entire Ukrainian intelligentsia in order to root out everything Ukrainian.

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked a new era for the Ukrainian language and culture. During the years of independence, Ukraine took a significant step in promoting Ukrainian as a national language. However, the old problems remain, as the Russian language continues to be widespread in some regions of Ukraine.

Today, the Ukrainian language is a bright and dynamic language with a rich literary and cultural heritage. It will play a central role in the formation of our future nation.