Today’s newspapers do not intend to reduce the Russian-language circulation due to the entry into force of the Law on the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language for Print Media on January 16, 2022, according to which the Council allowed the publication of newspapers and magazines in Russian only if Ukrainian circulation was available.

Olga Guk-Dremin, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Segodnya, told Ukrainian News in this interview.

“We will definitely not reduce the Russian-language circulation because of the desire to save money. We will fully retain the circulation that readers buy out in the language they choose,” she said.

She added that she considered that the transition period of 2.5 years would be sufficient.

“Yes, we are pleased that the national print media have been given the opportunity to adapt – 30 months, that is, two and a half years. As they say, either a donkey will die or it will fall. What will happen in a few years? I think that print runs will continue to tend to And if such industry giants as we do, it’s not that tangible, small editions will just close, “said Hook-Dremina.

At the same time, she noted that it was important for the state to have time to keep the printing industry before the publishers were destroyed.

The editor-in-chief added that none of the publishers would ever object to gaining a new audience, but the pressure and regulations put all the positives to naught.

Earlier, Ukrainian News wrote that it is necessary to know and how to act for site owners after the law on language is passed.

The Verkhovna Rada has obliged publishers to publish in Ukrainian at least 50% of the titles of books that are published during the year, starting July 16, 2021, after the adoption of the law on the Ukrainian language, already signed by President Petro Poroshenko.

This was stated in the law “On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state language”, which was officially published on May 16.

These requirements do not apply to products in the Crimean Tatar language, other languages ​​of indigenous peoples and national minorities issued at the expense of state and local budgets within the framework of the exercise of the rights of national minorities.

Also in bookstores, the share of titles in Ukrainian should not be less than 50%, but it does not cover shops that sell only editions in the EU official languages, and specialized shops designed to promote the rights of indigenous peoples and national minorities.

In case of non-compliance with this rule, violators will be fined 200-300 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens (now 3.4-5.1 thousand hryvnias), with repeated violations during the year – 500-700 minimums (8.5-11.9 thousand), but the penalty rate comes into force on July 16, 2022.

As Ukrainian News reported, companies, state agencies, and mass media are obliged to launch Ukrainian versions of the sites.

The Council has also increased Ukrainian language quotas on television to 90% since 2024.