On October 27, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language, a day symbolizing the enduring achievements of our people across the centuries. Today, as Ukraine faces the challenges of war brought to our land by the occupier, this significance is felt even more deeply.

Before Russia’s occupation of Crimea, in the 2013/2014 school year, 13,589 children in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea were receiving education in Ukrainian. However, by the 2018/2019 school year, monitoring of open sources from the occupying state indicated that only 249 students, or 0.2% of the total, were studying in Ukrainian in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

As an occupying state, Russia uses education in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as a means of assimilating the population, creating conditions in which education is conducted primarily in Russian. The enemy aims to suppress our national identity by attempting to erase Ukrainian language and culture.

Children and youth living in temporarily occupied Crimea have no access to Ukrainian language studies and must rely on alternative tools: online courses, tutors, or self-study.

In such difficult times, it is crucial to remember the value of the Ukrainian language. Let us preserve and support Ukrainian language and writing. Teach them to our children, reminding them how vital this is for our country. In times of war, language unites us and gives us the strength to resist the aggressor.