The Transformation of Bilingualism in Ukraine: Language Practices and National Identity

Abstract

This article examines the transformation of Ukrainian–Russian bilingualism in Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, focusing on changes in the dominant language of everyday interpersonal communication and the relationship between language choice and national self-identification. The analysis of available sociological and empirical evidence indicates that the shift towards Ukrainian is not limited to a change in language use.The shift in language use after 2022 has been accompanied by a change in the social meaning of language choice. For the speakers represented in the analysed studies, choosing Ukrainian serves as a way of emphasizing their Ukrainian national belonging. Thus, the transformation concerns not only which language people use in everyday communication, but also what their language choice expresses in the changed sociopolitical context.