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Comment by 0x38B | Hacker News Reader

Not sure why this was posted here?

After reading this article, you’d think Ukraine is a terrible, dying place not worth visiting - a take that strays into “Russian propaganda” territory. But it’s not; even with all the corruption and dysfunction, Ukraine is a fun place to live, full of smart, energetic people. They’ve got so much potential.

Also: the capital is “Kyiv”, not “Kiev” - Kiev is the Russian spelling (but maybe that was deliberate?).

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In English it has always been spelled Kiev, and now when I check on Wikipedia it is Kyiv. This is a very recent change that I suspect most English speakers aren't even aware of.

Russian language was banned by Ukraine after the Maidan Massacre and anti-Russian revolution. So this is part of Ukraine strategy to move away from Russia and toward The West.

Russian language wasn’t banned. I’m a russian speaking Ukrainian. Everywhere I go I can speak russian. Legislature was changes to require workers to greet in ukrainian, yes. However, there are no restrictions on anyone speaking any language. This measure is supported by me, and most of my friends, as a way to counter-balance russification, a centuries-long process of forcing russian language in every sphere of life.

It is difficult for me to switch to Ukrainian, but I support any measure for next generation to use the language of our country.

Even if it means World War?

In a way, Ukraine might be safer than the west in case of ww3, since Russia wont want to nuke itself or nearest neighbour.

As an American I’ve always seen it as “Kiev” in sources/media.

#KyivNotKiev[0] slowly adapted by news media in last years.[1,2]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KyivNotKiev

[1] https://twitter.com/CorrectUA

[2] https://twitter.com/search?f=live&q=from%3AMFA_Ukraine+inclu...

In Anglosphere we always spelled it Kiev. I understand their desire to separate from Russia, but you can't force other countries to change their language. We don't use Deutschland or Kyiv.

> but you can't force other countries to change their language.

You are a bit late, because Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine already doing this.[0,1,2]

On Twitter 'MFA_Ukraine' and 'CorrectUA' already posted successful cases.[3]

[0] https://mfa.gov.ua/news/67521-correctua-mzs-ukrajini-zvertaj...

[1] https://poland.mfa.gov.ua/pl/news/67529-correctua-mzs-ukraji...

[2] https://kenya.mfa.gov.ua/news/6885-whats-in-a-name-the-switc...

[3] https://twitter.com/search?f=live&q=%23KyivNotKiev+from%3AMF...

Oh I know about the campaign, my point is that you cannot force people in other countries to change their language. We spell Kyiv Kiev.

"You may know it as Myanmar, but it will always be Burma to me" -Seinfeld

"It might be rice wine to you, but it's saki to me*"

- Laugh-In, 1968

* 'sock it to me'

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