The Ukrainian Language: The Heroic Story of a Language That Just Won’t Quit

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Special thanks to Inna from @SpeakUkrainian for her help on this video. Please consider supporting her charity to help Ukrainians in Kherson:

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⏱ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro
0:39 - What is Ukrainian?
1:02 - Origins
1:38 - Old Ukrainian
3:48 - The Rule of the Tsars
4:40 - “Little Russian”
6:26 - Ukrainization
7:22 - Linguistic Genocide
9:57 - Ukrainian Becomes Its Own Thing
10:35 - What’s Modern Ukrainian Like?
11:31 - Dialects
13:04 - Ukrainian Around the World
13:51 - How the Language Works
14:38 - Ukrainian Grammar
15:41 - Ukrainian Writing System
17:01 - Is Ukrainian Difficult to Learn?

📜 SOURCES & ATTRIBUTIONS:

🎬 Video Clips:

Ой у вишневому саду Ucranian folk song

WIKITONGUES: Vira speaking Ukrainian

Закарпатский диалект

Ой у вишневому саду - Удивительное выступление!

Alex Zakharchuk читає вірш Володимира Сосюри "Так ніхто не кохав"

🖼 Images:

[andriikoshman]

I am Luxembourgish and learned Ukrainian language, it is amasing, just like the people of this country!

[tsynichnazhaba]

I’m Ukrainian and reading all these sweet comments about people all around the world learning Ukrainian or simply being interested in Ukrainian culture/history/language makes me so emotional. I really want to cry. Thank you guys for your support and thanks Olly for this video. You guys remind us that we are not alone or forgotten in this fight against evil.

[МаріяЛіпінська]

I am Ukrainian) And I really appreciate that foreigners like you tell our tragic history especially in this time of war. We’re fighting for independence right now and your support is very important for Ukrainians. Thank you❤

[genshin_lore_enjoyer]

Hi from Latvia!! I learn Ukrainian language now also to support Ukrainians and have more information about their culture!

[lisad]

I have been learning Ukrainian for 10 months now, and teaching English to Ukrainians as a volunteer. They are a beautiful, friendly, resourceful, and strong people. I am not surprised that they fought so hard to maintain their language, songs, history, and culture. May they be successful in holding strong again. Моя любов до народу України.

[Leontyk]

I am Ukrainian raised in russified Kharkiv. I went to school a couple of years before Ukraine became Independent. I had 1 lesson of Ukrainian per week as of the 2nd grade. My older brothers learned it after their 4th grade. All the subjects were taught in russian back than and the most common career path for the academically inclined or just talented kuds led to moscow.

I actually learned Ukrainian during my highschool years thanks to a wonderful teacher who came from Volyn region. Building Ukrainian identity for me was a conscious effort. My daughter though grew up trilingual as her school years lasted after the Revolution of Dignity and the war of 2014. As we left our home city on Feb.24 2022, she never spoke a word of russian again. I hope she will never have to.

Thank you for putting together this concise history of our language and for your support!

[marekurbaniak]

I am from Poland and now I learn Ukrainian. Big thanks for this video covering the language of our neighbors and friends. Слава Україні! 💙💛

[DeutscherKreuzfahre]

нічо собі... дякую британський друже, за те, що розказуєш англомовній аудиторії за нашу мову🤝🏻

[artemkuchin]

It’s almost impossible to find such video without tones of russian bots comments in 2024.
Thank you for this compact but very informative video. Our fight continues and your support helps us! 🇺🇦

[PowerPuff_cheeeze]

Fun fact: "Carol of the Bells" was adapted from "The Little Swallow" (or Bountiful Evening, or Shchedryk) – ukrainian shchedrivka (we singing it in Shchedryi Vechir). It was written by Ukrainian composer and teacher Mykola Leontovych (he lived and was killed in my oblast)

[HelgaTopolska]

being Ukrainian and a native speaker of this language, being a granddaughter of Holodomor survivor, I want to say thank you so much for your work.
thank you so much!

[imdoingwell]

I’m American-Ukrainian. I’m learning Ukraine for my mother and my family, which are in Ukraine. I am so, so, so happy that Ukraine and it’s language is gaining such more attention and etc. Thank you for educating us!

[nmdskm]

I'm from Ukraine and I think your work is awesome. Ukrainians and russians are not the same and our native languages as well. We want to let world know about that. Дякую.

[anem]

man, thank you so much from Ukraine. The only thing you say "Kyiv" just make me happy at this time,

[ludmilashchogla]

My grandmother lost all her family during Holodomor, that Sovet Union made for ukrainian people.... I was little, but those terrible events my grandmother told me about remained in my memory forever.💔They always wanted to destroy our nation, language, culture and the state of Ukraine....But we are fighting and we will never give up before them. We will live, develop our country and cultury. Glory to Ukraine.Glory to Heroes who defend us at the cost of their own lives💙💛

[misterX-Good-old-games]

Дякую за твою роботу, друже! Наша мова не вмре і не загине, скільки б вороги на неї не зазіхали! Слава Україні!

[sergiobasilico]

I am Ukrainian and I greatly appreciate that you made this video. Thank you! Щиро дякую! 💙💛

[jonasjonava]

If you know Czech, Polish - a group of Slavic languages, it's easy to learn Ukrainian. I understand about 80%, I can also read Ukrainian. I write only with the help of the Google translate program. Glory to Ukraine!!! Lithuania. Kaunas 1000k❤️❤️❤️

[MFPiano]

I'm am Ukrainian. Thank you for popularizing our true history to the world. Greetings from Ukraine 🙏

[JERRY_HEIL]

How well you know the history of our country! SO IMPRESSED💙💛💪🏽 thank you for doing this for us!