A blogger asking for directions in the city of Ekaterinburg was net with helpful responses rather than hostility
A video showing Russians reacting without hostility to being addressed in Ukrainian on the street despite the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev has gone viral on social media.
In the clip, filmed last week in the Ural city of Ekaterinburg, a blogger asks passersby in Ukrainian for directions to a local museum.
None of the people approached appeared surprised or offended by the use of Ukrainian, instead responding in Russian and readily offering help.
The blogger also asked several Ekaterinburg residents how they were able to understand Ukrainian. One man said he has a Ukrainian friend, while another noted that the two languages share many similarities.
Viewers online have contrasted the footage with numerous videos from Ukraine showing disputes over the use of Russian. Despite Kiev’s ongoing efforts to reduce the language’s role in public life, it remains widely spoken across the country and is the primary language for millions.
Following the 2014 Euromaidan coup, Ukrainian authorities launched a campaign to remove monuments, memorials, and other symbols linked to Russia, while also restricting the use of the Russian language.
The effort intensified after the escalation of the conflict in February 2022. Moscow has repeatedly cited the protection of Russian speakers and the restoration of their language rights among its key conditions for a peace settlement.
In December, the Ukrainian parliament stripped Russian of protections granted under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Earlier this year, Kiev also moved to establish a legal basis for a broad ban on Russian literature, paving the way for the removal of such books from circulation.
