The city council of Odesa, Ukraine's third-largest city, is considering a proposal to ban the use of the Russian language in public spaces, including music and literature. The plan, which would affect 80% of the city's population who are native Russian speakers, has sparked strong emotions among residents, with some arguing that the language is a tool of Russian influence. If approved, the ban would extend to public libraries, where Russian-language books would be removed from display, and to state-run arts venues. The proposal comes as part of a broader effort by Odesa authorities to "decolonise" the city's historic Russian legacy.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Ukraine's third-biggest city Odesa will decide this week whether to back a controversial plan to ban the Russian language in the arts.
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city → decide → arts
The proposal being considered by councillors in Odesa on the Black Sea coast aims to add to existing restrictions on Russian imposed by national legislation.
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proposal → consider → legislation
It is particularly significant because Odesa is overwhelmingly Russian-speaking, although the ban would only affect public spaces and everyday usage of Russian would remain unaffected.
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usage → speak → Russian
For millions of Ukrainians, Russian is their first language including many of the troops defending the country in its war with Russia.
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Russian → include → Russia
But Ukrainian is the only state language and spoken by the majority, and some see Russian as a tool of Russian influence.
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some → speak → influence
The proposal in Odesa, which is targeted daily by Russian drone and missile strikes, calls for a complete halt to Russian-language content in music and literature, in streets, parks, public institutions and state-run arts and entertainment venues.
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which → target → streets
It would also recommend a ban in privately owned spaces.
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It → recommend → spaces
In a city famous for Russian-language writers and musicians, it has provoked strong passions.
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it → provoke → passions
The ban would extend in public spaces to old Odesa songs almost universally known throughout the former Soviet Union.
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ban → extend → Union
All Russian-language books would be removed from display in public libraries.
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books → remove → libraries
Currently, they can be shown, but not prominently.
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they → show → ?
"The Russian language is a weapon of Russia, and we need to try to fix that," says Odesa lawyer Artem Kartashov, who has advised local authorities on an official programme to "decolonise" the city of its historic Russian legacy.
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who → need → legacy
"With Russian-speaking music and other things, Russians try to deconstruct Ukrainian identity and influence especially young people, because they grow up in a Russian-speaking environment."
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they → speak → environment
But comic actor Borys Barsky, one of Odesa's best-known entertainers, says: "Russian isn't [only] the language of Putin, it's the language of [writers like] Dostoyevsky and Bulgakov.
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it → know → Dostoyevsky
"Who benefits from setting people against other people who love Ukraine just as deeply, only love it in a different language?
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who → benefit → language
Only Putin benefits from this."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has often referred to what he falsely describes as repression of the Russian-speaking minority in Ukraine as one of his justifications for launching his invasion of the country.
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he → benefit → country
Many in Ukraine speak a mixture of the two, known as surzhyk.
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Many → speak → surzhyk
Russian is the native language of President Volodymyr Zelensky, which he used often in his election campaign but has since used only Ukrainian in public.
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he → use → public
But a 2019 law requires use of Ukrainian in many public and professional contexts including education, public services and customer service.
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law → require → education
Public-facing workers - including waiters, shop assistants and doctors - must address customers or patients initially in Ukrainian, though they can later switch to Russian if the client prefers that.
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client → face → that
Odesa's Mask Theatre, run by Barsky, has been fined for infringements of the legislation including using Russian in publicity materials.
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Theatre → run → materials
A later inspection found further violations such as a cafe sign with the Russian word for coffee.
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inspection → find → coffee
"This isn't even like Orwell or Kafka, it's just madness," he says.
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he → say → Orwell
Barsky has been able to continue to perform in Russian because it is a private theatre.
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it → continue → Russian
The new language proposal - similar to one already in force in the capital Kyiv and some other cities – would urge but not require private premises including shops and cafes to adopt the ban.
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proposal → urge → ban
Odesa's state-appointed language ombudswoman, Anna Nerush, who inspects premises to check on alleged violations of the rules, thinks if passed it will put pressure on them to comply.
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it → appoint → them
"All businesses interact in one way or another with local government," she told the BBC.
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she → interact → BBC
"They rent premises, they need advertising permits, and so on.
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they → rent → permits
So for many entities it's important to comply with a council decision, even if doesn't provide for sanctions for non-compliance.
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it → comply → compliance
"
Public playing of songs by Russian citizens is already illegal across Ukraine, with exceptions for some artists who have publicly condemned the war, but Russian-language songs composed or performed by Ukrainians are still allowed.
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songs → condemn → Ukrainians
Under the proposals they would also be banned in public places.
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they → ban → places
Anna Nerush said it would not affect someone celebrating their birthday in Russian in a private room in a restaurant, as it could not be heard outside.
"But on the streets, [hearing] the Russian language can be a real trigger, for example to [former] prisoners of war and people who've come from occupied territories," she said.
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she → say → territories
Many native Russian-speakers in Ukraine have switched to Ukrainian in recent years, particularly since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
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speakers → switch → 2022
Photographer Natalia Mykhailenko switched even earlier.
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Mykhailenko → switch → ?
She has led tours of Odesa highlighting non-Russian elements of its history.
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She → lead → history
These include landmarks such as a Cossack cemetery that dates back to before 1794.
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that → include → 1794
That is the year Russian empress Catherine the Great is said to have founded the city, although it has been widely questioned in recent years.
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it → say → years
A statue of Catherine was removed from a central Odesa square after a council vote in 2022, and streets have been renamed to commemorate some Ukrainian writers and activists.
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streets → remove → writers
"We must understand we were a colony," said Mykhailenko.
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Mykhailenko → understand → ?
I understand it's maybe sometimes not democratic.
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it → understand → ?
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