Dear Ukrainians!
Today we celebrate the Day of Writing and the Ukrainian Language, a holiday that reminds us of the importance of our language and literacy in communication.
In 2023, following the transition to the new church calendar, the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language was moved to 27 October. This holiday is traditionally celebrated on the day of commemoration of St Nestor the Chronicler, a hagiographer, the first historian of Kyivan Rus, a thinker, scholar and monk of the Kyiv Cave Monastery. The name of this saint is associated with the founding of the written Ukrainian language.
Ukrainian is one of the thirty most widely spoken languages in the world. Our writing has a thousand-year tradition. After all, the national revival that culminated in the restoration of Ukrainian statehood began with words.
Throughout its centuries-long history, our language has been subject to harassment, bans and repression. However, thanks to the steadfast will of the Ukrainian people, it has withstood these trials and has become an important element of our national identity.
The strength and power of our state is not only in the size of the army, the power of the Armed Forces and the developed economy, but also in Ukrainian books, Ukrainian cinema, Ukrainian music, Ukrainian songs, and most importantly, in the Ukrainian language.
The Ukrainian language is not just a means of communication, it is a reflection of our culture, history and identity. Every word in our language is a part of the national spirit that is preserved and passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, we must take care of it as if it were our most valuable treasure.
Let’s preserve and be proud of our language, learn its riches, and develop our literacy. A language lives as long as it is spoken. Communicate in Ukrainian. Think about the future. Let the Ukrainian language be heard everywhere!
With love to our native language,
Honorary consul of the Republic of Moldova
Mykola Skrypkovskyi