The Ukrainian capital is usually spelled “Kiev” in Germany. The German ambassador to Ukraine sees this as a provocation. Because the spelling is Russian.
Kyiv – Again it is Debate over spelling sparked in the Ukrainian capital. The German ambassador in Kiev, Martin Jäger, once again pointed out that the spelling “Kiev” used by many German media should be changed to “Kyiv”. Reason, the spelling “Kiev” is derived from the Russian language – not from the Ukrainian. The four-letter spelling is particularly widespread in Europe. In English-speaking countries, “Kyiv” has become established, derived from Ukrainian.
On the short message service X The diplomat Jäger took the post from an ARD correspondent as an opportunity to once again point out the use of Ukrainian spelling instead of Russian. According to Jäger, the fact that “Kiev” is still used instead of “Kyiv” is “ignorant,” reports the mirror. The Kyiv-Kiev issue is a long-overdue debate, said the Ukrainian ambassador.
Old debate: Ukraine finally wants to “de-Russify” itself
And in fact, the debate about the spelling of the capital of Ukraine has existed for a long time. Years ago, Ukraine started a campaign to change the spelling. The city was officially renamed in 1995, reports Deutschlandfunk. Because more than 20 years after independence, the country wants to step out of the shadow of its big neighbor Russia. Some Ukrainians see the use of Russian spelling in many reports as an allusion to Russia's former dominance, which is now after the outbreak of war acquires a new bitter aftertaste.
That's why the country launched a #KyivNotKiev campaign in the English-speaking world in 2018 – since then, almost all major English-language media have changed their spelling. The former proximity to Russia is not only reflected in the spelling of the capital. Also in the streetscape of many Ukrainian cities. Streets and squares are named after Soviet generals or Russian authors. In February last year, at the initiative of the Kiev city administration, over 70 streets, alleys and squares were renamed. An attempt by Ukraine to break away from Russia on a cultural level.
Ukraine is no exception: media professionals can get used to renaming
It's not just the spelling of the Ukrainian capital that is being discussed. In recent years, several countries have been renamed – and media professionals have gotten used to that too. In 2018, for example, Swaziland became
Eswatini. Again, the reason was to symbolize the country's independence. The old name of the state in southern Africa dates back to the colonial period, reports the German wave. Likewise, Sri Lanka changed its name to break away from the colonial era. Until 1972 the island state was called Ceylon.
For Ukrainians too, accepting the spelling of their national capital would mean an expression of their independence. And all that is required is a different spelling of the four letters – no renaming of the country.
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