BTA: Southern Ukraine Celebrates Linguistic Diversity at Third Mother Tongue Festival in Odesa

The Third Southern Mother Tongue Festival was held in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa on February 22 under the motto “Southern Ukraine speaks. Southern Ukraine sounds.”

The event at the Union international cultural centre brought together representatives of three southern oblasts (provinces) of Ukraine: Odesa, Kherson and Mykolaiv. The organizers were the Department of Culture of the Odesa Regional Military Administration and the Department of Culture, Nationalities and Religions of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.

In their greetings, the organizers and participants noted that this forum is not only a means of communication but also a memory of generations, a link with the past, and a responsibility for the future. They thanked all who work every day to preserve their native language, culture, and national identity.

During the discussions, participants examined current issues of language policy, in particular the shared challenges faced by the southern provinces, the role of language as a tool for development, the restoration of the linguistic environment, and the presentation of new initiatives supporting linguistic diversity.

In the dialogue between representatives of the authorities, scholars, the media, and the public sector, emphasis was placed on protecting multinational heritage and the modern character of Southern Ukraine.

A separate part of the programme was a block of live readings “Southern Conversations about Lesya Ukrainka”, dedicated to the 155th anniversary of the poetess's birth. Poems by Lesya were recited in Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Gagauz, Crimean Tatar, German, Polish, and Georgian.

In the musical and poetic segment of the event, folk ensembles and performers from national and cultural associations of Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odesa oblasts took part.

The festival once again demonstrated that multilingualism is a powerful resource for cultural enrichment, mutual understanding, and unity within the multinational Ukrainian society.