“derussification” underway in Odessa | EUROtoday

EThere are 9 girls, most of them retired, huddled collectively in entrance of faculty tables. They come from Azerbaijan, Moldova, Bulgaria and even Tomsk, Russia. What they’ve in frequent: they grew up and lived right here, in Odessa, the massive Ukrainian port on the Black Sea. They additionally spoke Russian all through their lives. Twice every week, they meet in a small room close to the college, reverse Anna, a younger red-haired professor from Kherson, 200 kilometers away. Purpose of the session: to study the Ukrainian language, as a part of a challenge referred to as Yedini. “The most difficult thing is pronouncing the i’s,” says Svetlana. “Yes, there is a gymnastics of the tongue and jaw which is not usual”, add…