On 29 October 2026, a forum marking Ukrainian Literacy and Language Day, entitled ‘Ukrainian – the Language of the Free’, was held in Kyiv on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. The event was attended by specialists from the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Regional State Administration, as well as representatives of local communities and cultural institutions in the Donetsk region.
The event brought together representatives of state authorities, linguists, educators, cultural figures and members of the civil society sector to discuss the role of the Ukrainian language as a strategic resource for the state, an instrument of national security and a factor in strengthening social unity.
The key themes of the Forum were: language resilience policy in the context of a protracted war; overcoming the consequences of linguicide; the decolonisation of public consciousness; the presentation of the findings from the ‘Language Barometer’ study on the linguistic situation; the recognition of successful initiatives; the protection of citizens’ language rights; and the promotion of the Ukrainian language. Participants also discussed modern teaching methods, the development of conversation clubs, digital educational tools and support for the Ukrainian language abroad.
A landmark event was the presentation of a new national Ukrainian typeface, the introduction of which will serve as a powerful tool for cultural self-identification and a means of countering the cultural expansion of the Russian Federation. In an era of hybrid threats and information warfare, the visual language of the state – in particular the typography used to write laws, draw up documents and create urban signage – has become a matter of national security and cultural sovereignty.
For the Donetsk region, which faces the consequences of Russian aggression on a daily basis, the issue of preserving and promoting the Ukrainian language is of particular importance. After all, language is a vital component of national identity, a means of cultural resistance, a factor in social cohesion and the restoration of the Ukrainian cultural sphere.