Celebrating Ukrainian Language Day: New Traditions and Changes

In Ukraine, October 27 is celebrated as Ukrainian Language Day.

This holiday was established on November 6, 1997. The then-president of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, supported the initiative of public organizations and issued decree No. 1241/97 "On the Day of Ukrainian Language and Writing".

Until 2023, it was celebrated on November 9, the day of honoring Saint Nestor the Chronicler according to the Julian calendar. However, when Ukraine switched to the new church calendar in 2023, the dates of all fixed holidays shifted by 13 days, thus moving the commemoration of Nestor and Ukrainian Language Day to October 27.

Every year, various events are held in Ukraine to promote the Ukrainian language both domestically and internationally. A traditional event is the National Unity Dictation. This year, the author of the text will be the writer Yevhenia Kuznetsova, and it will be read by actress Natalia Sumska.

Last year, over half a million people participated in the National Unity Dictation through the Suspilne platforms. Approximately 10,000 submissions were received for review from more than 30 countries worldwide.