"No, I don't speak Russian". The lingering effects of Russification in the context of Kazakhstan and Ukraine

How does it feel to speak your colonizer’s language and find yourself between the lines? This time in focus are the lingering effects of Russification in Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Russification is a policy of linguistic and cultural assimilation of non-Russian peoples used by the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and currently the Russian Federation. Since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, the usage of Russian language became an especially triggering topic. Your fellow students Liza and Aisholpan will give historic context of how the native languages were suppressed in Ukraine and Kazakhstan and address the recent tensions that occur between residents of the countries who were and, to an extent, remain affected by Russification. There will be short presentations and an open discussion, so please bring your questions and opinions!

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For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm CET/GMT+1

Location: W15 Cafe

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