President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially established Romanian Language Day in Ukraine, to be celebrated annually on 31 August, according to a presidential decree.
The decision was taken during the Ukrainian president’s visit to Romania on 12 March. The decree states that the holiday was introduced “to promote mutual understanding, mutual respect and cooperation in Ukrainian-Romanian relations, encouraging intercultural dialogue to preserve and develop the linguistic and cultural identity of Ukraine’s citizens”.
Mutual Respect
President Zelenskyy said the move marks a step forward in strengthening cultural cooperation between the two countries and fostering mutual respect between their peoples.
“In Romania, Ukrainian Language Day is already observed on November 9. We also discussed, both at the team level and today directly with the President, educational issues – for the Romanian community in Ukraine and for our Ukrainian community in Romania – and we are ready to continue working fairly on all these matters,” he said.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine currently has no official holidays dedicated to the languages of neighbouring countries. However, since 2004, it has marked the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture, established by former president Leonid Kuchma and celebrated annually on 24 May.
A Gesture of Respect
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said the decree fulfils a commitment made to the Romanian community in Ukraine.
“Last August, we promised the community in Chernivtsi that Romanian would be officially celebrated in Ukraine. Today, eight months later, we have an official decree from the president of Ukraine,” she said on social media.
“This is first and foremost a gesture of respect for the Romanian community in Ukraine. It is also a gesture of appreciation for Romania.”
“For us, this decision represents recognition of our culture and a guarantee of its protection. That is why this issue has been part of every high-level meeting,” the minister added.
The status of the Romanian language in Ukraine has been a topic of discussion in recent years within the bilateral Romanian-Ukrainian dialogue. Following diplomatic efforts initiated by former Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, Ukrainian authorities in 2023 discontinued the use of the term “Moldovan language”.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
