Happy Ukrainian Writing and Language Day!

Shira Avidan
Oct 27
1 min read

Ukrainian Writing and Language Day is an annual celebration on October 27 that honors the Ukrainian language, its cultural heritage, and the historian Nestor the Chronicler, one of the founders of early Ukrainian writing. This holiday allows people to learn about the history of the alphabet and the development of Ukrainian writing, while promoting the use of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine and abroad.

History

The holiday was established on November 9, 1997 by a presidential decree. The President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, issued a decree to highlight the importance of the Ukrainian language for national identity and cultural development.

Features

A variety of events are held in cultural institutions, libraries, and schools to celebrate this holiday. The All-Ukrainian Radio Dictation of National Unity is a key feature of these celebrations. A radio text is read, and participants write the dictation and submit their work. Those who submit error-free texts receive prizes from the organizers. Last year, more than half a million Ukrainian citizens and 10,000 people from 30 other countries participated in the event.

The Petro Jacyk International Competition of Ukrainian Language Experts is an annual competition that promotes the Ukrainian language among students from around the world. It was named after the Ukrainian-Canadian philanthropist Petro Jacyk and involves millions of participants from over 20 countries. This competition serves to strengthen Ukrainian’s global status.

Ukrainians also lay flowers at Nestor the Chronicler’s monument!

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