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Nationalist deputy teaches kids why their names are wrong
Published: 24 February, 2010, 17:02
Edited: 18 May, 2010, 23:35
TAGS: Children, Conflict, Scandal, Ukraine, Human rights
A major scandal over language issues has erupted in Ukraine, after a regional deputy in the western city of Lvov criticized children in kindergarten for having “wrong” Russian-styled names.
Irina Farion, who is a philologist and member of the radical nationalist political movement Freedom, visited a kindergarten on February 21, International Mother Language Day. This was no extraordinary event, since local activists had previously gone there with educational programs like giving stickers with Ukrainian words for household items, which would help children from Russian-speaking families to learn the language.
This time, however, things went out of control when Farion decided to talk to the children.
“We have twins, Misha and Liza. They told her their names. Irina asked the boy why he calls himself Misha rather than Mykhailo. I intervened and told her that the kids are from a Russian family. But Farion said names should be spoken properly,” a teacher told Izvestia newspaper.
A lot of Russian and Ukrainian names have common etymology from the Bible, or from ancient Greek and Roman names, but are spelled and spoken slightly differently. Misha is a diminutive form for Mikhail, which is the equivalent to the Ukrainian name Mykhailo.
The visiting philologist went on to label names “right” and “wrong” depending on their form: “Masha is not our form. Let her go wherever Mashas live, but in our country we have Marichkas. Mykolka cannot be called Kolya, and Natalka cannot be called Natasha… Don’t ‘bearize’ [referring to the symbolic Russian bear] our names,” Farion is cited as having said.
This even went personal when she said that the name Liza comes from the word “lizat” meaning “to lick”. The tease, as much of an offence as it may have been for the little girl, was also plainly erroneous, since the name is a diminutive form from Elizaveta, the Russian-styled Greek Elizabeth.
The “proper naming lesson” caused public outrage in Ukraine. A deputy in the President-elect’s Party of Regions filed a complaint to the General Prosecutor’s office, requesting an investigation into the incident and possible bringing of charges against her for inciting national hatred.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Freedom movement, Oleg Tyanibok, said they supported her actions and statements, reports RIA Novosti agency.
Irina Farion believes she did everything right. “Ukrainian kids must be called Ukrainian names. In the whole world, kids are named according to a sovereign nation’s rules. They don’t name children in a Jewish way in America! If parents don’t teach children Ukrainian identity, I as a politician have to do it for them,” Izvestia quotes her as saying.
24.02.2010, 16:21
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3 comments
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My daughter, born in Germany, bears a distinctively Russian name (and surname) and nobody has ever objected. More than that, when she had just been delivered, right in the delivery room, the midwife and nurse helped me to find the most suitable spelling for her name in Latin letters to render its original pronunciation By the way why on earth does this Ukrainian official think that one should adjust his or her name to the local language of a country? In my opinion, if you are Yelena, you are not supposed to turn Helen in Great Britain, if your name is Brunhilde, you are Brunhilde everywhere, and an Australian Nick does not need to turn Nikolay when in Russia. Would she insist on Paul McCartney’s becoming Pavlo when in Ukraine? In the article it says she is a philologist. Quite an unprofessional approach for a philologist. Dear Ivan, are you sure Ukrainians were really forced to give their children Russian names? Judging by what I keep hearing from my friends of Ukrainian origin, in many places in Ukraine, especially in cities, the Ukrainian language was considered to be provincial, hence the self-inflicted “russification”. I do not think it was correct of them to regard their own language like this, however they did it. Sorry to have probably hurt your feelings.
So, let me understand.....It was OK during Soviet days to demand that Ukrainain children be named Russian (Russified) names. But now that Ukraine is independent, it is not OK for the reverse to be expected? Typical Russian viewpoint and Russian double standard. Get over it Russia, Ukraine is an INDEPENDENT nation now, it is NOT Little Russia!
ANYONE is free to use any not offensive or ridiculous name to give to their offspring. Besides, there is NO SUCH THING as real or genuine Ukrainian names. The Ukrainian population has a quite mixed ethnic composition and even the less than 78 % so-called ethnic Ukrainians have had their fair share of foreign influences. @ Ivan. "INDEPENDENT" you say? Practically NO COUNTRY is independent because most of all politicians are puppets to the bunch of crooks ruling this world. Want to know more? For starters go watch the Zeitgeist movies: http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com , if necessary click on sub-title of choice. Enjoy!!!