Kyiv teachers fined for using Russian in class
Ivan Aleksic via Unsplash
Ukraine’s State Language Protection Commissioner Olena
Ivanovska has fined two teachers at a Kyiv school UAH3,400 ($76) each for using
Russian
during lessons in elementary grades, Ivanovska announced on June 30.
According to Ivanovska, a compliance inspection found the educators had violated the law. The inspection followed a citizen complaint that included audio recordings purportedly showing teachers using the Russian language during class.
“The review of the materials established a violation of part one of Article 21 of the law, which states that the language of the educational process is the state language,” Ivanovska said in a Facebook post.
Her deputy, Ihor Spiridonov, added this was not the first recorded breach of language laws in Kyiv schools during the 2025–2026 academic year. He thanked citizens who report and document such incidents, saying their actions allow the state to respond quickly to violations.
“The fines are meant to be preventive and remind all
teachers that using the language of the aggressor state during the educational
process is unacceptable, and that violations of the state language law carry
inevitable consequences,” Spiridonov said.
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