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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The document envisaged restrictions in public places, and recommendations for private businesses.
Odesa City Council 28 October did not support a moratorium on the public use of Russian-language cultural products. The draft remained unapproved: 18 deputies voted for it out of the required 33. The author of the draft was councilmember Olha Kvasnytska. This was reported by the publication «Odeske Zhyttia».
Kvasnytska proposed restricting the public use of Russian-language cultural products on streets, in parks, cultural and educational institutions, municipal facilities, and public transport in Odesa. The moratorium was to remain in force until the complete end of the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories.
For private businesses the document provided recommendations. Cafes, shops, carriers, and event organizers were asked to refrain from using such content. The draft did not establish mandatory bans or fines for them.
During the vote two deputies abstained, and another 21 did not vote. Together with 18 votes in favor, this was insufficient to adopt the decision.
Representative of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Anna Nerush urged deputies to support the initiative. She reminded them that similar decisions have already been adopted in Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia, and Cherkasy.
“This concerns cases when businesses deliberately play Russian songs. It concerns those for whom the Russian language is a painful trigger: about servicemembers who returned from captivity, about those whose relatives were killed. We have to think about these people,” Nerush said.
Head of the city council’s legal department Inna Popovska said that Ukrainian legislation already contains language restrictions. In contrast, the proposed moratorium, in her assessment, does not provide a mechanism for punishment and will have a political character. The current law No. 2310-IX already establishes restrictions on the public use of music by performers from the aggressor state. Deputy Roman Senyk called the initiative populist. He characterized the document as “a piece of paper that nobody will enforce.”
Kvasnytska, however, emphasized gaps in the legislation. According to her, because of them Russian-language cultural products continue to be played in public places in Odesa, including in Arkadia and on Deribasivska.
The councilmember explained that the decision would have created a basis for further actions. The mechanisms for its implementation, in her view, could be developed by the executive committee of the city council. This includes, in particular, permits and lease agreements.
Recall that during a Ukrainian Medialiga match footballer Serhii Donets was penalized for using the Russian language on the field. The midfielder of the Kyiv team “Ultimate” received a blue card in the game against Dnipro’s “Armat.” Under tournament rules he left the field for five minutes without the right to be substituted. After that the player returned to the game.
In addition, the Content Analysis Center recorded 70% Ukrainian-language content in the Ukrainian segment of the social networks studied. Analysts processed 1,3 million posts on Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, VK, and OK from mid-September to mid-October 2025. In 2024 the share of Ukrainian was 56%, and Russian — 44%. On YouTube 62% of content was created in Ukrainian, on TikTok — 76%, on Facebook — 82%, and on X — 86%. In Odesa region the ratio hardly changed: 44% of content was Ukrainian, and 56% was Russian.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Одеська міськрада не підтримала мораторій на російськомовний культурний продукт". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: ZN.ua.
