Odesa City Council did not support a moratorium on Russian-language content in public places

The Odesa City Council did not support a moratorium on Russian-language content in public spaces

The Odesa City Council did not garner enough votes to implement a moratorium on Russian-language cultural products in public spaces. The initiative concerned music, films, theatrical performances, and literature.

The draft decision was proposed by Olga Kvasnytska, a deputy from the Servant of the People party. The moratorium was supported by 18 deputies of 33 required, two abstained, and 21 a deputy did not vote. As a result, the initiative was not supported.

For private business, the document provided for advisory restrictions.

Anna Nerush, the representative of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, supported the initiative. At the same time, the city council’s Legal Department stated that the proposed mechanism would not guarantee compliance with the relevant restrictions.

Kvasnytska, for her part, emphasized the need to eliminate gaps in legislation that, in her view, prevent effective regulation of the use of Russian-language cultural content in public spaces.