Language scandal: activist appeals to the SBU over Garik Korogodsky’s statement

6 January 10:44

A loud language scandal has erupted around Ukrainian businessman Garik Korogodsky’s public statements about the language of communication in his family. Public figure and language activist Veronika Olshanska said that she had filed an official appeal with the Security Service of Ukraine, awaiting the agency’s response, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports

How it all started

The conflict was triggered by a post on Facebook by Garik Korogodsky. The businessman commented on the discussion about Yaroslava Maguchikh, who allegedly speaks Russian at home. The businessman stated that he communicates with his family exclusively in Russian at home, while he uses Ukrainian in public.

In his post, Korogodsky noted that he is actively studying Ukrainian and has many years of experience with a teacher. He also emphasized that his children are bilingual and also speak English.

“We speak only Russian at home. Outside, I speak only Ukrainian. For this purpose, yesterday I had my 333rd language lesson – my wonderful teacher from Kharkiv, Ksenia, will not let me lie. All my children are bilingual as well. Oh, I’m sorry, trilingual – there’s also English. And I learn English all the time,” Korohodsky wrote.

The language activist’s reaction

The businessman’s statement sparked a lively discussion on social media. Some users supported Korogodsky, but Veronika Olshanska sharply criticized his position.

In her post, the activist wrote that a public confession about the use of the Russian language in the family, in her opinion, is a normalization and popularization of the Russification of Ukrainian children. She also compared such statements to the public recognition of maintaining ties with citizens of the aggressor country.

“When a certain Garik openly declares that he is Russifying his children and presents it as a norm, this is “not a personal choice”. This is the legalization and popularization of the Russification of Ukrainian children in Ukraine. Just like publicly admitting that you are still friends with citizens of the aggressor country. This is not a trifle, but the normalization of ties with the enemy, voiced in an interview for the whole country,” the woman wrote in her blog.

In addition to public criticism, Olshanska said that she had sent an official appeal to the SBU regarding Korogodsky’s statements and was awaiting a legal assessment from the service.

A verbal altercation in the comments

The activist attached screenshots of her correspondence with Korogodsky in the comments, where they had a heated argument. The businessman replied to Olshanska’s remarks that, in his opinion, it was “too early for her to argue with him” and emphasized that he was doing much more for the development of the Ukrainian language.

In particular, Korogodsky mentioned his own Ukrainian-language public speeches and charitable activities related to them.

“Veronika, it’s a bit early to argue with me. The base is weak and I do much more for the development of the language than you. Come to my stand-up show, it’s 1 hour and 40 minutes of exclusively Ukrainian, I’m the only one on stage. I give the money to charity. I’m not kidding, come. It will hurt,” he wrote.

What’s next

So far, the SBU’s official response to the language activist’s appeal has not been made public. At the same time, the situation has sparked a broad discussion in society.

Social media reaction: most supported Korogodsky

At the same time, in the comments under Veronika Olshanska’s post, the vast majority of users expressed support for Garik Korogodsky.

Commenters emphasized that

the language of communication within the family is a private matter;
korohodskyi’s public posts were written in Ukrainian;
The SBU should focus on security issues, not language disputes on social media;
some people compared such appeals to the special services to “denunciations” that do not correspond to democratic values.

Some users also appealed to the businessman’s charitable activities and public pro-Ukrainian position, noting that the language issue in everyday life should not be a reason for interference by law enforcement agencies.

In her responses to the comments, Olshanska continued to defend her position and insisted that publicizing the use of Russian in everyday life has social consequences in times of war.