Russian Authorities Actively Suppressing Rights of Ukrainian Minority in Russian Federation

In 2011-2020, as part of Russia’s deliberate state policy of forced assimilation, the Federal National and Cultural Autonomy of Ukrainians of Russia, the Association of Ukrainians of Russia, and the Omsk Regional NGO “Siberian Center of Ukrainian Culture ‘Gray Wedge’” were banned. Moreover, the Ukrainian World Congress was labeled as an “undesirable organisation” and the Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow went defunct, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine informs.

Another manifestation of the Russian authorities’ efforts aimed at erasing the national and ethnic identity of Ukrainians in Russia was the decision of the Artemovsk City Court of the Primorsky Krai to liquidate the autonomous non-profit organisation “Far Eastern Ukrainian Spiritual, Cultural and Educational Centre “Prosvita.”

Decisions to forcibly shut down the Prosvita Centre and other Ukrainian cultural centres in Russia obviously illustrate a real “Russian hospitality” towards those citizens of other countries, with whom the Russian authorities continue to so desperately prove their affinity while encouraging them to acquire Russian citizenship.

“Russian authorities demonstrate no intention to protect the rights of Ukrainians in Russia, limiting their opportunities to participate in the decision-making processes on issues that affect them directly and preventing any attempts of self-organisation.

The Russian Federation must fulfil its international legal obligations, in particular under the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the European Convention on Human Rights; the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities;, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine underscores.

The diplomats called on the international community to give a proper assessment to the ongoing harsh deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia, to increase political and diplomatic pressure on the Russian authorities in order to ultimately stop the encroachment on the rights of the Ukrainian national minority in Russia.

Natalia Tolub