The author of this article discusses language situation in East Slavic countries since the late 80's to the present day, attempts a comprehensive comparison of the linguistic situation, analyzing the factors that affect it, and showed signs of language situations inherent to East Slavic countries. Issues of language situation and policy are relevance in our time, especially in Belarus and Ukraine. The sociolinguistic studies of language and trends in linguistic situation are based of factual material, the results of questionnaires, statistical analysis of language functioning in these states/ The studies give extremely valuable material for understanding the social and political processes and trends of linguistic situation in the past, present and possible future development. For several decades preceding the collapse of the USSR, the language situation in the republics largely determined the policy of Russification, which was source of current widespread Russian languages, along with the indigenous population. This proximity of the Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian languages of the same Slavic group, promoting interference led to the creation of Belarusian and Ukrainian mix-languages. The emergence of new states and the process of “constructing national identity” in the first years of independence in the former Soviet republics had a significant impact on the linguistic situation. In Ukraine policies designed to protect the Ukrainian language from Russification, in Belarus president Aleksandr Lukashenka keeps going russificationing processes. Since the last Soviet census in 1989 lowered percentage of Russian population in Belarus. By results of 2009 census in Belarus Belarusian population accounted for 83,7% (in 1989 - 77,9%), the Russian population accounted for 8,3% (in 1989 - 13,2%), but growth the percentage of Russian-speaking population (62,8% in 1999, 70,2% in 2009) and the population for whom the Russian is mother language (31,9% in 1989, 41,5% in 2009). In Ukraine also lowered percentage of Russians (22,1% in 1989, 17,3% in 2002) and lowered the percentage of population, who treat Russian as mother language (32,8% in 1989, 29,6% in 2001). In Belarus are two state languages: Belarusian and Russian, but if they are equal in theory, in practice the situation is entirely different. Russian language is dominant, and almost all the cities and eastern villages are Russian, Belarusian was completely superseded by Russian and trasyanka, but is still in western villages and small towns. Russian captured practically whole space of media, culture, science and is the language of institutions. Dramatically fell numbers of books, newspapers, magazines, which are publishing in Belarusian. In Ukraine the situation of native language of the nation looks better. Despite the regular pressures from the side of Russian-speaking population, Ukrainian language is the state language. Russian language usually prevails in most cities of Ukraine (except Western), and in some (especially the East) is strictly dominant. TV and radio broadcasts are carried in most Russian, as most books and periodicals printed in Russian. Some progress is observed only in the administrative and business and educational sectors. The main driver of change in the linguistic situation in Belarus and Ukraine is the language’s policy in all spheres of public life. Next up is the communicative power of language, scope and usage, and prestige level of language, and the number of speakers and place of their living. Especially important is the presence of this language in the media, science and culture, language education of children, and also important is attitude and wish to assimilate language by speaker.
Введение Краткие сведения из области демографической и националь-но-языковой ситуации на Украине и в Республике Беларусь Языковая политика, отраженная в законодательствах Украины и Республики Беларусь Языковая ситуация на Украине и в Республике Беларусь в об-ласти СМИ Языковая ситуация на Украине и в Республике Беларусь в об-ласти печатных изданий Языковая ситуация на Украине и в Республике Беларусь в об-ласти образования Краткие сведения о смешанных формах украинского и бело-русского языков Заключение Abstract