2023 Activity Report

January Activity Report

31 January 2024
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

【What should we call ‘war’?】

It will soon be three years since Russia launched a full-scale armed invasion in February 2022. So, what should we call this incident? I don’t think it is as simple as defining the terms used, but for example, ‘war’ under international law is defined as a state of combat after there has been a declaration of war. However, if an invasion or a state of combat begins without either side declaring war on each other, then it may not be considered as a ‘war’ under international law. In Japan, there used to be a term called ‘jihen’ or ‘incident’ to refer to this kind of situation, but it seems that recently this term is no longer used. Is this because this term somehow manipulates the information to intentionally hide the fact that it is a ‘war’. On the other hand, from a military perspective, a state in which large-scale battles are taking place would be considered to be a ‘war’. In this sense, Russia’s invasion from 2022 could be considered to be a ‘war’ just based on its scale. It would also not be misleading to say that this state of ‘war’ has continued since 2014.

Well, this month there was a scandal regarding this issue with Reuters. The criticisim from Ukraine was that Reuters described the situation as the ‘Ukraine Crisis’ instead of as a ‘war’. Next to the ‘Ukraine Crisis’ was the term ‘Israel and Hamas at War’ which, in my personal opinion, makes me think that the problem may be treated differently in the West if the situation involves Jewish people. Reuters has since changed the decription to ‘Ukraine and Russia at War’ after this was pointed out by the Ukrainian news outlet ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ (Ukraine Truth). Reuters continues to refer to the situation like this at the time of writing this article.
I think the expression ‘Ukraine Crisis’ is sometimes used in Japanese media, but what exactly is the problem with this term? ‘Ukraine Truth’ explains as follows:

The term ‘Ukraine Crisis’ is used by Russian propaganda to avoid the word ‘war’. In this way, propagandists have sought to downplay the tragic nature of the situation, among other things. Additionally, ‘Ukraine Crisis’ creates the impression that it is just an internal problem within Ukraine which has nothing to do with Russia. Apart from Russia, China is the only country to publicly refer to the war in Ukraine as a ‘crisis’.

Furthermore, the second problem could be related to the occasional use of the term ‘Ukraine Crisis’ in Japan. It seems strange that, rather than the name of the invading country, the name of the invaded country is used instead – I wonder what the intention of this is. If anything, it should be called the ‘Russian War’ started by Russia (following the example of the ‘Napoleonic Wars’). However, if you look at world history, there are actually very few conflicts that include the invading country’s name, in fact there are many wars that use only the name of the invaded country. In any case, in Japanese I think both countries should be included, so it should either be called the ‘Ukraine-Russo War’ or the ‘Russo-Ukraine War’ (as stated above, it is difficult to know whether we can even call it a ‘war’). However, since this conflict has occurred many times over the years, it may be difficult to add a number to the name of each war. Among Japanese news outlets, the NHK uses expressions or some abbreviated expressions, such as ‘Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine’. The expression ‘the situation in Ukraine’ is also used, but it is used in combination with the ‘Russian invasion’ so it doesn’t seem to be particularly problematic. NHK’s Ukrainian language news also uses the expression ‘Russian invasion of Ukraine’.

Articles

  • Лозовенко Т. Reuters називав війну в Україні «кризою»: виправились. П’ятниця, 19 січня 2024, 11:53
    [https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2024/01/19/7437974/] (Link valid at the time of publishing this article).

【Ukraine’s ‘World’】

In order to preserve and protect the identity of Ukrainians living in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued Presidential Decree No. 17/2024 "On the Territories of the Russian Federation Historically Inhabited by Ukrainians." The Cabinet was instructed to draw up a plan that would seek cooperation from the private sector and specialists.
The borders between Ukraine and its surrounding countries have varied greatly over time. The current borders of Ukraine cover a relatively wide area compared to a historical perspective, but there are also ‘lost territories’. In particular, compared to the border established in 1918 between the then-Ukrainian state and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, it can be seen that the current territory has been largely lost to Russia or Belarus. I’m not including Western Ukraine, as at that time it was still part of the Austrian Empire. Although Ukraine has not and currently does not demand the return of these ‘lost lands’, the above presidential decree refers to guaranteeing the rights and ethnic identity of Ukrainians who continue to live in these regions. This is in light of the fact that Ukrainians living there have been persecuted, had their rights restricted, and have been subjected to forced assimilation policies due to their Ukrainian heritage.

Among the regions currently annexed by Russian, the southern and western regions of Russia, including the Kuban, Starodubshchyna region, and northern and eastern Slobozhanschchyna region [note: the western and southern regions are part of Ukraine], in other words, the current administrative divisions of Krasnodar Krai, Belgorod Oblast, Bryansk Oblast, Voronezh Oblast, Kursk Oblast, and Rostov Oblast were named as ‘Regions Historically Inhabited by Ukrainians’ on the above presidential decree. These regions have been called this by researchers for a long time, but by re-naming and emphasizing these regional names, it is clear that the territory lost by Ukraine is huge compared to the area occupied in the current war. By emphasizing how vast Ukraine was not only to sends a message domestically, but also sends a message to international voices pressuring Ukraine to make territorial concessions.
I don't know which region should I picture when I say ‘Ukraine’, but I think these ‘lost territories’ would greatly expand the ‘Ukrainian world’ geographically.

Articles

  • УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №17/2024 Про історично населені українцями території Російської Федерації. 22 січня 2024 р.
    [https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/172024-49513].

However, it seems that not everyone lives in the same reality or world. Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus (he is referred to in Ukraine as ‘self-proclaimed president’ due to not being elected through due process), recently said the following about the Battle of Leningrad in a speech:

"I thought – which country could provide such opportunities to such a country as Belarus? We do not see any issues with Russia… No [other] country would be able to treat Belarus the way you do. So I’m thinking: what prevents Ukraine and the Baltic countries from cooperating with us like this? This is our world, we have been building it for several decades, we won that horrible war [WW2 – ed.] together. So let’s move in this direction. But no, they don’t want to, they seek a better life abroad."

I think there are some people in Japan who live in the same reality as President Lukashenko. Is there a true reality? Are there multiple realities running parallel to each other? Or is there one big world that encompasses these opposing, ununified realities? Although this is an age old question, I think that it is a question that has not yet been answered to everyone’s satisfaction.

Articles

  • Тищенко К. Лукашенко – Путіну: Україна і країни Балтії шукають за морями кращого життя. Неділя, 28 січня 2024, 18:42
    [https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2024/01/28/7439254/].

December Activity Report

31 December 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

【Interview with a senior researcher at the Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine (Excerpts)】

Ukrainian news agency, Ukrainska Pravda, interviewed Anton Senenko, a senior researcher at the Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine. Dr. Senenko is a mathematical physicist, who has been volunteering to help evacuate residents from towns in conflict areas, and delivering necessary supplies (such as vehicles) to the military. In this activity report, I would like to quote some excerpts from the interview related to academics during the war.

Some people say that Ukraine should make their own fighter planes, tanks, and nuclear weapons, instead of buying them from other countries. However, developing these technologies requires years of academic research, which is currently impossible for Ukraine to carry out.

In response to this, the interviewer, Sofia Sereda, asks, "To what extent is Russian science now strengthening the Russian army?"

Dr. Serenko answers, "Very much so. In fact, it started a long time ago. Even in the early 2000s, Russia introduced a large number of programs for talented young scientists. For example, you sign a contract with a scientific institute and immediately receive a mortgage for an apartment. Young people from Ukraine, from Kyiv, in particular, were drawn straight to Moscow to work there. Now Russian science is one of the foundations of the Russian regime."

My comment: In response to this, has the Ukrainian government provided sufficient job opportunities to talented young people? Up until now, scholarship opportunites have continuously been reduced. It is thought that the government has considered abolishing these scholarships. Currently, there are a large number of young Ukrainians studying outside of Ukraine, mainly in Western countries. Will they be able to return to Ukraine after the war (in terms of employment opportunities and economic conditions which may be much lower in Ukraine compared to the places they studied abroad)?

The interviewer asks, "There are many stereotypes surrounding science and scientists. Which of them personally bothers you the most?"

Dr. Senenko answers, "For example, the one that ‘all scientists are old’. This is classic ageism. In fact, the age of a scientist is not important. The most important thing is that a scientist thinks and brings some new knowledge to the treasury of humanity. At the same time, due to the pitiful funding of science in Ukraine, young people simply do not go into science. Therefore, we have a large number of people of ‘respectable age’. The second stereotype that bothers me: ‘You are a scientist! You should put it into practice!’. But if you say that you are engaged in fundamental science and have published some articles or scientific work, they look at you and say: ‘Ah, so you don't do anything...’"

The interviewer asks, "How often do you hear the question: ‘Why finance science if it cannot show a quick result?’"

Dr. Senenko answers, "Such questions arise due to a lack of education, when people are not explained how technologies are actually developed and the long path that must be taken from a new discovery to its practical implementation in life."

Dr. Senenko is a science and engineering researcher, a field that is relatively easy to ‘put into practice, but he is also asked a question about the humanities field.

The interviewer asks, "How can the humanities field help win the war?"

Dr. Senenko answers, "We are currently fighting a powerful battle for the minds of Ukrainians, for national identity, for the self-awareness of the nation, and in general for the search for answers to the question ‘Who are we?’ and ‘How are we different from Russia?’. Historians, philosophers, and literary scholars should work together to outline to Ukrainians who they are, where the myths about ‘great Russian culture’ came from, and show that we also have our own characteristics."

When asked about evacuating his wife and son out of Ukraine, Dr. Senenko stressed the importance of language (mother tongue). He said, "The Ukrainian language is what keeps you connected to Ukraine, even if you are far away. And literature too. Children's literature is excellent now! Our country must ensure that this field never declines. If children are brought up on quality Ukrainian-language literature, then Ukraine will have a future."

Finally, the interviewer asks, "Would you like your son to become a researcher?"

Dr. Senenko answers, "To be interested in academics - yes, definitely. Because it is developing very, very rapidly. It gives you a broad perspective. But the problem is whether he can provide for himself. To be honest, in Ukraine, science is a very heavy bread (Heavy bread is a Ukrainian idiom meaning ‘high effort, low return’). I don't see many prospects that will allow scientists to be able to live decently here. "

My comment: To hear the perspective of someone who has traveled all over Ukraine as a volunteer, the gloomy outlook for the academic field in Ukraine makes me realise how serious the situation is. In particular, many science and engineering professionals have moved abroad, and this is probably due to the current situation in which there are not many good human resources left in Ukraine. It seems that the situation may not improve in the future.

Reference

  • Середа С. Антон Сененко: Наука в Україні – важкий хліб. Я не бачу перспектив, що науковці зможуть тут достойно жити. 14 грудня 2023, 05:30 [https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2023/12/14/7432955/].

November Activity Report

30 November 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery which represents the Metropolitanate of Kyiv, in Ukraine’s capital, moved to the Revised Julian calendar (which is virtually identical to the most commonly used calendar around the world, the Gregorian calendar) on the 15th of November. The Lavra now uses the same calendar as the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which symbolizes a move away from the Moscow Orthodox Church.

Articles

Ukraine has extended the military mobilization and martial law, which has been in effect since the Russian invasion, for 90 days until the 14th of February, 2024.

Articles

In recent years, place names and monuments glorifying communism and totalitarianism have been gradually removed in Ukraine. There has also been progress in replacing place names and monuments with Russian ties or symbols of Russian colonialism. This month, three monuments honoring the Soviet military were removed in Lviv. During World War II, Lviv and other parts of western Ukraine were occupied by Soviet troops, and many residents were persecuted during this time. Many monuments were erected to honor the Soviet Army as the ‘Army of Liberation’ after the Soviet Army solidified control over western Ukraine by defeating both Germany and Poland, which had also tried to occupy Ukraine. These monuments have always been unpopular with residents but it takes time, money, and effort to remove such monuments. The removed monuments are not destroyed, rather they are housed in museums about the Soviet rule.

In Kyiv, a statue of Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin, and a statue of a Red Army commander who fought against the Ukrainian independence movement, Mykola Shchors, were removed after much anticipation. The Pushkin monument was in Pushkin Park on Peremohy Avenue (Victory Avenue) which celebrated the victory of the Soviet Union – the avenue has now been changed to Beresteiskyi Avenue and the park is now named Ivan Bahrianyi Park. The Ukrainian independence movement was defeated by the Soviet Union in World War II. Further, it has become apparent that some of Pushkin’s works glorify Russian imperialism and support the suppression of ethnic minorities. There is also the issue that many of the places named after Pushkin, or places with monuments honoring Pushkin are places that Pushkin actually had no connection to. In order to make Ukraine ‘more Russian’, Russia erased the original Ukrainian names of various places and replaced them with Russian names, and erected statues of Russians and people related to Russia. Another problem is that In Ukraine, Russian poets are often taught as if they are Ukrainian poets, but this does not change the evaluations (whether good or bad) of Pushkin's works as foreign literature.

Of course, cultural issues are difficult, but I think that if you imagine if Japan was filled with statues of great people from country A or country B, you may start to understand the unusual situation that Ukraine has been facing. I think that monuments that are erected politically are destined to be removed politically, but I would like to note that even though they are removed, they will still be housed in some sort of facility (depending on space or technical issues), so you will still be able to find these monuments if you look for them.

Articles

October Activity Report

30 October 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

Towards Winter

Due to Ukraine’s climate, winter is the season with the greatest need for electricity use.

Even though it is said that summers in Ukraine are getting hotter due to climate change, the number of air conditioning units in homes remains low. Therefore, the electricity consumption in summer appears to be relatively low. Also, air conditioning is generally not installed on public transport, and even if it is installed, it is often not used in order to ‘save money’. You probably won’t find any air conditioning on city public transport.

On the other hand, a large amount of electricity is required to provide heating and hot water in winter. Because of this, the Russian military is focusing attacks on power plants and substations. Due to the severe damage last year, Ukraine is deploying air defence systems to protect power facilities this year, but it may still be difficult to completely defend these facilities. I think Japan has an excellent defence system but I wonder if it would be enough to completely defend itself in a situation like this.

Electricity is not only necessary for heating and hot water. Firstly, all-electric housing was built in large numbers in the Soviet era. The Soviet Union used the slogan ‘Electrification of the World’ for this purpose. You can’t even boil water at home. Of course, the internet and phone services are also useless without electricity. If communication facilities go down, mobile phones will also no longer work. Blocking the access to information is not only inconvenient, but it also causes people great uncertainty and anxiety.

The government is working to restore destroyed power facilities and build new air defence networks to avoid further power outages. Japan also provided 500,000 autotransformers to households as part of this effort. A project which began last year to replace conventional lighting with LED bulbs free of charge was also started as a power-saving measure. Apartment complexes, hospitals, and schools have received 1 million LED bulbs as of this month.

Articles:

In order to solve power outage problems themselves, an increasing number of people are installing diesel generators at home. However, it appears that many people don’t use them as many apartment complexes prohibit the use of such generators. Many people have started using wood stoves at home, and last winter, large quantities of firewood were sold at supermarkets. On the other hand, no matter how prepared you are at home, since your internet provider may go down, the one thing you cannot always guarantee is access to the internet. When the provider for home networks goes down, many people switch over to the mobile network which causes problems due to the concentration of people suddenly using the mobile network. Last year, it became easier to change mobile phone companies, so many people seem to be switching to companies that can provide service even during power outages.

The government is encouraging people to switch to providers that can use passive optical networks (PON). Providers also seem to be introducing systems that can be powered by electricity from batteries or generators.

However, according to the government, providers’ progress varies greatly by region. Around 60% of users are provided with XPON in the Kirovohrad, Volyn and Rivne regions, which have better conditions compared to the capital Kyiv where only 9% of users are provided with XPON. Although the number of XPON users in the country remains at 37%, the number is said to be increasing significantly.

Articles:

  • Пилипів І. Мережі готові, але не скрізь. Чи будуть українці з інтернетом при вимкненнях світла: Чи вивчили інтернет-провайдери уроки попередньої зими і чи готові вони до нових вимкнень електрики? 2 жовтня 2023, 09:30
    [https://www.epravda.com.ua/publications/2023/10/2/704965/].

September Activity Report

30 September 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

De-Russification of Ukrainian Railways

Ukraine is proceeding with policies to remove the influence of Russia, communism and totalitarianism that has spread through the regions of Ukraine. It is easy to see this happening in the de-Russification and decommunization of various place names, but there was a report this month that the Ukrainian Railways has finally been de-Russified.

The Ukrainian Railways tickets used to be written in both Ukrainian and Russian, but only the Russian abbreviation was used (for example the Ukrainian word 'загальний' should be abbreviated to 'з', but the abbreviation is 'о' for the equivalent Russian word 'общий'). The train tickets were very complicated because they had two lines of very similar Russian and Ukranian words for each piece of information.

Personally, I was never quite sure who the Russian translation was intended for. Ukrainians who can read Russian can usually also read Ukrainian. Of course, Ukrainian and Russian are not entirely mutually intelligable, but terms like station names, timetables, train, carriage, and seat numbers, are not that different (for example, in Ukranian it would be 'станція Київ-Пасажирський, станція Львів' and in Russian it would be 'станция Киев-Пассажирский, станция Львов'). Generally, timetables, train, carriage, and seat numbers are written as numbers, so it can be understood without having to write two languages.

Since there was no practical need for Russian to be written on the tickets, there may have been some other (political or emotional?) motive. On the other hand, the tickets were written entirely in Cyrillic characters which may have been difficult for foreigners to read, so I think it would make more sense if English was displayed on the tickets as well.

Moving forward, Ukrainian Railways will remove Russian displays that remain on facility signage. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been a trend in the former Eastern bloc countries to reduce or abolish the use of Russian words, which had previously been used as a sign of respect to Russia, and it can be seen that Ukraine is also catching up to this trend.

There are not necessarily restrictions on the use of Russian in public places in Ukraine, but it is unclear whether Russian will be forgotten about, reinstated, or will remain to be used in certain situations in the future. Ukraine's Russian language policies are primarily targeted for use within Ukraine by Ukrainian citizens, and there are no clear regulations regarding the use of Russian by foreigners.

Ukrainian Railways has been working on expanding routes to EU countries to meet increasing demand in recent years (since before the war). Some new trains have started running this month, in particular on routes that have been suspended for many years, such as the Rava-Ruska line from Poland to Lviv Oblast. The news was likened to opening a whole new line since the Rava-Ruska line was reopened using the 1435mm standard guage (EU Standard, not the Soviet Standard).

I think that railways represent not only the flow of people or goods, but they also reflect the direction of people's consciousness or ideals. If this is true, then I think it could be said that the public consciousness of Ukrainians is steadily moving away from a Russian and Soviet past and towards 'Europe'.

Articles:

Crimes against Cultural Heritage

Since the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine, 534 cases of crimes against cultural heritage have been recorded. According to the Crimean Institute for Strategic Studies, 200 of those cases occurred in Crimea, and the remaining 334 cases occurred in Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts. Information about these crimes comes not only from researchers, but also activists in each region.

The main violations include misappropriation of cultural heritage objects, use of cultural property for military purposes, removal of cultural property, looting of museums, illegal archaelogical excavations, renovation of historical buildings, and decontextualization of historical sites. For example, the royal residence of the Crimean Khanate, the Bakhchysarai Palace, has been illegally renovated in the name of ‘restoration work’.

Illegal activities reported from 2022 to August 2023 include:

  • Plans to replace the marble floor with ceramic tiles in the Divan Hall of the Khan Palace.
  • The roof of the Great Khan Mosque had been replaced with OSB (oriented strand board) plywood composite material and the beams were reinforced with steel straps.
  • Preparing to remove museum exhibits since 2017, if implemented, this would be considered a violation of international law.
  • Dismantling the fence around the embassy courtyard and kitchen courtyard, including the illegal ‘restoration’ of the minarets of the Great Khan Mosque.
  • Dismantling the roof of the Golden Cabinet of Qırım Giray Khan（Photos attached: [https://www.facebook.com/economy.depart/posts/pfbid0F5ymh7vVV38iQ3m9Nnio4PxDos6SDvCTr8M37xogTBU82UyPMPs6opaqnbT3G2LQl]）.
  • Destruction of the foundations of the Khan Madras (Royal Academy).
  • The use of modern technologies, construction materials, and a pseudo-historical visualization of the Harem after renovations.
  • Plans for installing a stage and amphitheater in the Persian courtyard.
  • Repainting of the Falcon Tower. The academic basis for color selection and standards is questionable.

（Information is based on reports from this research organization: Об’єкти руйнівної реставрації Бахчисарайський Ханський палац [https://ciss.org.ua/ua/bakhchysaraiskyi-khanskyi-palats-0630df12db115d464a74f56aa5352262.html]）.

This is something that many European colonist countries did in their colonies, so perhaps Russia wants to belatedly join the ranks of ‘Europe’ . Of course, the destruction of cultural heritage has also been carried out by Japan, so we shouldn’t see it is someone else’s problem...

Articles:

August Activity Report

31 August 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

New Academic Year

Educational institutions in Ukraine are preparing for the start of the new academic year in September. Due to the war, 100% of air raid shelters are required to be used to protect all children, students and teachers. Currently, about 68% of all educational institutions (in general for students aged 6-17 years old, similar to Japan's elementary, junior high and high schools) have some sort of air raid shelter and can accommodate up to 4.7 million people. However, this is still not enough so the government has requested further support from relevant local agencies, and has put aside a budget of 15 billion Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) since April, for the construction of air raid shelters. In addition, the government is also working on providing school buses for the 300,000 students that require transportation to and from school, and providing educational support for Ukrainian students who are studying outside of Ukraine, mostly in EU member countries.

Article:

Students also receive explosive safety training information at school. In Ukraine, there are also concerns about unexploded shells and landmines in combat zones, and about booby traps set by the Russian military in previously occupied areas, targeting residents and, specifically, students.

Article:

Matronymic Names (Maternal Names)

Unlike other European countries, Ukraine continues to use the Soviet-era Russian-style system for official names (as stipulated by a law in 1989). In addition to the given name (first name) and surname, there is a paternal (patronymic) middle name (imia po batkovi) created from the father's first name. In this case, the father refers to the person the mother is married to, or if she is not married, it refers to the person the mother declares the father to be.

Although the origin of patronymics in Ukraine dates back to ancient times, it is thought that it was under the period of Russian rule during the latter half of the 18th Century to the 20th Century that the system of combining patronymics with surnames spread throughout society regardless of social status. For example, the literary greats of the 19th Century did not write their patronymics as part of the author's name of their books. However, in collections of these literary greats, published in the Soviet Union in the 20th Century, the patronymics of these authors were added. At the beginning of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian writers claimed that the use of patronymics in Ukraine had spread due to Russian influence, but anyone who made such claims would be forced to kill themselves or they would be shot, so the idea remains that Ukraine and Russia have a long shared culture of using patronymics. Today, patronymics are used more often in daily life in parts of Ukraine that were ruled by the Russian Empire for 150 years and then by the Soviet Union for another 70 years (outside of Western Ukraine) than in regions that were only ruled by the Soviet Union for 50 years (Western Ukraine).

Historically, several problems have been pointed out about patronymics. In the past, so-called 'fatherless children' were not given a patronymic name, which was a source of discrimination. Today, I will be discussing how this system is based on a male-dominated ideology and that is extremely patriarchal. This is because patronymics are created only from the father's name but the mother's name is not reflected anywhere. It is thought that it is the father's right to give his child a patronymic name. On the other hand, while it is grammatically possible for a maternal name (matronymic) to be created from the mother's name or any other name, matronymics (imia po materi) are not recognised under the Ukrainian legal system. From a grammatical perspective, patronymics express attachment, belonging, and ownership, so it means that a child could always be viewed as their father's ‘property’. Even if you may feel a strong connection with your father, there may be other people who do not feel that way. For example, from a child's perspective, if their parents divorce and they feel as though the father abandoned them, they would probably feel opposed to having to continue to use their father's name.

On the other hand, people in Ukraine are now allowed to change their name for various reasons once they turn 16. Further, since 2021, people are allowed to change their patronymic name for any reason. Even though matronymic names are still not recognised at birth, it is possible to change to a matronymic name later in life. This month there was a story about someone who used this system to change her name. A 16 year old girl changed her surname from her biological father's last name to her stepfather's last name. She changed her name to what her mother wanted to name her when she was born. She also changed her patronymic name to a matronymic name created from her mother's name. 'I wanted a part of my mother in my name because my mother is a very important person in my life' she explained. She decided to call herself Lesiivna (after her mother's name Lesia).

(To note, the normal derivation from 'Lesia' is 'Lesivna', so some reports are written this way, but on the mother's Facebook page it is written as 'Lesiivna'. The link to the mother's Facebook page is in the Suspilne article below)

Articles:

  • Шилова А. Я донька своєї матері: як 16-річна українка змінила ім'я по батькові на по матері (коментар) [https://suspilne.media/553575-a-donka-svoei-materi-ak-16-ricna-ukrainka-zminila-ima-po-batkovi-na-po-materi-komentar/]. (Link valid at the time of publishing)

  • Поя А. Тепер по матері: у Києві 16-річна дівчина повністю змінила своє ПІБ. 18 серпня 2023 [https://life.pravda.com.ua/society/2023/08/18/255976/]. (Link valid at the time of publishing)

  • Порядок присвоєння прізвища, імені, по батькові дитині при державній реєстрації народження. Міністерство юстиції [https://minjust.gov.ua/m/str_35890]. (Link valid at the time of publishing)

  • Прийнято Закон «Про внесення змін до деяких законодавчих актів щодо права фізичної особи на зміну по батькові». Інформаційне управління Апарату Верховної Ради України. Опубліковано 03 листопада 2020, о 13:05　[https://www.rada.gov.ua/news/Novyny/199022.html]. (Link valid at the time of publishing)

July Activity Report

31 July 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

Establishment of Crimean Tatar Orthography

The Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine has announced that it will establish an orthography for the Crimean Tatar language on the 28th of July. The ministry has said that the establishment of an orthography is expected to facilitate the learning of the Crimean Tatar language for both Crimean Tatars and other people learning the language. The work on the new orthography will be undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Education, the O. O. Potebnia Institute of Linguistics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, and the Crimean Tatar Parliament (Mejlis). Orthography is the ‘correct way to spell’ and is a guideline for writing (notating) correctly. Unlike grammar textbooks, orthography is purely a set of rules on how to write. The Ukranian orthography was revised in 2019 to include 168 major items.

Here are the details so far:

Crimean Tatar is also known as Crimean or Tatar (not to be confused with the Tatar Language used in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia). In September 2021, a Crimean Tatar alphabet using the Latin alphabet was established in Ukraine. This will lead to the establishment of an educational program in Crimean Tatar by the start of the school year in September 2025, and the establishment of the new orthography is part of this program.

Articles:

Crimean Tatar used to be the official language of the Crimean Khanate which boasted a high level of culture. Traditionally it used the Arabic alphabet, but other languages of the same family, including Turkish, which also used the Arabic language, have shifted to using the Latin alphabet while Turkic languages, which used the Cyrillic alphabet and were once under Russian control, have also shifted to using the Latin alphabet. The use of the Latin alphabet can be seen as a step in the right direction in line with this international trend. On the other hand, Ukraine continues to use the Cyrillic alphabet.

Although letters are simply symbols representing sound and meaning, they are more than just symbols when it comes to establishing and thinking about the relationship of one language to another. In Japanese, some Chinese words can be understood without translation due to the shared characters. In many European languages words written in Latin (with only minor spelling modifications) can be understood without translation. Since the 19th Century, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union have exerted direct influence over languages which use the Cyrillic alphabet. The choice of script is therefore also a choice of the cultural sphere to which someone belongs. Russia, which currently occupies Crimea, has banned the use of the Latin alphabet and has mandated the use of the same alphabet of the Russian language. In the 19th Century, Polish and Lithuanian were also required to use the Cyrillic alphabet and were banned from using the Latin alphabet that those languages had used (and still use). Have you ever read Polish written in the Russian alphabet?

Russia has actively used the Russian language and alphabet as a means of Imperial domination and oppression of other peoples, and as a result, the Russian language and alphabet are perceived as symbols of Russian evil by those who are under their rule and deprived of their own language. It is extremely unfortunate that the bright and joyful Russian language used in renowned Russian literature, that I and so many of this university’s students have enjoyed studying, has been used as a tool of malice and hostility, and as a result, has become an object of hatred by others. This is my personal opinion, but I think the day should come when we can discuss the interesting aspects of Russian culture without the ‘hidden hostility’, but I think this day will only come once we have fully understood the good parts of the culture alongside the bad parts hidden in the background

Restoration of all thermal power stations destroyed by Russia

The Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kubrakov, has reported that 100% of Ukraine’s thermal power plants, which were destroyed by Russia, have been restored. 65% of the central heating network has also been restored. He has said that Ukraine will be 100% ready for the 1st of October, when the heating season begins.

Articles:

Permission to drive right-hand drive vehicles

Ukraine, like other European countries, drives on the right side of the road and vehicles are left-hand drive. Until now, right-hand drive vehicles have been prohibited. A new law has been enacted which allows right-hand drive vehicles in some cases, which will become effective from the 1st of August.

The following is a list of the main cases where this law would be applicable. The list is a translation including abbreviations, and does not correspond to the exact text of the law. They include vehicles used by; Armed Forces of Ukraine, Security Service of Ukraine, Intelligence Services, Police, State Border Services, humanitarian aid, charitable activities, international technical assistance etc.

In order to qualify for the exceptions, they must apply for a registration. Currently, it is not known how many right-hand drive vehicles there are in Ukraine, but due to the war, a large number of vehicles have been provided by the UK and Australia which drive on the left side of the road like Japan. The primary purpose of this new law may be to track the use of these vehicles, but since Japan is also providing vehicles from the Self Defence Forces, this may also have been a reason for this decision.

Articles:

  • Ільченко Л. З 1 серпня на дорогах України можуть з’явитися автівки з правим розташуванням керма. 31 липня 2023, 09:50
    [https://www.epravda.com.ua/news/2023/07/31/702729/].

June Activity Report

30 June 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

The end of COVID-19 Prevention Measures

This month, most news focused on the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, but other news did not relate to the war.

In Ukraine, on the 27th, the Prime Minister announced that the continuous prevention measures since March 2023 against the infection with COVID-19 will end on July 1st. The Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health expressed their gratitude to the healthcare workers for their dedication against the spread of the infection.

According to the previous month's announcement, the total number of infected people was 5.5 million, among which 112,268 died (including 89 kids and 1,256 healthcare workers.)

Ukrainian Railways introduce female-only private rooms

Last month, the Ukrainian railways introduced women-only private rooms in sleeper trains. This month, they announced the start of a test operation along with selling tickets for the following trains. Tickets will be available from the 30th of this month.

Train16: Kharkiv (Kharkiv Oblast) to Yasinya (Zakarpattia Oblast)
Train81: Kyiv to Uzhhorod (Zakarpattia Oblast)
Train41: Dnipro to Truskavets (Lviv Oblast)
Train75: Kyiv to Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast)

Three trains, excluding seventy-five ones, operate toward the south, pass through Lviv, and head to every station on the outskirts of the Carpathian Mountains.

Private compartments will also be installed in second-class carriages. Still, since women-only private compartments will be part of one carriage, while the remaining will be for the general customers, males will also have access to the carriages.

Based on the results of test operations, they will address, resolve, and make considerations for future operations.

Ukrainian railway services are not significantly different compared to European countries (In my opinion. It has pros and cons). However, there have been reports about troubles such as violence, and I hope further improvements will be made. Ukrainian railways are having more issues than before, but even during wartime, they are working on building and developing new models, making adjustments, and offering more services.

May Activity Report

31 May 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

Aviation Situation During the War in Ukraine②

This month, President Zelenskyy participated in the G7 summit in Hiroshima, and since there was no significant news other than the military actions, I am going to write my report about the corporate activities of the wartime-Ukraine's aviation companies.

After the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukrainian private aviation aircraft were grounded. Most airports and airfields were still operating and used by military and government aircraft, while all private aircraft were basically immobilized. Due to no access to domestic economic activities, Ukrainian aviation companies are trying to find foreign opportunities.

The summer vacation in Europe is approaching, and the season of the vast and increasing air-mail demands is starting. At this time, Ukrainian aviation companies relocated to foreign countries are striving to implement new business strategies.

In these circumstances, the Ukrainian aviation company SkyUp Airlines, which dispatched machinery, equipment, and personnel to Sudan to avoid the war, lost one of its commercial aircraft, Boeing 737-800, which was parked at Khartoum airport to avoid the escalating war in April this year. And even when the Japanese reports did not mention the company name, the footage of the destroyed airplane was reported. By the end of April, all company's personnel were evacuated from Sudan. SkyUp Aviation has two aircraft in total; the Sudan airport company hosted one, but there is no information about the status of the remaining aircraft.

Over the past year, many companies were developing a track record of operation in the European Union. However, similar to Sudan, a company operates basically in a form known as a "wet lease," where they use other companies' flights on behalf of their equipment and staff. In this case, the Ukrainian companies can utilize their own equipment and still have the advantage of using their pilots and crew members, but basically can no longer operate commercial flights the same as before. This month, SkyUp Airlines established a new company known as SkyUp MT in Malta as a company related to the European Union. They commenced operating passenger flights in the Union territory. Additionally, SkyUp Airline is still operating in Africa and started newly this month operating in Tunisia and Egypt.

It is also providing equipment in Moldova. In addition, Windrose Airlines, which operates the Ukrainian International Airlines' equipment, has started to wet lease to airline companies in Montenegro and Egypt this month. Furthermore, the previous Russia-affiliated Ukrainian airline company, Azur Air Ukraine, has changed its name to Skyline Express and started operating in the European Union territories. It appears the company had rebranded itself to continue its business activity when dispelling its name being connected to Russia.

Ukraine's goods transportation is becoming a frequent topic of discussion. The private Ukrainian postal company "Nova Poshta" (meaning "new post") has established its own cargo airline, "Supernova Airlines," and is starting this month its cargo services in Europe. Originally, it announced that the Ukrainian-made cargo airplane An-26 would commence operating. Still, for procedural reasons, they unexpectedly received wet lease equipment from the Latvian company "RAF-Avia," and from May 19th, the French-Italian small cargo airplane ATR 72-500 commenced its services even in Japan.

Currently, it seems that all European Union countries and England are sending cargo to Airports near Ukraine, such as the Polish Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport. In addition, Antonov Airlines continues to operate their An-124 large cargo aircraft more than before and sometimes sends their An-124 aircraft to Japan's Chubu International Airport (it comes to and leaves Japan while its cargo is unknown, but it is likely for basic refueling purposes.)

In this way, even when facing adversities, it does not mean they will have a "vacation," so companies with this power have no choice but to turn these crises into opportunities and continue making efforts.

Ukrainian COVID-19 Measures:

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has announced its plan to remove quarantine measures regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with the WHO recommendations.

April Activity Report

30 April 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
HARA Masaki

This month was Easter (Великдень in Ukrainian), one of the most important holidays of Christianity, the main religion in Ukraine. The Gregorian calendar used by the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant denominations had the feast on the 9th, while the Julian calendar used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church had it on the 16th. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church have decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar starting this September.

  • Денисенко Т., Осадча Я. З вересня 2023-го УГКЦ переходить на новий календар: як зміняться дати свят. 05.03.2023, 12:27 [https://life.pravda.com.ua/society/2023/02/6/252730/].
  • Червоненко М. ПЦУ переходить на новий календар. Коли буде Різдво, Великдень, Покрова і Миколая. 24 травня 2023 [https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/news-65691768].

Perhaps due to the fact that this is a time when Ukrainians are becoming more religious, there seems to have been a lot of religious-related news this month.

In addition to the two Ukrainian churches mentioned above, there is also the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is an outpost of the Russian Orthodox Church (in addition, there are institutions directly under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church and institutions of the Old Rite sect that have defected from Russia, but their congregations seem to be very small). According to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published last August, 4% of Ukrainians are members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, but despite the small number of members, the organization has been able to monopolize many important religious facilities. The organization has owned or rented many of the major cathedrals in various locations, including the Kyiv Cave and Pochayiu Abbeys, which were facilitated by the Yanukovych administration. However, the fact that Russian agents and military personnel have been in and out of the facilities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate regarding the war between Ukraine and Russia, and that clergy have supported the Russian military and have been related to Russian political propaganda, have been viewed as problems, and the right to use facilities and land has been suspended or demanded to be returned by the country and local governments for such cases. In addition, a number of municipalities, which are banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate because of such "collaboration" (French : collaboration, Ukrainian : ukолабораціонізм) with Russia, is gradually increasing (the ban is currently at the municipal, not national, level).

Due to this situation, some dioceses that have traditionally followed the Moscow Patriarchate have announced their intention to transfer to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is overseen by Metropolitan of Kyiv. In April, this was followed by the transfer of the diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Lviv to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kiev Patriarchate. In response, Lviv Mayor Sadovyi expressed his gratitude to "those who helped to put an end to the history of the Moscow Patriarchate" in the city of Lviv.

On Easter, a Ukrainian Orthodox liturgy was held at the Khiu Cave Monastery, which has long been used by the Russian Orthodox Church (at the same time the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate also held a liturgy). Before this, Ukrainian Orthodox Church Prelate Epifanyi issued a statement that "no Ukrainian politician has any control over the positions and decisions of the Church [Ukrainian Orthodox Church]" and rejected the discourse that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a "political" creation.

As a matter of fact, I don't think it is easy to find a religion that is completely independent of politics, and in Japan, for example, "experts" have written commentaries that do not mention the political activities of the Russian Orthodox Church, while stating that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was established politically on the initiative of politicians. Perhaps this is a worldwide trend, and therefore it was necessary for Metropolitan of Kyiv to make the above statement in particular. (Some people in Japan write that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is "independent from the Russian Orthodox Church," but this is a misinterpretation of the Japanese word "Independence," and the correct term is "the status of "Independent Orthodox Church (=Autocephaly)" has been approved by the Patriarch of Constantinople. " This "autocephaly" is a religious and ecclesiastical concept from the Greek word Αυτοκεφαλία meaning "to be able to govern oneself, to be one's own head," and should not be understood in the sense of "independence" in political or everyday language. In any case, a distinction should be made between "independent" and "recognized as an independent Orthodox Church(=Autocephaly)". Nor did the Ukrainian Orthodox Church "stand alone" and form a new denomination.)

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed regret for such hypocrisy, as the Vatican, one of the centers of the world's Christian churches, tried to get Ukrainians and Russians to jointly "go the way of the cross" as it did last year. While it may be comforting for some to see citizens of belligerent countries holding hands, Ukraine protested to the Vatican as it did last year, insisting that "aggressors and victims should not be treated in the same way."

This month was also an important period for Islam: in connection with the month of Ramadan (March 22-April 20), Ukrainian President Zelensky participated in an iftar (a dinner to strengthen solidarity among the faithful during the month of fasting) organized mainly by the Crimean Tatars. The President said that from now on Iftar will be held at the public level in Ukraine.

The Crimean Tatars are followers of Islam and had their own state, the Crimean Khanate, which was destroyed by Russian aggression.

Aviation situation in Ukraine during the war (1)

Ukrainians were also involved in the fighting in Sudan that broke out on the 15th of this month.

First, Ukraine's SkyUp Airlines, which had previously sent aircrafts and crews to the region, lost one of its passenger planes in the fighting in Khartoum. Later, on the 25th, the crews reportedly escaped safely out of Sudan.

Apart from these two aircrafts, "SkyUp Airlines" sent a passenger plane to help evacuate Ukrainian citizens and other nationals (reportedly Georgia and Peru). Those who wanted to evacuate escaped to neighboring countries by bus, and were transported from Aswan Airport in Egypt to Jeshuf Airport in Poland by the company's chartered Boeing 737-700 (the reports do not match the number of people on the bus with their nationalities, or the number of people boarding the aircrafts with their nationalities. Perhaps they are talking about basically the same group, but it appears that some members have been replaced).

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