Anti-Ukrainian Sentiment - Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The rise and spread of Ukrainian self-awareness produced an anti-Ukrainian sentiment within some layers of society within the Russian empire. In order to retard and control this movement, the use of Ukrainian (Little Russian) language within the Russian empire was initially restricted by official government decrees such as the Valuev Circular and later banned by the Ems ukaz from any use in print (with the exception of reprinting of old documents). Popularly the anti-Ukrainian sentiment was promulgated by such organizations as "Black Hundreds", which were vehemently opposed to Ukrainian self-determination. Some restrictions on the use of Ukrainian language were relaxed in 1905-1907. They ceased to be policed after the February Revolution in 1917.

Beside the Ems ukaz and Valuev Circular, there was a multiple number of other anti-Ukrainian sentiments starting from the 17th century after Russia was governed by the House of Romanovs. In 1720 Peter the Great issued an edict prohibiting to print books in the Ukrainian language and since 1729 all edicts and instructions were only in the Russian language. In 1763 Catherine the Great issued an edict prohibiting to give lectures in the Ukrainian language at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. In 1769 the Most Holy Synod prohibits to print and use the Ukrainian alphabet book. In 1775 the Zaporizhian Sich was destroyed. In 1832 all studying at schools of the Right-bank Ukraine transitioned to exclusively Russian language. In 1847 the Russian government persecuted all members of the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius and prohibiting the better works of Taras Shevchenko, Panteleimon Kulish, Nikolay Kostomarov (Mykola Kostomarov) and others. In 1862 all free Sunday schools for adults in Ukraine were closed. In 1863 the Russian Minister of Interior Valuev decided that the Little Russian language (Ukrainian language) has never existed and could not ever more to exist. During that time in the winter of 1863-64 the January Uprising took place at the western regions of the Russian Empire that united peoples of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Next year in 1864 there has appeared the "Regulation about elementary school" which claimed that any teaching should be conducted in the Russian language. In 1879 the Russian Minister of Education Dmitry Tolstoy (later the Russian Minister of Interior) officially and openly stated that all people of the Russian Empire should be Russified. In 1880s were issued several edicts that prohibited education in the Ukrainian language at

privately held schools, theatric performances in the Ukrainian language, any use of such language in official institutions as well as baptizing by Ukrainian names. In 1892 another edict prohibited translation from the Russian language to the Ukrainian language. In 1895 the Main Administration of Publishing prohibited printing children books in the Ukrainian language. In 1911 the resolution that was adopted at the 7th Congress of Noblemen in Moscow prohibited the use of any other languages than Russian. In 1914 the Russian government officially prohibited celebrations of the 100th Anniversary of Shevchenko birthday and posted gendarmes at the Chernecha Hill. The same year Nicholas II of Russia issued an edict on prohibition of the Ukrainian press.