A bill banning Russian music in public venues with fines of up to €3,000 registered in the Rada

A bill numbered 15430 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, providing for restrictions on the use of the aggressor state’s language in the performance and reproduction of musical works in consumer service establishments.

This was reported by Sudebno-Yuridicheskaya Gazeta.

The document proposes amendments to Ukraine’s Law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language” and the establishment of clear rules regarding musical accompaniment in retail, catering, and personal service establishments.

The bill’s authors note that Article 15 of Ukraine’s Law “On Culture” already prohibits the public performance, showing, screening, and broadcasting of musical works, phonograms, videograms, and music videos associated with the aggressor state. However, current legislation contains no specific mechanism for state oversight and liability of business entities for the use of musical accompaniment in the aggressor state’s language. In practice, violators are subject to Article 155 of Ukraine’s Code of Administrative Offences, which provides for a fine of approximately €0.3 to approximately €3 (from 17 to 170 hryvnias).

The Verkhovna Rada acknowledges that such a penalty is symbolic in nature and serves neither a preventive nor a punitive function. The existence of a prohibition without an effective enforcement mechanism leads to inconsistent response practices and the systematic repetition of violations.

“The musical space is being used by the aggressor state as one of the channels of cultural and informational influence, and in the context of the ongoing armed aggression of the Russian Federation, the performance and reproduction of hostile musical content in public spaces cannot be regarded solely as a matter of aesthetic choice. The use of Russian musical content also has a direct economic dimension. The public performance and reproduction of musical works generates royalties which, through rights holders, labels, and distributors, flow to Russian performers and are taxed in Russia — meaning they work in favor of the budget of the aggressor state that is financing the war against Ukraine. Every public reproduction of Russian music in a Ukrainian establishment is a contribution to the war machine of the aggressor state,” the deputies note.

What the bill proposes

The document provides for the addition of a ninth part to Article 30 of the Law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language.” Under the proposed amendments, when serving consumers, the performance and reproduction of songs and other musical works with lyrics, phonograms, videograms, and music videos must be carried out in the state language or any other language except the language of a state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada as an aggressor state. The exception permitting service to a customer in another language at their request will not extend to a venue’s musical accompaniment.

New fines

The bill introduces a special procedure for imposing fines for violations of the rules on the use of music when serving consumers. A report is drawn up by the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language or their representative without a prior warning or demand to remedy the violation.

For a first violation, a fine of approximately €167 to approximately €333 (from 8,500 to 17,000 hryvnias) is provided. For a repeated violation within a year — from approximately €333 to approximately €2,000 (from 17,000 to 85,000 hryvnias). For a third and each subsequent violation within a year — from approximately €2,000 to approximately €3,000 (from 85,000 to 170,000 hryvnias).

In addition, the bill proposes increasing fines for repeated violations of other requirements of Article 30 of the State Language Law, which have not been revised since the law was adopted — from the current approximately €100–133 (5,100–6,800 hryvnias) to approximately €167–333 (8,500–17,000 hryvnias).