The language ombudsman called on the police to take action against a Kharkiv bar for singing in Russian at karaoke

The Ukrainian Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Olena Ivanovska, has called on the police to conduct “preventive and explanatory work” at the Che Bar establishment on Sumskaya Street in central Kharkiv, where patrons regularly sing Russian-language songs.

Her response to a citizen’s complaint was published by Kharkiv Telegram channels.

In her reply to a complaint regarding bar visitors singing the song “Roman” by the Russian pop group Vintage, Ivanovska noted that Ukrainian law does not prohibit the performance of Russian-language songs in karaoke. The law only bans the public playback of songs performed by Russian citizens.

“At the same time, it should be noted that the situation of citizens regularly performing Russian-language songs in public places amid Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine understandably causes public outrage and disapproval, which I fully share. Although this situation falls outside the scope of Ukrainian legislation, it is socially sensitive and conflict-prone,” Ivanovska wrote, calling on the police to intervene.

Earlier, during the summer, Ivanovska demanded legislative changes to ban not only the performance of songs by Russian citizens but also songs in the Russian language, since under current law only the former is prohibited.