[Global Issue+] From 'Kiyev' to 'Kyiv'... Ukraine-Russia 'Legitimacy' Dispute Intensifies

Western countries also change spelling from 'Kiev' to 'Kyiv'
History of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus starting from Kyiv
Putin sparks legitimacy debate saying "Ukraine and Russia are inseparable"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Recently, at the request of the Embassy of Ukraine in South Korea, the notation of major cities and place names in Ukraine has been changed. Most notably, the capital of Ukraine, which had been written as 'Kiev,' has been corrected to 'Kyiv.' Kiev is the Russian-style notation, so it has been changed to Kyiv, the Ukrainian-style notation.

In fact, the place names of Ukraine known so far were mostly based on the Russian notation because they were introduced to Asian countries, including Korea, during the 19th century when Ukraine was under the rule of the Russian Empire. The Ukrainian government recognized this issue and was campaigning to change the notation of place names recently, but with the outbreak of Russia's invasion, the notation changes have begun in earnest worldwide.

From 'Kiev' to 'Kyiv'... Western countries also change notation

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to the British Daily Mail on the 5th (local time), Western countries and media, starting with the United States, are largely changing the notation from 'Kiev' to 'Kyiv.' Kiev is the Russian pronunciation transliterated into English, while Kyiv is the Ukrainian pronunciation transliterated into English, which is why the notation is being changed.

According to the British BBC, the Ukrainian government first began changing city and place name notations from Russian-style to Ukrainian-style in 1995. After Ukraine gained independence following the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991, a full-fledged movement to find its own language began. Since 2018, a campaign requesting notation changes to foreign diplomatic missions has also started.

The reason why the notation of Kyiv is particularly sensitive is that the city name itself contains the name of 'Kyi,' who is known as a founding hero of Ukraine. Kyiv is known to be an abbreviation of the medieval East Slavic term 'Kyjev gordu,' meaning 'Kyi's fortress.'

However, the Russian government has belittled the Ukrainian language as merely a 'dialect' of Russian rather than a separate language. This issue is known to be intertwined with the historical legitimacy dispute between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian history starting from Kyiv, dispute over legitimacy

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the current Russian government leadership claim that Ukraine is part of Russian history and cannot be separated. According to the Russian TASS news agency, on the 21st of last month (local time), just before the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, President Putin stated in a national address broadcast on state television, "Ukraine is not simply a neighboring country to us but an inseparable part of Russian history, culture, and spiritual world," and "Modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more specifically by the Bolsheviks and Communist Russia."

The current Putin administration even refers to Ukraine as 'Little Russia,' asserting that it has been part of Russian history from the beginning. In fact, Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is recognized as the region where the histories of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus began. Historical records show that Kyiv is the first city established across Ukraine and Russia. After Kyiv was built around the 9th century AD, the population gradually increased, leading to the establishment of cities in the areas of Russia and Belarus. Russia also refers to this period as the 'Kievan Rus' era.

The histories of the three countries diverged after the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. Kyiv was completely destroyed by the Mongols and came under their direct rule, while the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the foundation of Russia, was established by refugees fleeing northward from the Mongols. In terms of chronology, the culture of the Ukrainian region became the foundation of Russian culture.

However, Russia claims that the legitimate history of Kievan Rus continued through the Grand Duchy of Moscow to Russia. With the recent invasion deepening the conflict between the two countries, there are concerns that the historical dispute between Russia and Ukraine will intensify further.