South Ukraine

Southern Ukraine (Ukrainian: Південна Україна, Pivdenna Ukrayina) refers, generally, to the territories in the South of Ukraine.

The territory usually corresponds with the Soviet economical district, the Southern Economical District of Ukrainian SSR. The region is completely integrated with a marine and shipbuilding industry. The region primarily corresponds to the former Russian Kherson, Taurida, and most of the Yekaterinoslav Governorates that appeared after the disintegration of the Novorossiysk Governorate which spanned across the northern coast of Black Sea after the Russian-Ottoman Wars of 1768–74 and 1787–92. Prior to that the area belonged to the Crimean Khanate and its satellites protected militarily by the Ottoman Porte.

Russian is the dominant language in the region (in the schools of the Ukrainian SSR learning Ukrainian was mandatory), although not to the extent that it is in the three oblasts that comprise Eastern Ukraine. Effective in August 2012, a new law on regional languages entitles any local language spoken by at least a 10% minority be declared official within that area. Within weeks Russian was declared as a regional language in several southern and eastern oblasts and cities. Russian could then be used in these cities/oblasts' administrative office work and documents. On 23 February 2014, the Ukrainian parliament voted to repeal the law on regional languages, which would have made Ukrainian the sole state language at all levels even in Southern and Eastern Ukraine. This vote was vetoed by acting President Turchynov on March 2.

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