Starting from Saturday, January 16, the entire service sector, including supermarkets and online stores, restaurants, cafes, banks, gas stations, pharmacies, clinics, libraries and gyms, must speak exclusively in Ukrainian to the customer. Serve in Russian or some other language (and suddenly) — only at the request of the client. And for non-compliance with the rules at the signal of dissatisfied employees or the owner can be fined 5100-6800 UAH. Who will monitor and inform on violators and how the service sector is preparing for this, Vesti learned.

«I will speak Surzhik»

Until January 16, there is nothing left, and, as before, the Ukrainians are divided into two camps. Some demand to talk to them exclusively in Ukrainian, and otherwise threaten with denunciations. Others consider these requirements not mandatory, if people understand each other even without the Ukrainian language.

«I have a store. Since January 16, I have to communicate with clients exclusively in Ukrainian. But since my social circle is Russian-speaking, I speak Ukrainian poorly. In order not to tease fundamentally minded customers, I will try to satisfy them. Only, I’m afraid they won’t like my surzhik. Although, believe me, before that there were no complaints. Everyone spoke the language they wanted, «Valeria Sorokina, a resident of Dnipro, tells Vesti.

Residents of Transcarpathia, whose native language is Hungarian, are generally confused, because they have always spoken using Hungarian, Ukrainian and Russian words — few people can boast of pure Ukrainian speech.

«We in Transcarpathia speak the language they know, and everyone understands each other. I am Hungarian, which is my native language. Yes, I learned Ukrainian, and I speak three languages with visitors at once. I have Ukrainian, Russian, and Hungarian words in my sentence. I’m not sure that fines will correct the situation. Knowledge of the language should be required from young people and officials, «Maryan, a shop owner from Mukachevo, tells Vesti.

«In the face for katsapizatsia»

People who call themselves defenders of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine are already rubbing their hands in anticipation of how they will dragonize Russian speakers. «I can’t wait for January 16. I’m already feeling all over the place. For katsapizatsia many will get in the face«,- they write in their groups on the social network. Moreover, they are already training. For example, Oksana Sayapina, a dance teacher from Obukhov, was harassed in social networks after admitting that she teaches lessons in Russian, and the children understand her perfectly. The management of the Cultural Center where she teaches also reacted. Oksana was reprimanded for not speaking the official language.

The newly elected deputy of the Odessa City Council from the EU, Zhanna Madrichenko, made a scandal with the involvement of the police. However, she insists that she did not start first. «A friend of mine was thrown out of a taxi for speaking Ukrainian. The taxi driver told him so, and refused to take him any further. My sister was yelled at by a customer of an expensive restaurant on Deribasovskaya Street because she was talking in Ukrainian on the phone at a nearby table, and the conversation was interfering with him. So on the eve of Christmas Eve, I stopped by the Roshen store to buy sweets for the guests. At the checkout, after paying, I asked the security guard with the wrong mask to move away from me, keeping a distance. He reacted instantly: «Why are you talking in Ukrainian here? After the 16th you will be, but for now here Russian language!«- said Madrichenko. As a result, she complained to the store management about the security guard. But when they said there was nothing wrong, she called the police. However, while she was driving, the hotline of the Roshen factory already apologized.

«To say that I’m in shock is an understatement. In my city, I will be told what language I can communicate in here?! By the way, during all this time I was spoken exclusively in Russian, except for one employee who apologized. I will finish this case, » Madrichenko promised.

Prostrate calls to shout

In short, from Saturday in the country will come a real fun. On the eve of the New Year, the Commissioner for the Protection of the Ukrainian Language Taras Kremin noted that for violation by business entities of the relevant norms, the Commissioner’s secretariat can carry out unscheduled control measures.

«If such violations are repeated throughout the year and have a systematic nature, we have the right to impose a fine. It would seem that this amount is small to some, but it will hit not so much the pockets of the business as the reputation. And this is exactly what has been developed over the years, » he wrote on his page in the social network. And told them how to behave to complainants:

• try to solve the situation on the spot and ask the employee to serve you in Ukrainian;
• if the employee refuses to comply with the request, you can contact the institution’s management or the institution’s hotline;
• if the administration refuses to comply with the legal requirement, then it is necessary to record the fact of refusal by means of audio, video, written confirmation of eyewitnesses and send the complaint to the postal address: 12 Muzeyny Lane, Kiev, 01001, e-mail address skarha@mova-ombudsman.gov.ua or fill out the form on the website www.mova-ombudsman.gov.ua.

The office was already bombarded with complaints. According to the Ombudsman, about 50 of them arrived. By the way, the infamous language activists Irina Farion and Larisa Nitsoy posted a joint photo on social networks on the eve of January 16. They say that they unite to fight for the Ukrainian cause. Nitsoy said it was time to move on to Plan B, because «Plan A, codenamed’ deaf and dumb, ‘ doesn’t work.» «From the doorway, say loudly: «good day!». If the seller does not turn on and says «hello», immediately declare: «I communicate in Ukrainian.» If the seller ignores you again — you make a scandal. And there’s nothing wrong with that. So you take a deep breath and start screaming. The cry is your weapon for Ukraine.»

The rules are not for everyone

The State Food and Consumer Protection Service did not stay away from resolving the issue, which published a sample application on its website, which any consumer can submit to them if they were not served in Ukrainian. But at the same time, the State Food and Consumer Protection Service expanded the list of complaints. It applies not only to services that are not in the official language, but also to receipts and price lists.

At the same time, the application must indicate that, they say, because of «a foreign language, the buyer made the wrong choice and bought the wrong products that he wanted.» But at the same time, the application must indicate not only the address of this institution, but also its name, the name of the owner and attach a fiscal check.

«Well, they can write a complaint, but there are a lot of issues here. The State Service for Food and Consumer Protection can come out for verification if the business entity is specified. But if there is no receipt, if there is no name, what kind of FOP(businessman) or TOV(company) served in the wrong language, no one will go to any verification. In fact, in the service sector, this will only affect honest entrepreneurs who pay taxes, who issue fiscal checks. For example, in markets, sellers on layouts are not subject to any fines for violating of  the language law or any checks, because they work without documents. In what language they want, in what language they want to use. and they will talk. Don’t shout, it won’t do any good. The only thing that language activists can do is not to buy goods from them, not to be served by them. Although in general, you need to pay attention not to the language in which they serve you, but to what they sell you«,- the head of the Union of consumers of Ukraine Maxim Nesmeyanov tells» Vesti».

In turn, the head of the Association of Small and Medium-sized Businesses Ruslan Sobol notes that the service sector should speak the language that is convenient for the consumer.

«The most correct language for the service sector is a high — quality service provided. And everything that is being created around the Ukrainian language is a tool to distract attention from stealing the budget and other schemes, » Sobol told Vesti.

Alla Dunina, Lead