As Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, a quiet cultural shift is unfolding in the region's written language—marked by a move away from the Cyrillic script in favour of Latin letters, says Maria Katarzyna Prenner, a scholar of Slavic linguistics at the University of Graz in Austria.
For Ukrainians and Belarusians, the choice between Cyrillic and Latin scripts has become more than a matter of orthography—it is now a powerful expression of political identity.
'Symbolic resource'
In today’s world, the alphabet has become "a symbolic resource," Prenner told public broadcaster Polish Radio’s External Service.
An Austrian of Polish descent, Prenner studies the role of Latin and Polish influences in shaping Ukrainian and Belarusian language identities.
Her research explores a phenomenon known as biscriptality—the simultaneous use of two writing systems—and how it has taken on new meaning amid geopolitical upheaval.
"The question I pose is: What impact does the Russian war against Ukraine have on the use of the Latin script in both societies—including their diasporas?" she said.
'Solidarity with Polish freedom movement'
Historically, the Latin alphabet was associated with Polish culture and Western values, while Cyrillic was linked to Slavic tradition and stronger ties to Russia.
"In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Latin alphabet in Belarus and Ukraine was classified as being influenced by Polish culture and was seen as symbolising solidarity with the Polish freedom movement," Prenner said.
By contrast, she explained, the Cyrillic script was considered the "unmarked default"—a symbol of continuity and state tradition.
Prenner noted that early 20th-century Belarusian newspapers such as Nasha Niva and Świetač were often published in the Latin script—a practice that faded after the 1940s.
"The arguments for and against each script were culturally motivated by a Western-oriented semantic framework and were heavily politically charged," she added.
Today, the pendulum is swinging back.
"In Ukraine, the Latin script is increasingly favoured, partly due to fears that Russia could maintain or even strengthen its influence," Prenner said. "It's seen as a means of differentiation from Russia—following models such as Kazakhstan’s transition to Latin."
In Belarus, the use of the Latin script briefly resurged ahead of the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk, but has since been suppressed.
President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, Prenner said, actively opposes its use, branding it a foreign—specifically Polish—imposition.
Mark of resistance
"In this context, the Latin script is increasingly seen as a marker of identification with the oppositional spectrum," she said.
Despite the official pushback, the Latin alphabet is thriving online. Social media, websites and international platforms overwhelmingly rely on Latin characters—shaping language choices across Eastern Europe.
People who regularly use the internet often visit websites where 90 percent of the content is in the Latin script, Prenner said, adding that digitisation and the internet were working in favour of the Latin alphabet.
Today, Belarusian and Ukrainian users employ multiple Latin variants. Prenner identified five versions used for Belarusian and seven for Ukrainian, including the Library of Congress transliteration system and a Polish-based model. Some Ukrainian scholars have introduced systems with diacritics to reflect the one-symbol-per-sound principle.
"The Polish-based model is present in both Belarusian and Ukrainian due to shared cultural heritage, and individuals using it are often proficient in Polish," she said.
"One key difference is that Belarus already has two well-established Latin script variants, while Ukrainian has not yet established a clear favourite," she added. "Nevertheless, the Latin script continues to be used more frequently in Ukrainian contexts, particularly online, than in Belarusian."
Maria Katarzyna Prenner
‘The script of the West’
For many Belarusians and Ukrainians, adopting the Latin script is both a cultural and practical decision—but increasingly, it is also political.
On a cultural level, the Latin alphabet is widely seen as "the script of the West," Prenner said. It facilitates learning other European languages and enables international communication.
But in post-2020 Belarus and post-2022 Ukraine, its use has become even more politically charged.
As these nations navigate their identities amid conflict and change, even the alphabet can be used as a battleground.
The Latin script—long a symbol of openness, progress and Western values—has now emerged as a subtle but powerful statement of identity.
(vk/gs)
Click on the audio player above for a report by Viktar Korbut.