Soviet Illusionist Amayak Akopyan's Controversial Remarks on Ukrainian Tours

Soviet-era illusionist Amayak Akopyan recently stirred controversy with his remarks about his tours in Ukraine during the USSR era. According to Akopyan, he was warmly welcomed by Ukrainian audiences and claimed that 99% of Ukrainians spoke Russian at the time.

Akopyan's Nostalgic Recollections

During a recent interview with a propagandist media outlet, Akopyan reminisced about his extensive travels across Ukraine, asserting that he never felt any animosity from Ukrainians. "I traveled all over Ukraine and was always welcomed with open arms, " he stated.

"99 percent spoke Russian: we sang, danced, and welcomed each other with bread and salt. The beautiful girls who came backstage were so admiring! We told jokes, drank vodka, and enjoyed barbecues and salo! What happened in the world later, we know..."

Contradicting Official Data

However, official statistics paint a different picture. By 1994, 36% of Ukrainians communicated in their native language, while 32% were bilingual, using both Ukrainian and Russian. In 1991, half of the students in Ukrainian schools were learning the Ukrainian language, and this figure rose to 65% within seven years.

Propaganda and Misleading Narratives

Akopyan's comments also included a swipe at the West, blaming "bad Americans" for disrupting the supposed peace and harmony of the Soviet era.

"These bad Americans can't forgive us for living in peace and helping other countries. So they orchestrated something we simply can't ignore, " he claimed.

The Reality of Ukrainian Identity

Despite Akopyan's nostalgic and somewhat misleading recollections, the data indicates a strong presence and growth of the Ukrainian language and identity during the late Soviet and early post-Soviet periods. His comments reflect a common narrative used in certain media to downplay the distinctiveness and resilience of Ukrainian culture and language.

Editor: Yana Davydiuk