How widely is Russian spoken in Kiev and Kharkiv?

Shane Choo

May 21, 2018 10:01 PM

Russian is spoken both in Kiev and Kharkiv wide enough to let the foreigner who speaks only Russian feel comfortable. It used to be 80% of Russian and 20% of Ukrainian but now I think the ratio is about 50:50. But please don't worry, if you come across with a person who speaks Ukrainian they will easily switch to Russian when they have realized that you are a foreigner and don't speak Ukrainian.

May 22, 2018

Almost all people in Kharkiv speak Russian and in Kyiv majority

May 21, 2018

No offence intended, but in Russia there is an idea that the ukrainian speak russian to each other and speak ukrainian to the russians :))

August 20, 2018

I am from Kharkov and lived 2 years in Kiev. and I can say for sure that almost everyone speaks Russian. even those who speak Ukrainian can definitely speak Russian.

January 19, 2019