[drakonka]

> It's pretty much taboo here in Eastern Europe

This is really interesting, which Eastern European countries is this if you don't mind me asking? I'm a Ukrainian who grew up speaking Russian because that's what was used in schools, and speak Russian regularly with other Ukrainians and others from Eastern Europe now (in a Nordic country). Now that Ukrainian refugees have been arriving, I hear many of them speaking Russian on public transport. Even those speaking Ukrainian still appreciate a Russian speaker approaching them to help if they look lost looking for their connection.

With so many Ukrainians having grown up speaking Russian due largely to the suppression of Ukrainian throughout history, but still with a fully Ukrainian identity, stigmatizing the language they speak seems like it'll just make their lives even harder. I am honestly surprised if this is the case, especially in Eastern Europe where people are very aware first hand of the pervasiveness of Russian regardless of the speaker's nationality or identity.

[dzhiurgis]

That's what I heard from some Ukrainians and locals in Lithuania. Some Russian speakers even getting some services refused.

My partner is helping a family who recently started looking for housing - the phone hangs up immediately after hearing Russian. There could be many reasons - people not wanting to deal with migrants, mixing up Ukrainian with Russian language or plainly not knowing either language. Most post-Soviet kids can't even tell the difference between two, let alone understand it.