What does national identity mean?

National identity is what distinguishes one nation from another, what makes that nation unique and authentic. National identity is a multidimensional complex of components; it is formed by historical, cultural, political, and social factors.

In my opinion, the most pivotal component of national identity is LANGUAGE. A native language gives power, strength, and energy; it unites a person with his/her roots and ancestors.

My dear Ukrainians, speak your native language, the language of melody and song, freedom and resilience. Do not be afraid to switch to Ukrainian — it will become easy once you realize who you are and what your roots are. If language really did not matter, our neighbor would not have tried to eradicate Ukrainians from the face of the earth for so many years, replacing our identity, values, and vision, obliterating our culture, traditions, and even memories.

When an elderly German man asked about the war in Ukraine, the two nations and two countries, how it all began and why, after hearing everything and after a long pause, he commented something like this: "I don't understand the difference in context between Russian and Ukrainian languages, but I can feel the difference. If I hear people singing while communicating and I feel a kind of lightness, as if I am flying like a free bird, then it is the Ukrainian language. If I hear people arguing and I feel as if the shackles of slaves are driving me down, heavy and deep into the earth, then it is the Russian language."

An unbiased adult who understands neither Ukrainian nor Russian languages and even our history of relations, described his feelings about the two languages in terms of energy and content. Being a free person is not just about choice; it is about responsibility, about the willingness to finally be yourself, rather than a copy of your “big brother.”

Language is a person’s DNA and blood, and if a person refuses to speak his/her own language, they also refuse to receive its energy and power to make an impactful communication and be authentic.

Besides language in my mind, the other important indicator of national identity is culture and traditions like folk songs, cuisine, crafts, national costumes, holidays, symbols, literature and art, and customs.

Last but not least is land itself, which connects generations and silently retells all the stories and fights of the previous generations.

Every person in every nation is a holder of the national DNA and national identity; do not give a possibility to other people to kill or eradicate it, it should live forever, even after our deaths.

To all people - remember your roots, despite the fact where you live now and what passport you possess. Awareness of the shared past (historical heroic moments, traumas, and struggles for independence), acknowledgment of your belonging (who you are and who you are not), and gratitude and respect to your ancestors are the smallest possible steps that you should take.