For a WM travelling to Ukraine, what would be the best language to learn?

[Shelfstuff]

I realize that Russian is understood in a lot of the world, but for a man from the US to travel mostly to the Ukraine, especially in regions outside the bigger cities, which is best to learn?  Russian can be used in more places, but is it that common in Ukraine, or is it better to learn Ukrainian if someone were to travel there to socialize?  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated...

[Lily]

I'd say that Ukrainian living in smaller cities would appreciate it if you learn Ukrainian language. They may even feel flattered

[Mir]

Russian

Specially of your purpose is to socialize with women

[Kuna]

In the west (and probably more so in smaller towns in the west), Ukrainian will get you MUCH further....  but in the east Russian is still much more common.

My Girl HATES being chastised for speaking Russian when she is in Lvov...  but she says they don't even speak pure Ukrainian... Apparently she hears a mix of Polish and Ukrainian in most people there.

The UKR Government have passed new laws that forces the media to introduce more Ukrainian language in programming but most Ukranians still speak Russian.

I'd suggest anyone traveling there learns a little Russian.  Even those who speak Ukrainian will understand and if they pretend not to you mightn't have gotten far anyway.

Kuna

[Shadow]

English. Not the kind that is native to you, but the kind of English you might hear in language courses.

[Shelfstuff]

What percentage of people in the smaller Ukrainian towns would you say understand Russian?

[ScottinCrimea]

Anywhere east and south of Kiev the predominant language is Russian.  In Crimea, especially, Ukrainian will actually not be of much use to you and some people there are offended if you speak Ukrainian.  In my travels to Western Ukraine I have never had problems speaking Russian and no one has appeared to be offended, but perhaps this is because I am American.  It may be that a Ukrainian speaking Russian there instead of Ukrainian might be looked down on.  I really haven't met anyone yet who doesn't understand Russian but I know many who don't speak Ukrainian.

While some in Western Ukraine might be impressed if you speak Ukrainian, I think overall Russian would be the better choice for starting out. Once you know a little Russian you can pick up Ukrainian a lot easier.  If you want to really simplify it, just change every "g" sound in Russian to an "h" sound and you're halfway there.

[jb]

Stuff,

After over 250 years of Russian domination, they all speak Russian.  The reemergence of the Ukrainian language is a recent phenomena, so much so that our Ukrainian friends here tell us that the language is being taught in Ukraine from scratch at grammar school levels there.  Ukraine is in the process of reinventing itself from square one.  Having a distinct language will give them a greater sense of separate identity.  It will cause pain in the ear to the Russian, but I think they will still understand each other.  If you live in the USA, the best analogy I can give you is; for example, the Apache and Navajo languages.  Both languages are from the same family, and Apaches and Navajos can understand each other, however with some difficulty. 

Either way, Russians and Ukrainians are basically from the same breed of cats.

[Serebro]

I don't know about the Ukraine, but in Tatarstan the situation is as follows-if you are in Kazan or in Tatar small towns-people understand Russian everywhere.
If you go to  villages the situation is terrible, I have met many people who understood about 2-3 phrases in Russian and spoke Tatar only, even children and young adults.
I don't think that ukrainins living in the Ukraine expect that you will speak their language with them as many russians who have lived all their life there don't speak it.
I think that learning russian would be better but if your gf is from an ukrainian family you can try learn 30-40 different expressions in ukrainian language and it will make you closer to them.

[Bruno]

I think that learning russian would be better but if your gf is from an ukrainian family you can try learn 30-40 different expressions in ukrainian language and it will make you closer to them.

Shelfstuff, you only need to know one expression...

In place of say я люблю тебя (ia loublou tiébia) in Russian, say Я тебе кохаю (ia tebe kohaiu) in Ukrainian...

For Serebro, you need to say Мин сине яратам ( Min sine yaratam )... beware that in 2001, Tartastan have officialy stop the use of cyrillic alphabet for a modified latin alphabet...

Tatar has been written with a number of different alphabets: before the 9th century AD it was written with the Orkhon alphabet; then with a version of the Arabic alphabet until 1920. A modified version of the Arabic alphabet known as Yaña imlâ or new orthography was used between 1920 and 1927. Since then it has been with the Cyrillic alphabet and a number of versions of the Latin alphabet.

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tatar.htm

Special for ScottinCrimea 

Crimean Tatar (Qırımtatar tili, Qırımtatarca) is also known as Crimean (Qırım tili, Qırımca) or Crimean Turkish (Qırım Türkçesi).
Crimean Tatar has been written with the Perso-Arabic script, the Latin alphabet between 1928 and 1938, the Cyrillic alphabet from 1938 to the 1990s, and the Latin alphabet since then, though the Cyrillic alphabet is still used by some people.

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/crimeantatar.php

[Serebro]

For Serebro, you need to say Мин сине яратам ( Min sine yaratam )... beware that in 2001, Tartastan have officialy stop the use of cyrillic alphabet for a modified latin alphabet...
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tatar.htm

They don't. It's midnight now, but I will take some pictures tomorrow to prove you that they are not, they are currently trying to make microsoft of in tatar with cyrillic letters
but thank you for Min sine yaratam

[Shelfstuff]

So then someone who has a good grasp on the Russian language would be able to get around at least 80% of Ukrainians?  (Kiev and the smaller towns within a 2 hour radius)?

[Kuna]

So then someone who has a good grasp on the Russian language would be able to get around at least 80% of Ukrainians?  (Kiev and the smaller towns within a 2 hour radius)?

Shelf...

If you have a good grasp on Russian you'll be MILES ahead of 95% of men that travel anywhere in FSU.

[jb]

Good Christ~! Man,,, Find a girl who already speaks English and stop bothering yourself about the impossible task of learning Russian or Ukrainian in a few months.  Talk about beating up the dead horse.

[55North]

Exactly.  It was an English teacher in Kyiv, and now it's an English / music teacher in Kislovodsk.  Even though my Russian / Ukrainian is effectively useless, I am beginning to remember how to read music!