"You can't erase the history of Odesa": "Mask Show" star Boris Barsky angered Ukrainians by explaining why he still speaks Russian

The famous Ukrainian comedian and director, star of the comedy program Masks Show, Borys Barsky continues to speak Russian, using it not only in everyday life but also in the public sphere, including interviews. The arguments he uses in his own defense are fairly standard: "many soldiers at the front speak Russian," "you can't impose a language," "when I speak Ukrainian, I'm not as sincere," and so on. In addition, Barsky is convinced that the Russian language is the "heritage of Odesa," where he comes from and where he has lived all his life.

Such comments by the actor provoked a discussion online. Some people were sympathetic to the comedian's words, while others were outraged by his "lame excuses." They were made in an interview for the YouTube channel Goncharova Podcast.

So, Barsky shared: "I have a Ukrainian family. And we have been bilingual all our lives. We understood each other perfectly. This is not a problem. The problem is a little different. You need to judge a person by their actions, not by the language they speak. Many people on the front line speak Russian. Secondly, you cannot impose it. It must be sincere and come from the heart. In 2004, I went to rallies and admired this language. No one imposed it on me. This is not Putin's language. I communicate a lot with journalists from Estonia, Denmark, Holland, and France. I communicate with them in Russian. It's easier for them. For Odesa, it is a tradition, a cultural heritage. I don't see a problem here. What is the problem? Is it rejection? In rejection? Well, scold me for that."

The interviewer disagreed with the celebrity's words, but drew attention to one particular point-the military. Tetiana Honcharova said: "Comparing yourself to the guys on the front line is not an argument."

Barsky, meanwhile, continued to prove that he knows his native language well, but when he speaks it, he feels insincere and insecure. He explains that this is due to his lack of experience. At the same time, the comedian hopes that future generations will no longer use Russian.

"I had an A in Ukrainian at school. I knew it very well. But I had no communication. Not enough communication. I can speak Ukrainian, but I need to turn on the translator in my head. And it's not really easy. I will speak like a Google translator. There will be no soul, no sincerity in it. I am often asked to record some greetings in Ukrainian. I realize that it would be much more sincere and heartfelt if I wrote it in the language I speak. This is not an excuse. Well, I believe that the history of Odesa cannot be erased. I am a dinosaur generation. But let's wait until I'm extinct," the artist commented.

However, many of his compatriots did not like his comments. The video generated a lot of thoughts on the language issue. Some people supported Barsky, while others criticized him, noting that by the 10th year of the war with Russia, it would be possible to recover the native language and start speaking it at least in public.

OBOZ.UA also wrote that Boris Barsky has a sister in the aggressor country. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, she tried to prove to her relative that "ordinary people are not to blame for anything," but the actor sharply replied to the woman, saying that Russia was sending "meat" to Ukraine and would definitely lose in this war.

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