THE STATE LANGUAGE AS AN EXPRESSION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY: A CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL APPROACH

Abstract

The study is devoted to the analysis of the role of the state language as a key element in the formation of national identity, ensuring state sovereignty and social unity. The work emphasizes that the state language performs not only the function of communication, but is also a symbol of independence, cultural identity and territorial integrity. Based on the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, the significance of the Ukrainian language is analyzed as an integral attribute of the Ukrainian state along with state symbols, the capital and the territory. The scientific work also examines such features of the state language as its obligation in the functioning of state institutions, education, the media space, the legal sphere, and the activities of public organizations. Its role as the language of official communication, which ensures the unity of state administration and the interaction of citizens with the authorities, is emphasized. It is emphasized that the legislative consolidation of the status of the Ukrainian language as the state language is considered as a reaction to the long history of russification and linguistic oppression. It ensures the restoration of cultural identity and unity of society in the conditions of globalization, which is accompanied by cultural unification. Scientists define the state language as a “system-forming element of statehood”, which requires complex measures to protect its status, clear normative regulation and compliance with language standards. It is noted that public discrediting or contempt for the state language is considered an encroachment on the constitutional system of Ukraine, which requires a legal response. The need for active participation of the state and citizens in the protection and popularization of the language, as well as its integration into all spheres of public life, is emphasized. The results of the study indicate that the state language acts as a guarantor of stability, social harmony and cultural development. Its legal status is crucial for maintaining state unity, ensuring territorial integrity and strengthening national consciousness.