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View of the capital of Ukraine: From now on Kyiv
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In the future "yji" instead of "ie": The Foreign Office is changing its name for the Ukrainian capital Kiev to the Ukrainian transcription Kyiv.
»What has long been common practice for many people is now also changing in the “country directory for official use”.
This means that the Ukrainian spelling for Kyiv is now used in German official traffic,” the Foreign Office announced on the X platform.
“The country directory is relevant for authorities and is used by companies and many others.” The spellings on websites, embassy signs and official seals are now being gradually changed.
The spelling Kiev goes back to the Russian name, but is historically the one used in German, as can be seen from the curve of the Digital Dictionary of the German Language (DWDS).
The Ukrainian spelling Kyiv only appeared in German usage in 2021.
For other capitals, the country directory continues to use the German names, such as Warsaw.
“Important sign”
The journalist Vassili Golod, who reports from the Ukrainian capital for ARD, spoke on X about a “sign of recognition” for Ukrainians.
"It would be an important sign if more German media now used the Ukrainian spelling for Kyiv."
SPIEGEL - like almost all German media - has so far written in Kiev because the name is established in Germany.
Almost all other Ukrainian places have been Ukrainian since 2014.
In Russian the city is called Киев, German transcription: Kijew/Kiew.
In Ukrainian the city is called Київ, German transcription: Kyiv.
Kyiv is the English variant.
The city was officially renamed in 1995.
In 2018, Ukraine launched a #KyivNotKiev campaign in the English-speaking world - since then, almost all major English-language media have changed their spelling.
sol/dpa