Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has considered an e-petition to rename Russia into ‘Muscovy’ in the Ukrainian language and instructed the country’s prime minister Denys Shmyhal to “explore this possibility”.
The petition in question was posted on 23 November 2022 and was signed by 25,000 individuals, enough to be considered by the president. It also suggests that the word “Russian” be replaced with “Muscovian”, and the “Russian Federation” to be referred to as “the Moscow Federation”.
The creator of the petition believes that the historic name for Russia is Muscovy, the word that was used in maps between the 16th and 19th centuries.
“The issue mentioned in the petition requires thorough elaboration both in terms of historic and cultural context and considering potential consequences in international law. Considering this, I addressed the Ukrainian prime minister and asked him to use a complex approach and explore such a possibility,” Zelensky said.
He also suggested that the academia be involved to resolve the matter.
Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, referred to Zelensky’s actions as “additional evidence of attempted transforming of Ukraine into anti-Russia”.
