Historical political formations: Crimean Khanate, Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic, Slavo-Serbia, Sloboda Ukraine, General-Government of New Russia and Bessarabia.
Russian is the dominant language in the region (in the schools of the Ukrainian SSR learning Ukrainian was mandatory).[1] Effective in August 2012, a new law on regional languages entitles any local language spoken by at least a 10% of the population be declared official within that area.[2] Within weeks, Russian was declared as a regional language in several southern and eastern oblasts and cities.[3] From that point Russian could be used in those cities'/oblasts' administrative office work and documents.[4] However, on 23 February 2014, the law on regional languages was abolished, making Ukrainian the sole state language at all levels even in Eastern Ukraine.[5] Nevertheless, this vote was vetoed by acting President Turchynov on March 2.[6][7]