Over the past decade, Technolex Translation Studio has observed a profound shift in demand between Russian and Ukrainian translation. The change has not been sudden or accidental. it developed gradually, accelerated sharply after 2022 and has now stabilized into a new long term market reality.
2015–2019. Russian as the dominant language, Ukrainian growing steadily
In the earlier years, Russian accounted for the majority of client requests. For many global companies, Russian still functioned as the default language for Eastern Europe and post Soviet markets. Ukrainian was present in the portfolio, but represented a smaller share of work. Demand for Ukrainian grew, although at a moderate pace, often tied to the expansion of Ukrainian businesses and increasing foreign investment into Ukraine.
2020–2021. Noticeable change begins
Around 2020, a structural shift became visible. More international companies began targeting Ukraine directly, rather than treating it as part of a Russian speaking region. English to Ukrainian translation started to gain more weight, and the share of Russian language projects began to decline. Even before the full scale invasion, Ukrainian was strengthening as a standalone market language.
2022. The decisive turning point
The full scale invasion in 2022 triggered the most dramatic transformation in language demand. A large number of global companies scaled back operations in Russia, removed Russian from their localization scope or deprioritized it significantly. At the same time, Ukrainian users, customers and employees became central to communication efforts across Europe due to mass relocation and increased visibility of the Ukrainian market.
As a result, Ukrainian rapidly became the primary target language for many clients. The demand for Russian dropped sharply, while Ukrainian grew faster than at any prior point.
2023–2025. A new stable market environment
In the following years, Ukrainian has remained the dominant priority for localization. Companies now treat Ukraine as an independent and important market. Ukrainian versions of products, interfaces, legal materials and corporate communications have become the standard rather than the exception.
Russian translations continue to exist but at a much lower, stable baseline compared to the past. They no longer define the structure of localization strategies for most clients.
What this shift means for the industry
The evolution of language demand is not temporary. it represents a fundamental realignment in how global businesses view Eastern Europe. Ukrainian has become a central market language that requires high quality linguistic and cultural expertise. Russian is no longer treated as a universal gateway to the region.
For Technolex Translation Studio, this transition reflects a clear strategic direction. deep specialization in Ukrainian localization, investment in native linguists and adaptation to the needs of companies that are expanding or maintaining strong presence in the Ukrainian market.
