Attitudes and uses of Russian in the Ukrainian diaspora in Naples (Italy): A linguistic conflict

Aims:
This study investigates language attitudes and practices among first-generation Ukrainian migrants in Naples (Italy) after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It examines how war-related experiences reshape the symbolic and affective values of Russian and Ukrainian within speakers’ repertoires.
Methods:
The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining sociolinguistic questionnaires and the language portrait technique. Data from Ukrainian-speaking migrants in Naples were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, focusing on metalinguistic commentary and visual representations of linguistic repertoires.
Results:
The findings show a process of sociolinguistic realignment. Despite high proficiency, Russian is often associated with trauma, stigma, and political aggression, and positioned as a language to be rejected. Ukrainian, by contrast, gains affective and symbolic value as a marker of identity and resistance. The study highlights how geopolitical events reshape language practices and contribute to the renegotiation of individual and collective identities in the diaspora.