German Foreign Ministry adopts Ukrainian spelling of Kyiv

Elsa Court, The Kyiv Independent news desk
·1 min read

The German Foreign Ministry has officially adopted the Ukrainian transliteration of Kyiv, changing the spelling in the official country directory from the Russian transliteration of Kiew to Kyjiw from Feb. 24.

The German government and private companies regularly refer to the Foreign Ministry's country directory for spelling and style guidance. The ministry described the change as something that had "long been in common practice for many."

The Foreign Ministry is now "gradually changing the spelling" on its websites, embassy signs, and official seals.

While the website address of the German Embassy in Kyiv still uses Kiew, the website text now refers to the German Embassy in Kyjiw.

The Ukrainian spelling of Kyjiw started to appear in German usage in 2021, according to German newspaper Die Welt.

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