Iryna Farion

Biography

Farion graduated from the Philology School of the Lviv University in 1987 with honors, while her name was entered in the book "Toiling glory of University". During the college years she was a member of a Communist Party of the Soviet Union (the only student being in the Communist Party).

In 1996 she defended her candidate dissertation. Since 2006 Farion became politically active balloting for People's Deputy of Ukraine mandate from the All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda", of which she was a member since 2005. In 2006 Farion also successfully balloted to the regional council, while in 2010 she won in a majoritarian electoral district of Lviv.

Among her scientific works are four monographs and 200 articles. During 1998–2004 Farion headed language commission of Prosvita. Since 1998 she initiated and organized the annual competition among students "Language is a foundation of your life". In 2004 Farion became a laureate of Oleksa Hirnyk Prize (Oleksa Hirnyk). Farion publicly advocates the memory of Stepan Bandera, unity of the Ukrainian West and East based on a statist thinking.

In the 2012 parliamentary election Farion was elected into parliament after winning a constituency in Lviv Oblast.

In the 2014 parliamentary election Farion again tried to win a constituency seat in Lviv, but failed this time having finished third in her constituency with approximately 16% of votes.

Public opinion

Due to her political views Farion became infamous among the Russian-speaking population for her anti-Russian sentiments. The most fierce opponent of hers is a People's Deputy of Ukraine Vadym Kolesnichenko. Farion is also strongly against the Moscow Patriarchate, particularly within Ukraine.

The biggest resonance occurred on 19 February 2010, when as part of the action "Affirm the state language!" (on the International Mother Language Day) Farion held a class devoted to the problem of national identity in the Kindergarten #67 (Lviv). During the classes in sharp form she condemned Russification of Ukrainian names. The same day unknown people posted online video of Farion on YouTube. The event became publicized in mass media and has caused mixed reviews. In particular, a People's Deputy of Ukraine from the Party of Regions Vadym Kolesnichenko appealed to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to bring Iryna Farion criminally liable under Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (concerning discrimination against children based on language and ethnicity), while the Ukrainian People's Party condemned the speech of Farion as a provocation against the Ukrainian language. On the other hand, the head of the party "Svoboda" Oleh Tyahnybok defended his colleague.

In summer 2012 several Russian-speaking mass media accused Farion that she associates the Russian language with faeces, based on her interview at local media. In the interview Farion clearly used a word for threshing floor, while the mass media interpreted it as homonym to it, yet completely different in meaning. Also in another case an argument arose between her and a driver of Lviv public transportation (route #54). When Farion asked the driver to turn off the music he refused, when she reminded the driver that there is a prohibition of the local authorities for musical accompaniment in public transportation the latter refused stating that does not care. Some sources state that the driver accused Farion of excessive love for the Ukrainian language. Later the driver was fired, while the Russian speaking mass media was pointing also to the fact that the music was in Russian language.

Numerous mass media sources pointed out that Farion called the Russian language a language of occupants and expressed her opinion that anyone who does not speak Ukrainian ought to be jailed.

During an interview on 8 April 2014 in the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament), she said that the arrest in Kharkov is a soft penalty, all Russian should be killed, because the war between Russia and Ukraine since 1654

After the May 2014 massacre in Odessa, with 38 dead after a building was set on fire), she wrote on her personal Web page: "Bravo, Odessa. (...) Let the demons burn in hell."

Awards

Scientific publications