Ukrainian nationalist association Svoboda...

"After Viktor Yanukovych was elected Ukraine"s president, the threat to the Ukrainian language has multiplied," Andriy Mohnik, a deputy head of Svoboda, said while opening the several-dozen-strong rally.

Yanukovych, sworn in February 25 following the February 7 presidential election runoff which he narrowly won from then prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has a friendly attitude to Russia and the Russian language rather than his predecessor Viktor Yushchenko whose pro-Western policies, including a bid to take Ukraine into NATO, saw a rapid deterioration in bilateral ties.

The new Ukrainian leader, whose power base is in the mainly Russian-speaking eastern and southern industrial parts of the country, has pledged to take steps to assure the right of Ukrainians to speak Russian, something his predecessor had suppressed.

Yanukovych has vowed to restore the damaged ties with Russia and in particular consider extending the Russian navy base"s stay in the country, as

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