Letter to UEFA

To: info@uefa.com, info@ffu.org.ua, info@thefa.com, pzpn@pzpn.pl

Fax: +41 848 01 2727, +41 848 01 2525, +380 44 522 85 13, +44 207 745 4546, +48 22 551 2240

Subject: Name of Ukrainian cities

Dear Madam / Sir,

Let me bring your attention to the fact that misspells the names of Ukrainian cities.

I would like to bring your attention to the fact that your website [www.uefa.com/competitions/euro2012/news/newsid=576359.html] misspells names of Ukrainian cities. This letter is to request UEFA to correct English versions of the names of all Ukrainian cities and towns.

The capital of Ukraine in English is Kyiv not Kiev. Kiev was only used during the Soviet times. To write Kiev is old-fashioned at least, if not against the will of the Ukrainian as well as the US and other governments. Lvov is Lviv and was always Lviv as the matter of fact. One also writes Kharkiv, not Kharkov anymore.

This has been already reviewed by the Ukrainian and Western governments, recognised by the UN, the US, Ukrainian, British, Australian and other English speaking countries and authorities. This is how these cities call themselves in English.

In case UEFA is not aware of it, National Geographic noted the return to proper spellings of Ukrainian cities back in 1992. The Ukrainian government officially recognized them more than a decade ago. Most Western governments have long switched to these spellings, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other English-language countries. So has the United Nations Organization.

UEFA would not write “Bombay”, “Peking” or “Leningrad” today, so it should show equal respect for Ukraine and the official spellings of its cities’ names in English.

There are many reasons why the capital of Ukraine is spelled Kyiv in English:

• Ukrainian government insists on Kyiv spelling

• US government issued a directive to write Kyiv

• United Nations Multilingual Terminology Database (the ultimate body on geographical names) approved it as Kyiv

• Major English speaking governments worldwide switched to Kyiv spelling

• CIA refers to the city as Kyiv

• The name of the famous football club is Dynamo Kyiv

• Many papers, e.g., British The Guardian, are already writing Kyiv

• All major Canadian media already use the spelling of Kyiv

• And many more …

You can find more reasons, background information and evidences on http://Kyiv.Of-Cour.se/.

Again, I kindly ask you to adopt the official spellings of the names of Ukraine’s cities.

Thank you very much for your consideration and support on this matter.

Sincerely yours,

[See the complete list of those signed on the petition site]