Respondents of Chernihiv region associate themselves with European culture and demonize Yanukovych – the results of the study

In Chernihiv, on May 7, a round table was discussed to discuss the peculiarities of the regional perception of the historical context of Ukraine’s development as a state, the present conflict and the prospects of the future. The event presented a research on national unity in a regional section, followed by a debate about potential factors and actors that could contribute to destabilization in Chernihiv. The round table was conducted by the International Center for Promising Studies in Collaboration with the Polissya Fund of International and Regional Research within the framework of the project “Initiating National Dialogue in Ukraine”.

Developing a national unity policy and a plan for its implementation measures is the ambitious goal of the project, one of the stages of which was implemented in Chernihiv. The event with the participation of representatives of public organizations and intellectual circles became a platform for discussing the results of the study, which was conducted by the Democratic Initiatives Foundation. Ilka Kucheriv and covered various aspects of moods to the historical heritage and the current conflict of Ukrainian citizens from 11 historical regions. Chernihiv region, together with Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Sumy regions, entered the region of Polesie, the indicators of which, in their majority, did not differ from national trends.

In general, in Polissya those who do not know about the unification and reconciliation programs – 46.1%, but the proportion of those who consider them relevant is the same as throughout Ukraine – 57%. In this region, the opinion is prevalent that the most Ukrainians are separating the corruption of the authorities (32.5%), the actions of oligarchs (26.4%) and Russia’s actions on the separation of Ukraine (21.3%). At the same time, according to the respondents, the greatest efficiency for reconciliation of Ukrainians with almost equal force would be a real fight against corruption (33.9%), improvement of socio-economic status in the country (32.4%) and victory in the war (32%). The Ukrainian authorities could reconcile Ukrainians – 33.3% of Polissya respondents, and the media and international organizations divided the second position here (20.8%). Respondents have the greatest hope for reconciliation from all possible international structures on the European Union (29.7%) and partner countries-the United States (31.4%). Today’s events are called the struggle for independence of the country 22.2%, and the civil war – 15.4%. In turn, the revolutionary events 37.1% of those polled determined how the struggle for the path of European integration, and a slightly smaller part (33.7%) – a struggle against the violation of the rights of Ukrainians. The largest fear of local residents is the war with Russia (34.6%).

Respondents also believe that uncontrolled territories will return under the control of the Ukrainian government, with a deterioration in their economic situation and improvements in Ukraine (40%). Accordingly, their leaders – the opinion of the same number of interviewees in Polissya – have the opinion of such territories. At the same time, here categorically disagree with the exit of Donbass from the warehouse of Ukraine (73.1%), as well as Galicia – 76.3%. The interviewees clearly identified the heroes and anti -heroes. Thus, 60.1% gave Ukrainian volunteer battalions a positive color, and Russian citizens who fight in the DPR/LNR, 37.7% of respondents called criminal elements and mercenaries.

Higher than the average in Ukraine, the indicator has answers to the proximity of the respondent of Ukraine, its languages ​​and culture (78.4% and 77.3%, respectively). Russia and its culture are largely close to the respondents (30%). In Polissya, 24% of respondents refer to European culture as opposed to 27.9% who identify with only Ukrainian. 34.6% of Galicia is considered a patriotic, cultural and religious person. “Prone to the separation of its region from Ukraine” – the image of a resident of Donbass, according to 28.3% of respondents. By the way, in Polissya 12% of respondents assured that in the last 20 years they have not traveled outside the region, and 47.9% have not been abroad.