Bezler and emptiness. What awaits Donbas after the war

Yekaternia Sergatsova

Journalist from UP.Life Yekaterina Sergatsova talked to the Donetsk intellectuals about the reasons of what is happening in Donbas, and what awaits the region after the war is over.

“Donbas is a region which has definitely inherited the system of values that existed in the Soviet Union: historical paternalism, dominance of collective values, historical memory, for the most part oriented towards the Soviet heritage,” Dmitro Mironovich, culture sociologist in charge of the sociology lab in one of the Donetsk universities, begins our conversation.

According to Mironovich, such moods were beneficial for the local government: the economy of the region which had been created in the USSR has not changed. Consequentially, the lifestyle of the citizens in the region has not changed either. 

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Ten naïve questions about life in Donetsk

Editor of Vgorode-Donetsk Alina Balaban on how the events in the east are reflected on the life of regular Donetsk citizens. 

Modernisation or burnt ground, what awaits Donetsk Oblast

Donetsk oblast, until recently, has been a region that developed rapidly – a good investment climate, a sport capital, socially responsible business and resonant cultural events – this is what the land was associated with in the thoughts of Ukrainians. Numerous state and nongovernment programs were planned for the following years (infrastructure projects, development of civil society, scheduled sporting competitions on a continental scale). However life has added its correctives. Already the region has decided against a number of projects. At the moment they are not talking about the development of Donetsk oblast, but simply the retention of its livelihood and at least some economical attractiveness. 

Where the “People of Donbass” came from

Sergiy Stefanko

Why were Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts chose for war by Russia? The answer is obvious – here, first and foremost, 40% of the population are ethnic Russians. And second, 80-90% the population, regardless of nationality, has been russified.

De facto the above-mentioned oblasts are a Russian-speaking, Russian-cultural enclave in Ukraine, this is where the “compatriots” live.