The Identity of Ukrainians in Occupied Territories: Sociologist Explains Whether the “Russian World” Has Broken the Ukrainian Spirit

Sociologist Oleksandr Poznii spoke about how Ukrainians live in the temporarily occupied territories, how they identify themselves, what they hide, what they are forced to do, and why they often cannot leave, Politeka reports.
He shared this on the “7 Steps” channel.

“Many Ukrainians who stayed there, especially in Donetsk and Luhansk, primarily associate themselves with a local identity. That is, first and foremost, I am a resident of Donetsk region, Luhansk region, I am from Crimea. In other words, for them, the main identity now is local. And then large groups say: I am still Ukrainian, I associate myself with Ukraine. And a very small percentage of those we spoke to associated themselves with russia,” said Oleksandr Poznii.

In addition, he noted, Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories have both private and public identities. That is, he explained, they are forced to say that they are Russians, that they are grateful to russia for everything, because otherwise there will be serious consequences.

“And why don’t you leave those territories? Here’s another interesting point. Many Ukrainians living in the occupied territories are on lists banning them from leaving. That is, if you represent any interest to the new occupying authorities, you will not be allowed to leave. Or you can try to find some clever way out, but it’s not guaranteed to work — you could even be shot,” noted Oleksandr Poznii.

According to the norms of international humanitarian law, the expert explained, people who find themselves in occupied territories must do everything possible to survive — for example, attend pro-government rallies, work for local authorities, and so on. And here the question arises, he emphasized, of how we on the territory controlled by Ukraine should view these Ukrainians: how to distinguish whether they are doing something under duress or of their own free will.

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