OSW Commentary - Ukraine: from decommunisation to derussification - Steps towards derussification

In May, the Ministry of Culture, along with the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, launched a project entitled “Derussification, decom- munisation and decolonisation in public space”, which began with a series of debates dedicated to reflecting on the past and the policy towards the heritage of Russia and the USSR in the form of street and square names. [...] As many as 91% of respondents disagree with the thesis that Ukrainians and Russians are one nation (a year ago this was 55%), and this statement is denied by 70% of inhabitants of the eastern part of Ukraine, 91% of the south, 93% of the centre and 97% of the west of the country.9 89% of respondents consider the invasion the genocide of the Ukrainian people (86% in the east of the country, 85% in. [...] Opinion on this previously contentious issue is hardly affected by place of residence: the thesis is supported by 89% of residents of the west, 82% of the centre, 73% of the south and 72% of the east of the country. [...] The first attempt at a partial decommunisa- tion took place immediately after the collapse of the USSR – the basics of communist ideology were removed from the curricula of schools and universities, busts of Lenin and other communist activists were removed from schools and businesses (mainly in the west of the country) and the names of many businesses and institutions were changed. [...] The war has sharpened civic attitudes and revealed fundamental identity differences between Ukraine and Russia, particularly in relation to systems of power, the role of the individual and the value of human life, the nature of social bonds, the ability to undertake grassroots activity and the sense of empowerment.