Regionalism in Ukraine

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Regionalism in Ukraine has been a significant force during the building of an independent state after the

secessionist, were perceived by central government as a threat to the unity of the state.[1]

Russian regionalism in Eastern/Southern Ukraine

Russophone
population.

Early attempts include suggestions of the Donetsk-Dnipro or Dnipro autonomous region.[1] In 1990, a proposal was put forth in Odesa for a "special state status" of the historical area of Novorossiya which would have been included five Ukrainian oblasts plus Moldovan Transnistria, which is now a breakaway territory.[1]

Of significant development was regionalism in Crimea, which was of varying political success since early 1990s[1] and had eventually led to the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

In early 2014,

federal state.[2] The comparable percentages were 32.2% in Kharkiv Oblast, 17.5% in Odesa Oblast, 15.3% in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 11.4% in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, 10.7% in Mykolaiv Oblast, and 6.9% in Kherson Oblast.[2]

In 2019, polling showed that in the

separatist-controlled Donbas, 58% of the residents wanted special autonomy (31% within Ukraine and 27% within Russia).[3] The same polling also showed that in the Ukrainian-controlled Donbas, 33% of the residents wanted special autonomy (31% within Ukraine and just 2% within Russia).[3] This polling also showed that 45% of the residents of the separatist-controlled Donbas prefer to live under Russian rule, in comparison to 55% who prefer to live under Ukrainian rule; meanwhile, in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Donbas, 96% of the residents want to live under Ukrainian rule and just 4% want to live under Russian rule.[3]

Regionalism in Western Ukraine

In the light of violent pro-Russian events in the eastern part of Ukraine, Western Ukraine may be perceived as monolithic. Nevertheless, it has its own share of regionalism. Even before the

Rukh movement, who was instrumental in the convocation of the Galician Assembly.[1] While one of the important resolutions of the Assembly was "On the Unity of the Ukrainian Lands", Chornovil was severely criticized for "separatism" and eventually abandoned the idea.[4]

In Transcarpathia, the Congress of Carpathian Ruthenians led by Dimitry Sydor was for the autonomy of Subcarpathian Ruthenia within Ukraine. Sydor and some other Ruthenian activists were accused of being the tools of the Russian politics of destabilization of Ukraine.[5]

Ukrainian Romanians/Moldovans in Bukovina and Bessarabian Bulgarians and Gagauz in Odesa Oblast) also sought local autonomy.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ a b "Press releases and reports - the views and opinions of South-Eastern regions residents of Ukraine: April 2014".
  3. ^ a b c "Most people in separatist-held areas of Donbas prefer reintegration with Ukraine – new survey".
  4. ^ О. В. АНДРОЩУК, "В. ЧОРНОВІЛ ТА ІДЕЯ ФЕДЕРАЛІЗАЦІЇ УКРАЇНИ: ЕВОЛЮЦІЯ ПОГЛЯДІВ" ("V. Chornovil and the Idea of the Federalization of Ukraine: Evolution of the Views"), Український історичний журнал, no. 1, 2010, pp. 22-34
  5. Radio Liberty
    , 08 грудня 2014