EVOLUTION MOODS OF DONETSK RESIDENTS ON THE TEMPORALLY OCCUPIED TERRITORY

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to characterize the mood of Donetsk residents in 2015 – 2019 on the territory where the Ukrainian authorities are temporarily not exercising their powers on the basis of the source base and historiographical work. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, scientificity, athour’s community, systematics, comprehensiveness, critical analysis of sources, as well as the use of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and interdisciplinary (political science, sociology) methods. The scientific novelty of the obtained results is determined by the fact that for the first time in domestic and foreign historiography the mood of Donetsk residents on the territory of the so-called “DPR” has been elucidated, their evolution towards pro-Russian sympathies has been traced and the reasons for the latter have been described. The analysis of tendencies in socio-economic, political and socio-cultural spheres has been further developed. The Conclusions. The capture of certain areas of Donetsk by the Russian occupation forces led to their political, economic and socio-cultural alienation from Ukraine. In the temporarily occupied territories, the Kremlin has created a powerful propaganda machine and a comprehensive network of socio-political organizations in order to reformat the mass consciousness of Donetsk residents. This propaganda led to an evolution of the latter’s sentiments, which manifested itself in an increase in pro-Russian sentiments and self-identification, as the share of respondents who identified themselves as the Ukrainians or those who felt Ukrainian decreased. As for the fate of the “DPR”, the majority sought its independent or autonomous status within Ukraine or Russia.

Key words: “DPR”, armed aggression, moods, occupation, “republic”, Russia, Ukraine.