Russification underway in Donbass

As soon as you enter, Volnovakha announces the color: white, blue, red, walls in the colors of the Russian flag… These are the new facades of its buildings destroyed by the war. The small Ukrainian city was under the control of kyiv until March 11, 2022. Fighting raged here when the Russian army conquered the 70% destroyed city.

Today, the same Russians are working to rebuild. With their colors. “It’s the Russian flag, it’s beautiful”comments a resident. “They put insulation, it’s already goodnotes another passerby, and it can be painted any color I don’t care”.

At school, Russian history is now taught. Today on the program, Napoleon and the Russian campaign, the opportunity to draw a parallel with the current conflict. The teacher questions her students: “The global West, the European countries and the United States, what are they trying to do? They consider the model of liberal democracy to be universal, and they are trying to impose it on everyone .Is that just it?” “No !!” the students respond in chorus. The teacher says she has no qualms. She has experienced the USSR, Ukraine, and now, in fact, Russia. But in Volnovakha we avoid talking too much. Many here have family on the other side, the Ukrainian side, and fear being considered traitors for agreeing to live under Russian administration.