In his hometown, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeing his popularity plummet. The one who got elected by promising to put an end to the corruption which plagues the country has failed in the eyes of its inhabitants. Not in its fierce fight against the Russian invader, but in that against the Ukrainian oligarchs who are impoverishing the people.
The sun rises over Kryvyï Rih, caressing the plain frozen by the east winds with gentle warmth. The market sets up, traders place cheap clothes and dry fish on the stalls. A warning siren sounds, passers-by do not react, Russian attacks are regular in the town located 70 kilometers from the front. Along the so-called “Metallurgists” Avenue, minivans parade, packed to the brim with passengers. They pick up the early morning workers who go to the mine with confidence. “Mining activities and metallurgy have always been the pride of the inhabitants of Kryvyï Rih,” assures Anatoliy, who waits with a cigarette under the shelter of the bus stop. “Now, pride is also our fierce fight against the Russians. Zelensky grew up here, but who cares? »
Not far from the front
Kryvyï Rih is like no other city. More than 50 kilometers long, it was built to serve a mining and metallurgical basin. “It takes more than an hour to cross the city the length of the city,” explains Yaroslav, a resident. Socialist architecture permeates the city, whose economic activity was at its peak during the Soviet era. With the shock of the 1990s, the industry experienced a decline, but the city continued to make a living from the mines, the streets were well maintained and the population remained active. Here, in every family, there are miners or metallurgists, it’s a matter of pride. Since the Russian invasion, everyone has also had a loved one at the front. This is the case of Veronika, 22 years old: “My father, who was a minor, was mobilized at the start of the war, with my uncle. Many of our men are fighting against the Russians. »
Employees of large industrial companies, accustomed to physical work, the men of Kryvyï Rih are more likely than the rest of the population to be called up by the army for the front. It must be said that the inhabitants proved themselves at the start of the invasion, by defending the city. Halfway between the south and the east, the geographical position of Kryvyï Rih is coveted by the Russians. In March 2022, Moscow’s soldiers were stationed a few kilometers away, directly threatening the city, but it never fell. In the fall of 2022, the Ukrainian counter-offensive pushed Moscow’s soldiers back across the Dnieper, driving away the Russian specter.
Since the beginning of the invasion, the armed defense of Kryvyï Rih has been carried out by Yuri Vilkul, secretary general of the municipal council and interim mayor since the death of Konstantin Pavlov in August 2021. Ironically, Mr. Vilkul, a former politician, vice -prime minister of the country from 2012 to 2014, built his political career on Russophile positions. A member of the Party of Regions from 2003, he was then elected under the banner of the Opposition Bloc, two pro-Russian groups. After the 2022 invasion, he seeks to forget his past sympathy for Moscow by presenting himself as the champion of Ukrainian patriotism. “He’s not a true patriot, we all know that here,” said Veronika, letting out a sigh. But no matter, he organized the defense of the city. He is very corrupt. What he wants above all is to protect his interests, because there is a lot of money at stake in Kryvyï Rih. Corruption is something that Zelensky has not succeeded in eradicating, despite his promises. »
“We are ashamed of Zelensky”
The town of Kryvyï Rih does not really have a town center. It is divided into several blocks, which evolve around the companies. President Zelensky grew up in Block 95, not far from the technical university which trains students for engineering and mining professions, among others. In a small café in the 95 district, Olga, 20, serves cappuccinos to a group of young people. “I am proud of many things in Kryvyi Rih, but not of Zelensky,” she says in a bitter tone. At the start of the war, we adored him, we were happy that he came from our town. But now we are ashamed of him. » The young waitress deplores above all the lack of results in the fight against the corrupt elite. “Zelensky was elected on the promise of ending corruption, but in Kryvyï Rih, nothing has changed. The same rotten people are in power. Why weren’t they chased away? We wonder where our money is going. Here, salaries are low, so corruption is all the more violent for the population. »
In recent months, Zelensky’s popularity rating has fluctuated between 60% and 65% across Ukraine, according to various polls. It was over 80% in the first year of the war.
The head of state’s hometown has never held him in its heart. During the municipal elections of December 2020, the president’s party, Servant of the People, suffered a defeat in favor of the pro-Russian Konstantin Pavlov, who won the election with 56% of the votes. In industrial towns like Kryvyï Rih, in decline since the 1990s, Russophiles have exploited the nostalgia for a glorious economic past. After the shock of the invasion, the population turned away from the pro-Russians and, as in the rest of Ukraine, President Zelensky’s popularity exploded in the first year of the conflict. But two years have passed and the criticisms are flying.
“In Kryvyi Rih, no one idolizes Zelensky,” says Valentina. I really liked her at the beginning of the invasion, she was our Vova [surnom donné à M. Zelensky], but since then, I have distanced myself. » The 70-year-old babushka has always lived in the Ukrainian president’s neighborhood. “We have no weapons to defend ourselves. His role is to bring some back from abroad, but it doesn’t seem to be working. This is what many criticize her here, she confides. Still, I think he’s trying to help us, and the situation could be worse. Here in Kryvyï Rih, at least, the economy still functions. »
Pillar of the Ukrainian economy?
At the entrance to the ArcelorMittal facilities, a huge poster invades the space. It represents a little Ukrainian girl surrounded by a soldier and a metalworker, two pillars of the resistance supposed to protect her, and bears the inscription “Together until victory” in Ukrainian. Established since Soviet times in Kryvyï Rih, the steel group is the city’s leading steel producer. “A third of Kryvyï Rih’s revenue comes from taxes paid by ArcelorMittal,” proudly states Volodymyr Haidash, communications manager for the company. “By helping the local economy, ArcelorMittal is participating in the war effort. »
After a catastrophic loss in the first year of the invasion, the company is looking to bounce back. But with the cessation of exports via the Black Sea, the steel group is only using 30% of its production capacity in Kryvyï Rih. Employees who are not working have been placed on a form of technical unemployment and are paid two-thirds of their salary. In a hangar, a group of workers monitor the passage of hot-rolled steel. Thick smoke emerges from the machines. She escaped through a hole formed in the roof during a Russian attack on the site last December. “Despite the danger, we continue our work, we help bring money into the state coffers,” says Volodymyr, a worker. As a result, our salaries should keep up with inflation, because we can no longer live decently. » The metalworks union has started negotiations to increase wages, but the company’s message, which presents itself as benevolent in times of war, goes down badly with certain employees.
For Yuriy Petrovych, representative of the Independent Union of Miners of Ukraine for the town of Kryvyï Rih, ArcelorMittal’s participation in the Ukrainian economy, which has been badly damaged since the start of the invasion, is not as great than what the company claims. “ArcelorMittal only serves the interests of Ukrainian oligarchs, not those of the workers who work hard despite the difficult conditions,” he says. “In addition, the metal produced is only used for export, and in a very limited way for the manufacture of equipment for the army,” adds the union leader. The real heroes of Kryvyï Rih are not the industrialists or the politicians, they are the inhabitants. »
This report was financed thanks to the support of the Transat-International Journalism Fund.The duty.