A population the majority of whom have probably been there a generation or two. Maybe 3 Tops. Ergo They still see themselves as Russian. Not Ukrainian.
Successive wars, purges and forced relocation by Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union would see Ethnic Russians moved into the territory. And the majority of the people there originally getting shot and shoved in a shallow grave, starved to death (aka Holodomor), or a 1 way ticket to the Russian East.
WW2 would further see the population reduced with more relocations from other parts of Soviet Russia used to further fill out the area’s population post war.
In essence. The region is for all intents and purposes mostly inhabited by Russians moved there during the Soviet Era or descendants of Russians moved there during the Imperial Era.
Further aggravating the whole thing. The Government with some outside help more or less passed into the hands of Ukrainian Nazis and Ethno-Nationalists whose main driving goal for decades has been a twisted form of revenge against Russia and by extension Russian people. For the actions in the past.
A dislike of Russia though is fairly common for large parts of Eastern Europe. They generally don’t have particularly great opinions of Russia or the Russian Government. Given the Whole Imperial Russia and later USSR thing. Main difference is. Most of Eastern Europe is content to leave the dislike at a Frosty diplomatic relationship. With occasional harsh criticisms.
Ukraine said fuck it and went full ethnic cleansing.
Yes, but the Soviets also brought industry to the region, making it a powerhouse. Ukriane decided they wanted rid of it. So now they are, land and all. They only showed disrepect to the population who had built and maintained the industry there.
The Ukrainians were helped along by Western vultures who were picking clean the carcasses of that what the Soviets had built.
I am not pro-soviet, as my objection to them is spiritual: one cannot ban religion. But when viewing bombed out schools and hospitals, factories and the planned industrial parks, all with bomb-shelters for the population, I see real planning and implementation: despite the fog of BS about reds under the beds we were brought up with. Furthermore, the Ukrainians stopped paying welfare and were taking potshots at the embattled population. Their logic was that they had made it uncomfortable, had layed siege and therefore anyone remaining in the area was a terrorist.
On the other hand, the Russians moved in February and immediately provided transport, food, medicine and repeat visits to help with documentation, bank-cards and even cell-phone connections to family members. They then started in on stopping the shelling. What's not to like? Who, in their right mind, would vote to remain under the Ukrainian rules?
A population the majority of whom have probably been there a generation or two. Maybe 3 Tops. Ergo They still see themselves as Russian. Not Ukrainian.
Successive wars, purges and forced relocation by Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union would see Ethnic Russians moved into the territory. And the majority of the people there originally getting shot and shoved in a shallow grave, starved to death (aka Holodomor), or a 1 way ticket to the Russian East.
WW2 would further see the population reduced with more relocations from other parts of Soviet Russia used to further fill out the area’s population post war.
In essence. The region is for all intents and purposes mostly inhabited by Russians moved there during the Soviet Era or descendants of Russians moved there during the Imperial Era.
Further aggravating the whole thing. The Government with some outside help more or less passed into the hands of Ukrainian Nazis and Ethno-Nationalists whose main driving goal for decades has been a twisted form of revenge against Russia and by extension Russian people. For the actions in the past.
A dislike of Russia though is fairly common for large parts of Eastern Europe. They generally don’t have particularly great opinions of Russia or the Russian Government. Given the Whole Imperial Russia and later USSR thing. Main difference is. Most of Eastern Europe is content to leave the dislike at a Frosty diplomatic relationship. With occasional harsh criticisms.
Ukraine said fuck it and went full ethnic cleansing.
Yes, but the Soviets also brought industry to the region, making it a powerhouse. Ukriane decided they wanted rid of it. So now they are, land and all. They only showed disrepect to the population who had built and maintained the industry there. The Ukrainians were helped along by Western vultures who were picking clean the carcasses of that what the Soviets had built.
I am not pro-soviet, as my objection to them is spiritual: one cannot ban religion. But when viewing bombed out schools and hospitals, factories and the planned industrial parks, all with bomb-shelters for the population, I see real planning and implementation: despite the fog of BS about reds under the beds we were brought up with. Furthermore, the Ukrainians stopped paying welfare and were taking potshots at the embattled population. Their logic was that they had made it uncomfortable, had layed siege and therefore anyone remaining in the area was a terrorist.
On the other hand, the Russians moved in February and immediately provided transport, food, medicine and repeat visits to help with documentation, bank-cards and even cell-phone connections to family members. They then started in on stopping the shelling. What's not to like? Who, in their right mind, would vote to remain under the Ukrainian rules?