If it weren’t for the flags, of Ukraine and the European Union, waving at high speed in the official buildings that line the gigantic Freedom Square, or the absence of the traditional statue of Lenin presiding over the place, one would say that it is in one of the many medium-sized cities in the Russian Federation. Kharkivat a distance from the Russian border equivalent to that between Barcelona and Granollers, visually possesses all the characteristics that the seasoned traveler attributes to the cities of the neighboring country: a grand center and monumental formed by huge open spaces and a endless buildings constructivist style built in the last century during Stalin’s rule. But above all, a population that despite more than three decades elapsed since Ukraine’s independence, continues to privilege the Russian language in its daily life and its personal relationships.Kharkivthe second largest city in Ukraine and the capital of the Russophone Ukraine is, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned, one of the possible targets of a eventual Russian military occupation. According to the head of state, the Kremlin could easily argue the incursion of its Army under the pretext that “it is protecting the Russian-speaking population“.
“A lot of blood would flow”
However, either because of the difficulty that such an operation would entail, or because of the links that exist on both sides of the border, its inhabitants are reluctant to believe in such an eventuality. All the more, some think that at most the scenario experienced in 2014 could be repeated, when local pro-Russian ringleaders, prodded from across the border, they briefly seized control of Some official buildings.
“Putin is not foolish enough to order an occupation; the city is well defended and there would be a lot of bloodasserts dima slikov36 years old. He knows Russia well and thinks he knows what she is talking about. Her brother resides in Belgorodjust across the border, his mother’s family is Russian and he himself has resided on Russian territory for two years. And although there are some things that bother him about Kyiv governmentsuch as giving priority in schools to teaching ukrainian about the Russian, he wouldn’t trade his luck for the world.
“That’s a police state, and although our police have their problems too, at least they don’t bother you,” he says. He maintains contact with his brother in Russia through video calls, although both are aware of what how frizzy are the spirits in both countries and dusting off the old Soviet habit of avoid compromised conversations over the phoneThey refrain from talking about politics.
“We are Slavic brothers”
“I think there will not be an attack because we are slavic brothers“, predicts Tatiana Zaniprovskaya 45 years old. Like Dima, she harbors no doubts about which country is hers, but she doesn’t hide her complaints either. “Everything is very expensive; I respect my country but I would like it if my country also loved its citizens,” she lamented. According to the annexation of crimea and the Donbas rebellion in 2014prefers not to elaborate, and airs it by saying that everything is the product of “a great political game“.
However, Vyacheslav Utieshev85, has no qualms about dwelling on the subject, and asks the Kiev authorities, “instead of bombing” the regions of Donetsk Y Luganskin the hands of pro-russian militiasopt for a policy of “seduce them little by little”. He was born in Russia and speaks only Dostoyevsky’s language, but he has lived in Kharkov for more than five decades, which is why, in addition to being Russian, he feels Ukrainian citizen. “My son speaks Ukrainian, my grandson too,” she recalls.
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Artem Tereshenko he also feels on horseback between two worlds They have decided to go to war. “For Ukrainians, I am a collaborationist Y separatistwhile for the Russians, I am like Stepán Bandera”, he assures, referring to the Ukrainian far-right who declared the country’s independence as soon as the German invasion of the USSR took place and ended up collaborating with the Nazis.
With his wife residing in the crimean peninsularules out a military occupation, but does believe a new uprising by pro-Russian forces is possible. “In 2014, they proclaimed the Kharkiv People’s Republic and managed to control part of the city,” he recalls, pointing to the headquarters of the State Regional Administration. “The city is like a rocking ship Between two waters; it depends on who pushes, it can go one way or the other”, she concludes.
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