Civil war in Ukraine

[Gabriel92]

helloo...

Vive le maréchal Pétain !!!


----------------

War in the Donbas.PHOTOS by The Atlantic

http://en.censor.net.ua/photo_news/325985/war_in_the_donbasphotos_by_the_atlantic

 

[sgarg]

I do not think your enemies have underestimated you. That is just the impression what I have about the fighters based on the YouTube videos. Maybe it is cleverly orchestrated to give just that image and in real life they are highly trained and motivated disciplined Russian soldiers.

These guys are fighting a war, not going to theatre. The problems with Europeans is that two generations have never seen war and have no idea how war looks like.
There is nothing wrong with pictures and videos of NovoRussia soldiers.

I suggest you participate in this war, then you will have a better understanding of the videos.

I scoff at your thinking. Real citizens of DNR and LNR are fighting. You brainwashed idiots call them terrorists and Russians.

 

[arpakola]

Currency rates on the "black market" in Kiev

 

[arpakola]

Vive le maréchal Pétain !!!

---------------

War in the Donbas.PHOTOS by The Atlantic

Separatists in Donbas: War in the Donbas.PHOTOS by The Atlantic - Russian Army, occupation, Russia, Ukraine, Russian Aggression Against Ukraine, Occupied territories, Separatists in Donbas, Russian aggression (24.02.15 11:23) � Photo news | EN.Censor

Viva the glorius strategy of Ligne Maginot Ligne Maginot — Wikipédia :shocked:

 

[arpakola]

Σωτήρης Δημόπουλος: Russian and Soviet National Policy and Greek population in Donetsk, Southeast Ukraine
Russian and Soviet National Policy and Greek population in Donetsk, Southeast Ukraine

Greek communities in Azov area, nowadays region of Donetsk in South Ukraine, were established by Greek settlers, coming from Crimean peninsula. In 1778, six years before Catherine the Great finally took Crimea from the Ottoman Empire, 18,000 Crimean Greeks, along with other Christians, mostly Armenians, living under Tatar rule, successfully petitioned the empress for permission[2] to move to Russia and emigrated to the shores of the sea of Azov, where they founded the city of Mariupol and several villages. At the same time the migrants obtained administrative and religious autonomy.[3] The decision for migration of Greeks from Crimea was part of a colonization plan of the newly conquered lands of Novorossia (South Ukraine) at the end of 18th century[4], led by Prince Grigory Potemkin, who was granted absolute rule over the area by Catherine the Great. In addition, the exodus of all Christians (Greeks, Armenians, Vlachs, and Georgians) from Crimea helped Russia to annex the Crimean Khanate five years later, in 1783[5].
Speaking of Greeks of Mariupol we have to bear in mind that this term unites the two following entities: the Roomies (Rumaioi), whose language is divided into five dialects referred to the Greek, and the Aurums (Urum), who speak four dialects of the Tartaric language.[6] They both call themselves Greeks, mainly because of their confessional adherence to Orthodoxy, as the religion confession, since the 13th century, was the dominant criterion that had separated this part of population from the Muslim majority, in the Tartar Khanate. Moreover, in Crimea as supreme leader of Christians was recognized the Patriarch, who was designated Roum millet-bashi. Roum millet included all Orthodox Christians under Ottoman rule, regardless of their nationality in the modern sense.[7]
During the 19th century new waves of settlers, were established in the area of Azov. Lands were given to the peasantry, mostly from Ukraine and fewer from Russia, especially after the abolishment of serfdom in 1861,[8] in order to cultivate what was a sparsely populated steppe.[9] As a consequence, the significance of the Greek communities in the Region was reduced and all the privileges were eliminated including the administrative autonomy.[10] In the next years, city of Mariupol was connected by rail to the Donetsk Basin and developed as a major port for the region.[11] The economical and social development that had taken place in Russian Empire had a significant impact on the self-consciousness of Greek population. The process of Russification, mainly amongst urban younger generations, had been accelerated.[12] This social phenomenon was not a Greek exclusivity, as the authorities, following the accession to the throne of Alexander III(1881), intensified their interventions in the economic, social and cultural life of particular national groups.[13]
At the same time, the tsarist policy resulted in the heightening of nationalist emotions by urban elites among the non-Russian ethnic groups. However, the revolution of 1905 and the movements of minorities (Jews, Poles, and Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians and Muslim peoples) that demanded national autonomy within existing borders or legal non-discrimination[14] had no impact on the, predominantly rural and isolated, Greek communities of Azov. It is important to note that they always stood apart from the rest the Greeks, and in contrast to all the rest Greek communities, never maintained close ties with the traditional centres of Hellenism.[15]
On the Eve of the first World War, Russia was one of the world's most ethnically heterogeneous states: "to the seventy million Great Russians constituting the main mass of the country, there were gradually added about ninety million "outlanders" sharply divided into two groups: the western peoples excelling Russia in their culture, and the eastern standing on a lower level"[16]. After Tsar was toppled by the revolution of February 1917 new national movements were organised throughout the Empire[17]. It was apparent that, prior to the October Revolution of 1917, an "abyss" had been created "between tsarism and the nationalities"[18] because, mainly, of the lengthy and demoralizing war.
In the period between the February and October Revolutions, the leadership of the Greek communities attempted to reorganise their internal communal life. Efforts were held for coordination amongst Greek groups, living in the Russian state. In Taganrog, in June, 1917, was held the National Assembly of the Greeks and was founded the "League of Greeks of Russia", in order to coordinate attempts for autonomy of the Greek communities.[19]
These decisions and activities caused later the suspicion of the Soviet State, which moreover marked Greeks as class enemies, as many of them engaged in trade or other occupations.
In any case, after Bolsheviks had seized power, the Greeks of the Russian empire began to take different political positions. The majority opposed the Bolsheviks, not in a straight way, passing to counterrevolutionary camp, while another part collaborated with them.[20] Large Greek settlements took place, except from the Azov area, in Southern Russia, Northern Caucasus and Transcaucasia, where Pontic Greeks, immigrants from Ottoman Empire, lived.
During the period from the October revolution until 1921, the situation in Ukraine was quite confused. The Ukrainian Central Rada (Council), a nationalist organisation founded in April 1917, tried to establish a Ukrainian state. Following the victory of the October Socialist Revolution the Rada declared itself the supreme organ of the "Ukrainian People's Republic" and campaigned openly against Soviet rule.[21] The Brest-Litovsk treaty (3 March 1918), concluded by the Bolsheviks with the German government, allowed the entrance of the Austro-Germans troops in Ukrainian territory, including the Azov area. As a result of the occupation everywhere, primarily in the villages, insurrectionary acts by peasants began against the landowners and the Austro-Germans. Under these circumstances, even the isolated and with no politically conscious Greek peasantry was forced to take part in the insurrection. Many Greeks participated in "Makhnovshchina" movement, led by anarchist Nestor Makhno. The movement included poor peasants of all nationalities who lived in the region. The majority naturally consisted of Ukrainian and Russian peasants. "Then there were Greeks, Jews, Caucasians and other poor people of various nationalities. The Greek and Jewish settlements scattered in the region of the Sea of Azov maintained constant links with the movement. Several of the best commanders of the revolutionary army were of Greek origin, and until the very end the army included several special detachments of Greeks"[22]
In 1919, a regiment from Greece, of 24,000 men, arrived in Crimea among the forces intervening on the Russian side in the Civil War.[23] This unsuccesful expedition exacerbated the position of Greek population in the new state of Soviet Union and forced thousands of Greeks to emigrate to Greece in next ten years.[24]
The final result of these years of revolution, civil war, and ethnic nationalist insurrection was the creation, in 1922, of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics[25] and Communist Party began a new policy for nationalities. We remind that "The Declaration of Rights of the Peoples of Russia", adopted by the Bolshevik government on 15 November 1917, had already recognized equality and sovereignty of all the peoples of Russia; their right for free self-determination; freedom of religion; and free development of national minorities and ethnic groups on the territory of Russia.[26] But the main reason for the shift of national policy was the massive non-Russian opposition to new regime. Consequently, Soviet leaders attempted to gain the support of the national identities, thus local administrative units were established. As "communism war" policy was followed by the New Economic Policy, Communist Party launched the politics dubbed Korenizatsiya (Russian: коренизация)[27]. The term's meaning is "indigenization", and derives from the Russian term "root population" for indigenous nationals. Korenizatsiya implied the introduction of the local languages into all spheres of public life and the use of local languages to the widest possible extent, particularly, in education, publishing, culture, and, most importantly, government and the Communist Party. Within the national minorities areas new institutions should be organized giving the state a national character everywhere, built on the recruitment and promotion of leaders from the ranks of minority groups.[28] The new "nationalities policy" was approved in 1923 by the 12th Party Congress.[29]
In January-February 1923, the Executive Committee of the Council of Workers, Peasants, Soldiers and Red Cossack deputies in Governorate of Donetsk, led by the Statistical Office of Donetsk, held a general census of the Donetsk Region, where he gave the following results[30]:
Nationality
Population
Ukrainians
1.609.713
Russians
655.962
Greeks
86.615

According to census data, the Greeks of Azov spread over 123 population centers (70 large villages, 26 hutor [farms], 19 settlements, five small villages, 1 Stanitsas [Cossack village], 1 Sloboda, 1 kolkhoz) and the Greek population had the third position of the governor's major Donetsk. 89.7% of Greeks were farmers and 87.2% of them lived in mono-ethnic, i.e. purely Greek villages and only 2.5% in mixed.
In 1926 the Soviet Administration created three Greek national departments:
"¢ Mangus with 89% Greek population
"¢ Sartanski with 52% and
"¢ Velikogianisolski with 60%.[31]
The Greek ethnic departments included 14 of the 30 rural soviets
In 1926, in Ukraine there were 306 Russian ethnic rural soviets, 228 German, 137 Polish, 117of Jews 43 Bulgarian, 30 Greek, 14 Moldavian, 12 Czech, 2 russian and 1 Sweden, as a whole 891 soviets. The level of participation was 91,9% for the Bulgarians, 88,2% Greeks, 73% Germans, 90% Swedes, 31% Poles, 33% Moldovans and 13,7% Jews.[32]
At the same time the Soviet administration established a number of greek language schools and allowed several magazines and newspapers to be published. Very soon it was proved that Farmers were not involved in the processes and new organizations, always suspicious, and not unjustly against state power. The results of the elections in the Greek rural soviets show that the level of participation remained very low until the beginning of the collectivization.[33]

Shortages in the harvest and difficulties with the supply system invoked difficulties in the food supply in urban areas. Facing serious economic problems and without the active participation of farmers, Stalin and the All-Union Communist Party (bolsheviks) (VKP(b)) decided to change political orientation. Its main goal was the rapid industrialization. Within this framework, in 1927, after the XV Congress of the VKP(b) a significant impetus was given to the, so called, Collectivization and dekulakization, that was pursued between 1928 and 1933.
Despite the intense state campaign, collectivization, was not popular amongst peasants,[34] contributed to famine (Holodomor )in 1932 and 1933, and incited numerous peasant revolts in Ukraine.[35] "Collectivisation met with special difficulties in areas with Greek agricultural population, especially in the Caucasus. The authorities reacted with exile and forced resettlement of Greek farmers –especially those of the Crimea, Mariupol, Southern Russia, and Abkhazia".[36] During a campaign of political repression the majority of the Greek farmers became members of the new agricultural collectives. According the data in 1931, in Azov area there are 3.814 collectivized Greek agricultural entities (70,5%).[37]
Between 1933 and 1938 began purges of the leaderships of the national republics and territories. It was proclaimed that local elites had become hired agents and their goal was the dismemberment of the Soviet Union and the restoration of capitalism. The deportations and prosecutions started with Poles and Germans. The persecution of Greeks in USSR was gradual: at first the authorities shut down the Greek-language schools, cultural centres, Greek Orthodox churches, and publishing houses.
During the so-called "Grecheskaya Operatsiya" (i.e. Greek Operation), launched on Stalin's orders in December 1937 (Directiva Νο 50215) and signed by N. Yezhov, chairman of the Soviet secret police NKVD, there were mass arrests of Greeks. In Donetsk Region, 3.125 Greeks were sentenced to death and 109 were transported to gulag for 5-10 years. In 1938, 345 more Greeks were executed and 49 were detained in Gulag. Victims of the persecutions were farmers, workers teachers and members of the ethnic intelligentsia.[38]
After the de-Stalinization, during Khrushchev leadership, and 20th Party Congress in 1956, in which was denounced Stalin's purges and repressions Greeks in Azov area were gradually allowed to return to more normal life, but in a modest way. The only activity relating to their ethnic identity, until the end of '80s, was from scholars of Kiev University, led by Andriy Biletsky, that compiled a detailed description of the language and recorded the folklore.
After the collapse of Soviet Union started a new attempt to preserve a sense of Greek identity, however the majority of the ethnic Greek population of the region consider Russian their mother language, and the problem of the self-identification is facing new challenges.

Sotirios Dimopoulos Ph.D. Sociology

 

[arpakola]

the Greek community in. Mariupol 20-30 years
Σωτήρης Δημόπουλος: Грецькі громади м. Маріуполя в 20-30 роки господарский і культурний розвиток*

google translated from the Russian version below

The Greek population of almost the unique historical development in Ukraine. His historical overview is given in the following items .

One of the many nationalities living in Ukraine are Greeks. The first settlers who settled in the VIII century. Dr. O AD Crimea and Black Sea ' her, there could build large cities and towns, which observed a strange harmony relations with other nations. Important points such zv''yazku was close spiritual baptism of Prince Volodomyra Greek priests in Crimea, his marriage with his sister Visa ntiyskyh emperors, and then - acceptance by all residents Kyivskoi Russia hrystyyanskoi faith (988). For many centuries, when Greece was conquered Ataman Empire, many Greeks znayly warm hospitality in the towns and villages of Ukraine.

In XVIII - XIX centuries. Formed hretski community in Simferopol, Odessa, Crimea and Mariupol.
The population of Greek origin Mariupol and 24 villages in the surrounding area were immigrants from the Crimea. After the victory in Russia RUSSIA-Turkish War (1768-1774 gg.) And signing Kucuk-Kainardji statement of the Russian government have any intention to seize the peninsula, which was ruled by the Tatar Khanate. For the purpose of weakening economic situation Khanate, Catherine II decided to relocate the Christian population to new territory. Thus, Russia was able to secure its southern borders friendly public; while Turkey would lose the opportunity to carry out attacks against Christians living in the south of the peninsula.
Despite requests metropolitan Hotfi and Kafa Ignatius to Catherine II in 1771 on the relocation of the Greeks, apparently they did not want to leave their land. But in 1778 31,098 Christians - including 19,391 people. The Greeks were (other Armenians, Georgians, Vlachs) - left the Crimea. The Greeks migrated to Pryazov''ya, where the Empress gave yiy land on which the city was built. Mariupol and 24 villages. The Greeks got a lot of benefits, including Greek court, exemption from military service. Nezhvazhayuchy that the first years were very difficult, the Greeks managed to stay in the new lands.
In the late nineteenth century perschoyi. Mariupolskoho County comes to a lot of new immigrants, including Ukrainian and Russian.
Benefits Greeks gradually abolished. First introduced Greek general management district, which in 1859 was under civil administration Katerynoslavs'ka province. In 1869 it was abolished Greek court recently been vstracheno permit exemption set to host recruits. In 1874 introduced universal conscription, and military Mariupol county called 'prysutsviye'.
In the second half of the nineteenth century. with the development of economic and cultural zv''yazkiv Mariupol he gradually russified. In the early 70's in the last vid''yizdom communicate with teachers from Mariupol Greek language and the lack of new teaching Greek language itself ceased as in villages where there is sometimes hretsi public schools was also introduced Church Slavonic liturgy.
By the beginning of World War Mariupol Greeks, especially young people tended to assimilate. But the success of Greece in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913 gg.), The dream of creating the Great Greece enliven the national consciousness, and Mariupol Greeks begin to organize svoiy Council along with other communities Greek Empire.

After the revolution of 1917, during the Civil War, the Greek village experienced great difficulties because they were among the forces that opposed each other. In 1919 foreign troops, which were attended by the Greeks, carrying out attacks on the Bolsheviks in southern Ukraine. Support them by the Greeks of Mariupol has led to a relative deterioration of the Greek communities after the defeat of the invaders.
After the Civil War the Soviet Union rapidly followed the founding and settlement councils of national minorities and the revival of national culture. Clearly, changes were strictly limited under a socialist regime in construction. However, nevazhayuchy this, the relative self and cultural development contributed to strengthening the national consciousness of the Greeks.
In Ukraine, the national policy is characterized by zoning. Has started to create the necessary conditions for naypovnischnoho economic and cultural development of national-territorial entities in areas where certain ethnic minorities.

Thus, in 1924 rapidly begin the creation of national districts, rural councils. In October 1924 there was a plenum of the Central Committee of the RCP (B), which decided to take steps to recovery tips and deploy them direct initiative of the peasantry, attract independents.
Ukraine has allocated 13 national regions, including 7 German, 4 bolharskyh, 1 Polish, 1 Jewish.
In Stalin's County Greeks accounted for 18% of the population, while the Ukrainian -53%, -17% Russians, Germans -6%. Greek village councils were established during the 1925-1926 biennium. 11 -skladaly Greek Hellenic, 8 - Tatar. In 1930, there were already 30.
However, these reforms have not had much success among the Greek population. The main reasons for this can be nazhvaty following:
1. Due to poor knowledge of the Russian language, most people do not understand Greek imposed measures.
2. Among the Greek population existed supporters of community traditions that were created during the time of migration. Catherine II gave them a series of economic and political privileges, including the large size of land holdings of government. The perspective of local government pov''yazuvalas some segments of the population with the restoration of privileges.
3. Based in habitats minority councils significantly different from city councils. Village councils were the artificial formation, poorly are connected with the daily life of the peasantry.
4. From the representatives of the central government is always a shortage of workers known features of life, culture and languages "‹"‹of national minorities, including Greeks and Ukraine.
Already in 1925 the Mariupol county was sent to a special commission to place to understand the causes difficulties vnikli. The Commission has proposed to divide the existing village council chinom so that one half of them operated on ellinskiy language, and the second -the Turkish and Tartar.
Despite serious attempts to establish new forms of government, the difficulties were insurmountable. In 1927 in Kharkiv took 1 national meeting on issues of national minorities. Greek section noted the existing problems, especially language and invited ' to take decisive steps towards the use of native languages "‹"‹spoken in the Soviet work, conducting meetings, writing reports village councils, the introduction of proceedings in their native language and accelerated videryttya Commissariat Greek Hellenistic and Greco-Tatar national judicial organs of the 5-year plan Judicial Network '.
In addition to language barriers to existing deficiencies in hospodarskiy industry. It introduced some measures to speed RURAL production in the Greek countryside. The main measure towards self Greeks in Ukraine was the creation of 3 national areas in Mariupolskomu, Stalin and Sartanski districts.
After XVI z''yizdu CPSU (b) the struggle against so-called capitalist elements -kurkulstva. It is easy to predict that such an aggressive political line was directed against anyone who resisted collectivization.
According to the Second Conference on Business Vseukrayinskoyi among minority growth rate among Greek collectivization of farms were relatively high: 1928 -8, 1929 -14, 1930 -48. In three Greek regions with a total of 12.800 households were collectivized farms 4,700, or 36.7%.
But the difficulty of this policy were vidnzacheni in the statements of representatives of the Greeks at the meeting: ' In Sartanski near fist-Greek very clever. He provonyt his work cleverly and very thin, so it is very difficult to deal with it . '' In addition, it was noted that the Greek people areas that could manage the collective, in fact.
Continued collectivization and liquidation of the kulaks took the form of a national tragedy.
The consequences of such her "‹"‹policy was :
1. The reluctance to work on the farm and low output
2. The fall in interest to participate in the national councils.
3. The discontent among people of different nationalities and mutual reproach.
This all led to a weakening of relative self minorities, including the Greek. 30s are characterized by a terrorist policies of the totalitarian regime. December 11, 1937 People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR Yezhov signed a document that initiated the massive repression against the Greek population on the basis that the NKVD opened wide network spy - terrorism, reconnaissance - sabotage and antiradyanskyh Greek nationalist organizations. They allegedly set out to separation of areas with predominant Greek population and create in their territory fashyystskoyi bourgeois state.
Between January and March 1938 were to be shot prysuzhdeni 3.125 Greeks, 109 sent to the gulag for 5-10 years. In September of the same year a special NKVD troika in Donetsk region (Stalin) within the Regional Committee Secretary KP (b) U Shcherbakov , head NKVD field Chistov and prosecutor Rudenko, 345 awarded to death and sent to concentration camps 49 Greeks. Among them were representatives of the Greek intelligentsia.

In the field of cultural transformation had more success. If the 20's there was almost no schools teaching in minority languages, from August 1, 1923 decree 'of measures to ensure equality of languages "‹"‹and promoting the development of Ukrainian language' was given the opportunity to use their mother tongue in habitats, National minorities. But the Greeks Mariupol situation remained difficult because of the 24 villages, 10 spoke Tatar language and 14 differently Greek dialects (Romani language).
Prof. N. Sokolov distributed these local talk into 5 groups in order of their proximity to the phonetics of the neo-Greek:
1) Urzuf -Yalta;
2) style, and Konstantyopol Great Yanysel;
3) United Karakuba, New Karakuba, Buhas;
4) Sartana, Chermalyk, Makedonovka;
5) Cherdakly, Small Yanisol, New Yanisol.
The issue of introducing the teaching of the Greek People's Commissariat for Education of the RSFSR solved by eliminating language kafarevusa ('' artificial '' Greek) as 'alien and incomprehensible language Greek masses' approval and replacement uu language dymotyka. Simultaneously canceled historic and approved phonetic spelling. These measures have enabled the Greeks Mariupol familiar with literary works not only other Greeks USSR but also Greece itself. In Rostov Book Publishers 'communist' published textbooks, readers familiar with the local Greek Modern Greek literature.
Publishers in Mariupol 'Kolektyvistis' published a newspaper, as well as political and fiction. In the newspaper 'Kolektyvistis' Greeks collaborated in the Greek magazine' Flohomytres spites' ',' 'Neos Mahytis'', '' Pioneros' ',' 'Komsomolets Donbas'', '' Literary Donbass' ',' 'Azov worker '.
Already in 1930 there were 16 Greek schools. In the same year videryvsya Greek College in Mariupol, which studied 270 students. When the college opened and Tatar department with 35 students.
Greek writers and poets, along with the creation of original works, great attention is paid to translations to familiarize with the work of fellow Ukrainian and Russian. One of the first was translated Shevchenko . His 'Testament' translated George Kostopravova been made "‹"‹in the school curriculum, it became a textbook.
But the situation with the language of the Greeks of Mariupol was far from ideal.
The main serious problem was that there was no linguistic unity Greeks USSR in the Crimea were talking about a real dymotytsi on the Black Sea Coast dominated the Pontic dialect dialect tsalkinstkyy in the mountains of the Caucasus suffered a strong influence of the Georgian language, and the Mariupolschyni, as mentioned, there were 5 states.
So dymotyka studied as a foreign language. There was also the problem of teaching staff, possessing Modern Greek language.
An example of this was the establishment Mariupolskoho Greek theater in 1932. Originally performances were Ukrainian and Russian, as there was no Greek repertoire. But in 1935 the regional theater management decided to translate this into Greek Theatre.
in the cultural life of the Greeks this theater was of great importance as it went on tour in almost all Greek villages Pryazov''ya. The theater was closed in 1937 during Stalin's purges, like schools, colleges and other cultural institutions.
In 1935 he was created in the Greek village Sartana song and dance Sartanski gems that did much to revive Greek folklore. in 1936 this team has participated in the All-Union festival of national minorities and even won first place.
The ensemble ceased operations during World War II. It was in the 30s by the Russian and Ukrainian researchers z''yavyvsya interest in the study of Greek dialects Mariupol. We have already mentioned about Professor Sokolov, who along with other employees of the Institute of language culture LSU has dialectological great job of Azov to the study of Greek dialects.
In 1933 Union Committee novohr alphabet to the Council of Nationalities of the USSR organized philological expedition led by Professor Sergius to address the issue of Greek literary language of the Soviet Union.
The focus of the expedition was a dialect of villages and Sartana Chermalyk, considered the most typical Pryazovskyi dialect. Researchers say Mariupolskyh dialects T.Chernyshova who spent 50 years philological expedition Kyyivskoho University, wrote that " Article Sergius attracted considerable scientific interest in the future we will often refer to it while describing osolbyvastey Urzuv-Yalta dialect . "
For many decades Mariupol Greeks remained beyond the scenes of the historical process in Ukraine. Only after Ukraine became independent again opened Greek schools, clubs, folk ensembles were created.
Now the Greeks Mariupol of Donetsk region (about 100 thousand. Pers.) May be the leading link between Ukraine and Greece and to contribute to the construction of the new Ukrainian state.

Грецькі громади м. Маріуполя в 20-30 роки господарский і культурний розвиток*
Грецьке население мало свій неповторний історичний шлях розвитку в Україні. Його історичний огляд подано в нижченаведеному матеріалі.
Однією з багатіх національностей, що проживають в Україні, є Греки. Перші поселенці, що оселились в VIII ст. до Р.Х. в Криму та Причорномор''ї, змогли спорудити там великі міста і селища, де спостерігалась дивна гармонія відносин з іншими народами. Важливими моментами такого тісного духовного зв''язку було хрещення князя Володомира грецькими священиками в Криму, одруження його з сестрою Візантійських імператорів, а потім - прийняття всіма жителями Киівськоі Русі християнськоі віри (988 р.)На протязі багатьох віків, коли Греція була поневолена Отаманською Імперією, багато греків знайли щиру гостинність в містах і селах України.

В XVIII-XIX ст. Сформувались грецкі громади в Ніжині, Одесі, Криму та Маріуполі.
Населення грецького походження Маріуполя та 24-х сіл його околицях були переселенцями з Криму. Після перемоги Росіі в Россійсько-турецькій війні (1768-1774 рр.) та підписання Кючук-Кайнарджийського договору в Російського уряду виникли наміри захопити Кримський півострів, який знаходився під владою татарського ханства. З метою послаблення економічного положення ханства, Катерина ІІ вирішила переселити християнське населення на нову територію. Таким чином Росія мала змогу закріпити свої південні кордони дружнім населенням; одночасно Туреччина втратила б можливість проводити набіги проти християн, які проживали на півдні півострова.
Незважаючи на прохання митрополита Готфі і Кафи Ігнатія до Катерини ІІ в 1771 р. про переселення греків, судячи з усього вони самі не хотіли залишати свою землю. Але в 1778 р. 31.098 християн - з них 19.391 чол. були Греки (інші вірмени, грузини, волохи)- виїхали з Криму. Греки переселились в Приазов''я, де імператриця дала їи землю, на якій було збудовано м. Маріуполь та 24 села. Греки одержали багато пільг, в т.ч. грецький суд, звільнення від військової служби. Нежважаючи на те, що перші роки були досить, важкими, грекам вдалося залишитись на нових землях.
В кінці перщої половини ХІХ ст. до Маріупольского повіту приїздить дуже багато нових переселенців, зокрема українців і росіян.
Привілеї греків поступово скасовуються. Спочатку було запроваджено загальне управління грецьким округом, який в 1859 році був підпорядкований громадянському управлінню Катеринославської губернії. В 1869 році було скасовано грецький суд, останнім було встрачено дозвіл на звільнення від набору до війська рекрутів. В 1874 р. запроваджується загальна військова повинність, і в Маріуполі відкривається повітовє військове ''присутсвіє''.
В другій половині ХІХ ст. з розвитком економічних і культурних зв''язків Маріуполя він поступово русифікується. На початку 70-х років у зв''язку з від''їздом останніх вчителів грецької мови з Маріуполя і відсутністю нових, викладання грецькою мовою само по собі припинилось, як і в селах, де подекуди ще існували грецьі народні школи, було також введено богослужіння церковнослов'янського мовою.
До початку першої світової війни греки Маріуполя, особливо молодь, схилялись до асиміляції. Але успіхи Греції в балканських війнах (1912-1913 рр.), мрії про створення великоі Греції пожвавлюють національну свідомість, і греки Маріуполя починають організовувати своі ради нарівні з іншими общинами греків Російської імперії.

Після революції 1917 року, під час громадянської війни, грецькі села пережили великі труднощі, тому що вони знаходились між військами, що протистояли одне одному. В 1919 р. іноземні війська, в яких брали участь і греки, здійснювали напади на більшовиків на півдні України. Підтримка їх з боку греків Маріуполя призвела до відносного погіршення становища грецьких громад після поразки інтервентів.
Після громадської війни в СРСР швидкими темпами йшов процес заснування і поселення рад національніх меншин та відродження національної культури. Зрозуміло, що перетворення були суворо обмежені в рамках режиму в умовах соціалістичного будівництва. Однак, неважаючи на це, відносне самоуправління та культурний розвиток сприяли посиленню національної свідомості греків.
В Україні ця політика характеризуеться національним районуванням. Розпочалось створення необхідних умов для найповніщного господарського і культурного розвитку національно-територіальних утворень в місцях компактного проживання тих чи інших національних меншин.

Таким чином, в 1924 р. швидкими темпами починається створення національних районів, сільских рад. В жовтні 1924 р. відбувся пленум ЦК РКП(б), який вирішив прийняти заходи з метою пожвавлення рад та розгортання в них безпосередньої ініціативи самого селянства, залучення безпартійних.
В Україні було виділено 13 національних районів, в т.ч. 7 німецьких, 4 больгарських, 1 польський, 1 єврейський.
Ð’ Сталінському окрузі греки складали 18% всього населення, тоді як українці -53%, росіяни -17%, німці -6%. Грецькі сільські ради були сформовані на протязі 1925-1926 рр., 11 –складали греко-еллінські, 8 – татарські. Ð’ 1930 році Ñ—Ñ… було вже 30.
Однак всі ці реформи не мали особливого успіху серед грецького населення. Основними причинами цього можна нажвати такі:
1. Через погане знання російської мови більшість грецького населення не зрозуміла запроваджуваних заходів.
2. Серед грецького населення існували прихильники общинних традицій, які створювались ще за часів переселення. Катерина ІІ надала їм ряд економічних та політичних привілеїв, в т.ч. великі розміри земельних наділів самоуправління. Перспектива місцевого самоуправлінням деякими верствами населення пов''язувалась з відновленням привілеїв.
3. Створені в місцях проживання національних меншин ради значно відрізнялись від міських рад. Сільські ради являли собою штучні утворення, слабо пов язані з повсякденним життям селянства.
4. З боку представників центральної влади завжди відчувався брак працівників, що знали особливості побуту, культури та мови національних меншин, в т.ч. і греків України.
Вже в 1925 Ñ€. до Маріупольського округу було направлено спеціальну комісію, щоб на місці розібратись в причинах труднощів, які вникли. Комісія запропонувала розділити існуючі сільради таким чіном, щоб одна половина з них функціонувала на еллінскій мові, а друга –на турецько-татарській.
Незважаючи на серйозні спроби встановлення нових форм самоуправління, труднощі залишилися непереборними. В 1927 р. В Харкові відбулась 1 всеукраїнська нарада з питань роботи з національними меншинами. Грецька секція констатувала існуючі проблеми, особливо мовні, і запропонувала ''здійснити рішучі заходи в справі вживання рідної розмовної мови в радянській роботі, проведенні зборів, написанні звітів сільрад, запровадження судочинства на рідній мові та прискорене відериття Наркомюстом греко-еллінських та греко-татарських національних судових органів, передбачених 5-річним планом судової мережі''.
Крім перешкод щодо мови існували недоліки в господарскій галузі. Було запроваджено деякі заходи для прискорення сільского виробництва в грецьких селах. Головним заходом в напрямку самоуправління греків в Україні було створення 3-х національних районів в Маріупольскому, Сталінському та Сартанському округах.
Після XVI з''їзду ВКП(б) почалась боротьба проти так званих капіталістичних елементів –куркульства. Легко передбачити, що така агресивна політична лінія була спрямована проти кожного, хто протистояв колективізації.
За даними ІІ Всеукраїнскої наради по работі серед національних меншин темпи росту колективізації серед грецьких господарств були відносно високі: 1928 р. -8, 1929 р. -14, 1930 р. -48. В трьох грецьких районах із загальною кількістю господарств 12.800 було колективізовано 4.700 господарств, або 36,7%.
Але труднощі цієї політики були віднзачені у виступах представників греків на нараді: ''В Сартанському районі куркуль-грек дуже хитрий. Він провонить свою роботу хитро і дуже тонко, тому дуже важко боротись з ним''. Крім того, відзначалось, що в грецьких районах людей, які могли б керувати колгоспами, фактично нема.
Продовження колективізації та ліквідація куркульства набували форми національної трагедії.
Наслідками такої політики було:
1. Небажання працювати в колгоспі та низький рівень виробництва
2. Падіння зацікавленості брати участь в національних радах.
3. Невдоволення між людьми різних національностей та взаємні дорікання.
Це все призвело до ослаблення відносного самоуправління нацменшин, в тому числі і грецьких. 30-ті роки характеризуються терористичною політикою тоталітарного режиму. 11 грудня 1937 року нарком внутрішніх справ СРСР Єжов підписав документ, який поклав початок масових репресій проти грецького населення країни на тій підставі, що органами НКВС розкрита широка мережа шпигунсько - терористичних, розвідувально - диверсійних антірадянських і націоналістичних організацій греків. Вони ніби-то ставили собі за мету відокремлення районів з переважним грецьким населенням і створення на їх території буржуазно-фашиистської держави.
В січні-березні 1938 року були присуждені до розстрілу 3.125 греків, 109 відправлені в ГУЛАГ на 5-10 років. В вересні цього ж року особлива трійка управління НКВС по Донецькій області (Сталінська) в складі секретаря обкому КП(б)У Щербакова, начальника УНКВС області Чистова та прокурора області Руденка, присудила до розстрілу 345 і направила до таборів 49 греків. Серед них були представники грецької інтелігенції.

Ð’ культурній області перетворення мали більші успіхи. Якщо до 20-Ñ… років майже не існувало шкіл з викладанням на мовах національних меншин, то з 1 серпня 1923 Ñ€. декретом ''про заходи по забезпеченню рівноправності мов та сприянню розвитку української мови'' було надано можливість користуватись рідною мовою в місцях проживання национальних меншин. Але для греків Маріуполя ситуація залишалася складною, оскільки з 24 сіл, 10 розмовляли татарською мовою Ñ– 14 –різніми говорами грецької мови (румейська мова).
Проф. Н. Соколов розподілив ці місцеві говори на 5 груп в порядку близькості їх до фонетики ново-грецької мови:
1) Урзуф –Ялта;
2) Стиля, Константиополь і Великий Янисель;
3) Велика Каракуба, Нова Каракуба, Бугас;
4) Сартана, Чермалик, Македоновка;
5) Чердакли, Малий Янісоль, Новий Янісоль.
Питання запровадження викладання грецької мови Народний комісаріат освіти РРФСР розв'язав шляхом скасування мови кафаревуса (''штучна'' грецька мова) як ''мови чужої і незрозумілої грецьким народним масам'' і затвердження заміни ії мовою димотика. Одночасно скасували історичну та затвердили фонетичну орфографію. Такі заходи дали можливість грекам Маріуполя ознайомитись з літературними творами не тільки інших греків СРСР, але й самої Греції. В Ростові книжкове видавництво ''Коммунист'' видавало навчальні посібники, знайомило місцевих грецьких читачів з новогрецькою літературою.
В Маріуполі видавництво ''Колективістіс'' видавало газету, а також політичну та художню літературу. Крім газети ''Колективістіс'' греки активно співпрацювали в грецьких журналах ''Флогомитрес спітес'', ''Неос Махитіс'', ''Піонерос'', ''Комсомолець Донбасу'', ''Літературний Донбас'', ''Приазовський робітник''.
Вже в 1930 році працювало 16 грецьких шкіл. В тому ж році відерився грецький технікум в Маріуполі, в якому навчалось 270 студентів. При технікумі було відкрито і татарське відділення з 35 студентами.
Грецькі-письменники і поети, поряд із створенням оригінальних творів, велику увагу приділяли перекладам, щоб ознайомити земляків з творчістю українців та росіян. Одним з перших було здійснено перекладам Т.Г.Шевченка. Його ''Заповіт'' в перекладі Георгія Костоправова було внесено до шкільної програми, він став хрестоматійним.
Але ситуація з мовою серед греків Маріуполя була далеко не ідеальною.
Головною серйозною проблемою було те, що не існувало мовної єдностї греків СРСР: в Криму розмовляли майже на справжній димотиці, на Чорноморському узбережжі Кавказу панував понтійський діалект, цалкінсьткий діалект в гірській частині Кавказу зазнав сильного впливу грузинської мови, а на Маріупольщині, як було сказано, налічувалось 5 говорів.
Таким чином, димотика вивчалась як іноземна мова. Існувала також проблема забезпечення викладацькими кадрами, що володіли новогрецькою мовою.
Прикладом цього було заснування Маріупольского грецького театру у 1932 р. Спочатку спектаклі йшли українською та російською мовами, оскільки не було грецького репертуару. Але в 1935 р. обласне управління театрів постановило перевести цей театр на грецьку мову.
в культурному житті греків цей театр мав величезне значення, бо він побував з гастролями майже в усіх грецьких селах Приазов''я. Театр було закрито в 1937 р. під час сталінських репресій, як і школи, технікуми та інші культурні заклади.
В 1935 році був створений в грецькому селі Сартана ансамбль пісні і танцю Сартанські самоцвіти який багато зробив для відродження грецького фольклору. в 1936 р. цей колектив брав участь у Всесоюзному фестивалі національних меншин і навіть посів перше місце.
Ансамбль припинив свою діяльність в роки Великої Вітчизняної війни. Саме в 30-ті роки з боку російських і українських дослідників з''явився інтерес до вивчення грецьких говорів Маріуполя. Вище вже згадувалось про професора Соколова, який разом з іншими працівниками Інституту мовної культури ЛДУ здійснював велику діалектологічну роботу по вивченню приазовських грецьких говорів.
В 1933 р. Всесоюзний комітет новогр алфавіту при Раді Національностей СРСР організував філологічну експедицію на чолі з професором Сергієвським для вирішення питання літературної мови греків Радянського Союзу.
Ð’ центрі уваги експедиції був говір сіл Сартана Ñ– Чермалик, який вважався найбільш типовим для приазовського діалекту. Дослідник говорів Маріупольских діалектів Т.Чернишова, яка проводила в 50-Ñ‚Ñ– роки філологічні експедиції Київского університету, писала, що "стаття Сергієвського викликала великий науковий інтерес, Ñ– в подальшому ми будемо неодноразово посилатись на неї при описанні осолбивастей Урзув-ялтинського говору".
Впродовж багатьох десятиріч греки Маріуполя залишались поза кулісами історичного процесу в Україні. Тільки після проголошення незалежності України знову відкрились грецькі школи, клуби, були створені фольклорні ансамблі.
Зараз греки Маріуполя, Донецькоі області (майже 100 тис. чол.) можуть стати провідною ланкою між Україною і Грецією і зробити свій внесок в побудову нової Української держави.

Сотіріс Димопулос

 

[Gabriel92]

Viva the glorius strategy of Ligne Maginot Ligne Maginot — Wikipédia :shocked:

The German avoided the strong secotrs of the Ligne Maginot by violating the neutrality of Belgium,Luxembourg,and Netherlands.

PS : When your country will sink (if it didn't already),i'll be happy to welcome you,don't worry

-------

Debaltseve occupied by terrorists: images from the demolished city. PHOTOS

Debaltseve occupied: Debaltseve occupied by terrorists: images from the demolished city. PHOTOS - army, Horlivka, Debaltseve, Debaltseve salient, Debaltseve occupied, Terrorists demolish cities (23.02.15 12:36) � Photo news | EN.Censor.net

 

[bhramos]

Report from the Brigade "Ghost." "Alex Brain gave a tour of the positions of the militia and said he was ready to die for the truth, if it is necessary to win bduet New Russia. The commander said that the struggle against fascism will not stop until until Novorossia not find freedom and the occupants will not be expelled from its land. "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UUiyQeEy5g

 

[bhramos]

Interview with Buryat militia. "Waha. Cheerful drilled into the New Russia. Most of the fighting on the Donets Basin - local, about a third are representatives of the Russian Federation, from different parts of it. But until recently, had not heard about his fellow-Buryat side Novorossia unless considered hysterical Ukrainian fakie

 

[bhramos]

Buryats -opolchenets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkqVRc3LNZY

 

[bhramos]

Reporting from journalists. "The militia found another abandoned dislocation Ukrainian invaders in a huge number of trophies and ammunition. Novorossia Fighters got a battery of howitzers MSTA-B and many truckloads of ammunition. Also militias were found evidence of the presence in positions of Polish mercenaries. Such a large number of trophies in the militia not was even in the defeat of the summer boilers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S1iMG9gBH4

 

[bhramos]

Separatists' truck on a destroyed bridge. Debaltseve.

Separatists' armored vehicles convoy, Vuhlehirsk, the Donetsk region.

 

[arpakola]

1.The German avoided the strong secotrs of the Ligne Maginot by violating the neutrality of Belgium,Luxembourg,and Netherlands.

PS : 2. When your country will sink (if it didn't already),i'll be happy to welcome you,don't worry

3.Debaltseve occupied by NAF Liberators..: images from the demolished city. PHOTOS

Debaltseve occupied: Debaltseve occupied by terrorists: images from the demolished city. PHOTOS - army, Horlivka, Debaltseve, Debaltseve salient, Debaltseve occupied, Terrorists demolish cities (23.02.15 12:36) � Photo news | EN.Censor.net

1. Thats what I call a great plan.. and clever infrastructure..
2. :thumb: BBC News - Greece debt crisis: Eurozone 'backs reform plans'

Greece debt crisis: Eurozone 'backs reform plans'
Breaking news Eurozone finance ministers have approved reform proposals submitted by Greece in order to gain an extension of its bailout, officials say.

3. "terrorist..!!

 

[pmaitra]

Caution:

Anyone talking about cricket or bollywood in this thread will be summarily evicted.

 

[apple]

Russian conscripts forced to fight in the Ukraine

Attempt 2 for a discussion of this article. The age of the combatants isn't the article's main point.

Russians as young as 18 are being tricked into fighting in Ukraine - Business Insider

Quotes from the article indented.

Adelya Kamelatdinova's 19-year-old son was serving as a recruit in the army in July when he sent her a text message saying he was being sent to military exercises in Rostov. Then in August, he disappeared for weeks — only to resurface in September and tell her had been stationed in the Ukrainian region of Luhansk, in a village about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Russian border.

When she went to the local recruitment office to complain with another mother whose son had been hospitalized with a concussion, nobody listened: "They told us that our sons were participating in exercises and there aren't any soldiers in Ukraine; that it was a fantasy we thought up."​

Russian mothers can be comforted that their sons sacrifice is so appreciated by some Indian guys on the internet.

Russia's secrecy about the soldiers' death has an important precedent: During the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in the 1980s, the government released little information about those killed in the conflict. When the true numbers of casualties became known, the intervention turned unpopular.​

Not the best comparison, but isn't a totally different situation.

 

[Gabriel92]

Russia concentrates troops at the border with Kharkiv region and steps up efforts at Mariupol direction - Blogger. PHOTOS

Russian invasion: Putin concentrates troops near Kharkiv region and Mariupol - Russian Army, armament, occupation, Putin, Russia, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Kharkiv oblast, Russian Aggression Against Ukraine, Evidence of Russian aggression in Ukraine, Russian

 

[sorcerer]

Re: Russian conscripts forced to fight in the Ukraine

@pmaitra
Can you merge this thread with the previous one.. I think a thread with the same line already exist..

Seems like the west is losing out a big deal to Russians...So much propoganda on repeat ..

 

[pmaitra]

Re: Russian conscripts forced to fight in the Ukraine

@pmaitra
Can you merge this thread with the previous one.. I think a thread with the same line already exist..

Seems like the west is losing out a big deal to Russians...So much propoganda on repeat ..

This thread is meant for attention-seeking. Let those that seek attention get it. This thread is dead anyway.

 

[pmaitra]

Crimean residents protest against forced Ukranization in lost footage from 1993 (video)

February 24, 2015
Russia 1
Translated by Kristina Rus

Now you will see unique footage filmed 21 years ago. The program was called "The Russian World" and talked about the struggle of Sevastopol residents against the forced ukranization for the right to speak and think in the native language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCT7DwPUlbk

Summer 1993, one of the first rallies in Sevastopol next to the Nakhimov monument. The city residents are outraged by the attempts of the official Kiev to impose new heroes, like Stephan Bandera and to root out any reminder of Russia and Russian history in Crimea. Then there were also tears, but tears of despair.

- Sevastopol is a historically Russian city. I cannot talk about it without tears, HOW can Sevastopol be Ukrainian? This is our RUSSIAN city! Let Ukrainians, Tatars, anyone live here, but as long as the world exists - it has been a Russian city!

- I have lived in Sevastopol since 1979. I served 27 years in the Navy, and we will not give up our fleet and Sevastopol to the Bandera thugs!

- The government and the people are on their own. The wishes of the people are not taken into account at all. Now they want to impose this Trident on us. Why to they want to force something on us that we do not want? We just want peace! Of course we have nothing to argue about with the Ukrainian people, it is all - the government. And we are suffering.

A real shock for the Sevastopol residents was the unwritten order from the Ukrainian authorities to remove the word "Russian" from the daily life. By orders from Kiev even the packaging of the popular pelmeni was turned inside out to hide the Russian name of the product "Russian Pelmeni". Russian vodka was only allowed to be sold with the label in Ukrainian language "Rossijska Gorilka"

Families of Black Sea fleet officers were receiving letters from Ukrainian nationalists with threats and demands to get out of Crimea:

"Crimea will be Ukrainian or deserted. And all of you will be khokhlonized [Khokhol means "Ukrainian"] until the last of you! So you should forget about your Moskal habits! Remember, creepers, and tell your children, that we, the Ukrainians will fight until the last drop of blood of our enemies! RUH!"

Official publication of the Ukrainian Navy was overwhelmed by a wave of insults addressed to those officers who wanted to serve Russia. Here is a fragment from the official article from the newspaper "Ukrainian Horizons":

"For 200 year the Andreev flag has covered the rot of the Russian empire, now they want to cover with it the cretinism of the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States]. Enough!"

The commander of the Ukrainian Navy Boris Kozhin has shocked the city residents with his first speech in Sevastopol:

"The education of Ukrainian navy men should incorporate the emerging Ukrainian nationalism. Ukrainian nationalism is an expression of patriotism, a bright and kind concept!"

The multi-national Sevastopol took these words as some kind of cave barbarity. Although back then in 1993 Sevastopol residents could not imagine in their worst nightmare that in some 20 years, nurtured on the kind and bright concepts of Ukrainian nationalism, Nazis from the Right Sector and Svoboda party will openly call for butchering the residents of Crimea as separatists and representatives of the enemy diaspora.

- I am Russian by nationality, my mother is Russian, my dad is Ukrainian. We have Jewish, Russian and Tatar friends. We never knew about this nationalism, which is being imposed on us. We were always friends, and sang Ukrainian and Russian songs at the table. And never pointed a finger at people of other nationalities.

An apotheosis of nationalistic stupor was a special conference of Kiev and Western Ukrainian historians dedicated to the history of the Black Sea fleet. One of the reports stated that the first submarine was invented not by the Dutch or the French, but by Zaporozhian cossacks. As if back in the 18th century they carried out raids to Crimea in under-water canoes covered with leather and soaked in resin. Therefore the Ukrainian fleet is older then Russian, and there should not be any Russian navy base in Sevastopol.

- My wife is Ukrainian. My mother is Ukrainian and my father is Russian. But I don't understand this Ukrainian nationalist policy.
Our Black Sea fleet officers don't understand this. We want peace, and we want to be with Russia! Because Sevastopol is a sacred land, and only Sevastopol residents can understand this. And I want to address all the Russian people: don't abandon us, and we will not betray you!!!

And they didn't, they persevered and won!


Alexey Denisov especially for the program "Vesti of the Week"


Kristina Rus:

Incidentally I was in Sevastopol and Crimea in 1993, I was very young and did not care for politics, but nothing led me to believe that it was Ukraine, to me it felt like Russia!

PS As one Russian analyst noted, when after the break up of the Soviet Union the Ukrainian and the so called neutral or pro-Russian elites were dividing the power, the most sought after spheres were business, natural resources and economy. In order to give pro-Ukrainians "something" to keep them satisfied, they were given education and culture at their disposal, which they had used to the fullest!

Naturally the Eastern Ukrainian elites (such as Yanukovich) could always rely on the Eastern Ukrainian population for support without giving much in return, as the alternative of Western Ukrainian nationalists was horrifying to the pro-Russian population. Likely this led to complacency on the part of the "pro-Russian" elites, since both pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian elites, were first of all "pro-profit", and just played on the antagonizing national issues to gain votes.

As the Galician ideology spread to Central Ukraine, the Central Ukrainian elites realized that they cannot capitalize on the shrinking pro-Russian sentiment, as it was firmly behind the Donbass elites, and sold themselves and the country for the Ukrainian nationalism, gaining support in the West and helping spread this ideology to Central Ukraine, therefore gaining more electorate.

Since Western Ukraine has largely been more rural and agricultural, most Ukrainian oligarchs had emerged in the industrial East and Central Ukraine, and the battle of Ukrainian elites centered between Donetsk and Dnepropetrovsk.

 

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

Ukraine S-300PS battery. deployed in Mariupol airport. looks like Ukraine expecting attack on Mariupol

A very good and thoughtful interview with a senior DNR tank commander who died last week. Long with English subtitles. Very, very sad to lose a man like that.