Russia is driving Ukrainians to take up Russian customs, and to make Russia and Ukraine one nation. In addition, Russia is preparing to hold bogus elections in Ukraine in order to elect Russian officials to power. However, some Ukrainians, despite the danger, are resisting the Russian takeover.
Russia is putting up billboards in Ukraine that falsely claim “We are one people,” and “We [Ukrainians] are with Russia,” among other statements. In addition, they are replacing Ukrainian television with Russian television, and substituting the Ukraine school curriculum for the Russian curriculum. They have replaced Ukrainian money with the Russian currency, the ruble, and taken down Ukrainian flags to hang up Russian flags. They have required that Ukrainians get Russian passports to buy cars and other goods. They do this to efface Ukraine’s culture and identity.
In addition, Russian bomb strikes have targeted important historical sites in order to erase Ukraine’s history. According to UNESCO, 171 cultural sites, including 13 museums and 17 monuments, were destroyed as of August 1.
“This was done so Russia can say that there is no Ukrainian culture, that Ukrainian identity does not exist,” said Nataliia Micay, director of the Hryhorii Skovoroda Literary Memorial Museum which was recently destroyed by the Russians.
In addition to this, Russia is denying that Ukraine is a separate state. Putin wrote a 6,000-word article, “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” in which he claims that ethnic Russians and Ukrainians are one nation. In 2008, Putin said that “Ukraine is not even a country,” when he met U.S. president George W. Bush. He has also claimed that the Ukrainian language is actually a Russian dialect, though the Ukrainian language is very different.
“Russia itself is doing everything to ensure that de-Russification takes place on the territory of our state. You are doing it. In one generation. And forever,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the Ukrainian backlash against Russia’s policies in March.
Many Ukrainians are struggling after the Russian takeover of certain regions. Many homes and apartment buildings have been destroyed, leaving residents homeless. Many residents have lacked basic supplies like food, water, and shelter. Many who have enough money have fled to other parts of Europe and other countries as refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, up to 6,307,137 have fled Ukraine for other parts of Europe. Some civilians who did not flee were killed by Russian soldiers.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/02/1101712731/russia-invasion-ukraine-russian-language-culture-identity
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/30/world/europe/russia-occupation-ukraine-kherson.html
Russia is putting up billboards in Ukraine that falsely claim “We are one people,” and “We [Ukrainians] are with Russia,” among other statements. In addition, they are replacing Ukrainian television with Russian television, and substituting the Ukraine school curriculum for the Russian curriculum. They have replaced Ukrainian money with the Russian currency, the ruble, and taken down Ukrainian flags to hang up Russian flags. They have required that Ukrainians get Russian passports to buy cars and other goods. They do this to efface Ukraine’s culture and identity.
In addition, Russian bomb strikes have targeted important historical sites in order to erase Ukraine’s history. According to UNESCO, 171 cultural sites, including 13 museums and 17 monuments, were destroyed as of August 1.
“This was done so Russia can say that there is no Ukrainian culture, that Ukrainian identity does not exist,” said Nataliia Micay, director of the Hryhorii Skovoroda Literary Memorial Museum which was recently destroyed by the Russians.
In addition to this, Russia is denying that Ukraine is a separate state. Putin wrote a 6,000-word article, “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” in which he claims that ethnic Russians and Ukrainians are one nation. In 2008, Putin said that “Ukraine is not even a country,” when he met U.S. president George W. Bush. He has also claimed that the Ukrainian language is actually a Russian dialect, though the Ukrainian language is very different.
“Russia itself is doing everything to ensure that de-Russification takes place on the territory of our state. You are doing it. In one generation. And forever,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the Ukrainian backlash against Russia’s policies in March.
Many Ukrainians are struggling after the Russian takeover of certain regions. Many homes and apartment buildings have been destroyed, leaving residents homeless. Many residents have lacked basic supplies like food, water, and shelter. Many who have enough money have fled to other parts of Europe and other countries as refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, up to 6,307,137 have fled Ukraine for other parts of Europe. Some civilians who did not flee were killed by Russian soldiers.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/02/1101712731/russia-invasion-ukraine-russian-language-culture-identity
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/30/world/europe/russia-occupation-ukraine-kherson.html
