Over 40 percent of Ukrainians miss USSR, poll finds

KYIV, August 21 /Ukrinform/. In Ukraine, a large part of the population, namely 40.5 percent, believe that it would be better if everything remained as it was in the Soviet Union until 1985.

Iryna Bekeshkina, Director of Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF), announced this at a news conference “Ukraine turns 22: achievements and perspectives” in Ukrinform on Wednesday.

"40.5 percent of citizens believe that it would be better if everything remained as it was in the Soviet Union until 1985, that is before Perestroika. 39 percent do not agree with this, and 20 percent are undecided," she said.

According to Bekeshkina, the attitude of Ukrainians towards the Soviet Union depends on their age and region of residence. In particular, most of all residents of Ukraine's east regret the USSR (56%), center (42%) and the south (35%), less in the west (23%). People over the age of 60 (67%) and aged 50-59 years (51%) grieve over it, the least - young people under the age of 30 (14.5%). Relation to the former Soviet Union is also associated with the financial situation of the family, the researcher believes. In particular, 57 percent among those who do not have enough money for food regret over it, and among those who consider themselves secured - 24 percent.

The DIF director also noted that the Russians are nostalgic for the Soviet Union less than the Ukrainians, their number is only 34 percent, but there are more those who are undecided with their attitude - 40 percent.

"A significant part of Ukrainian citizens feel a greater affinity to the Soviet Union than to Ukraine - 34.6 percent. Most of all such identification prevails in the country's east (48%), center (34%) and south (32%) and the least - in the west (17%)," Bekeshkina added.

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