Communicating with the residents of the uncontrolled territories, continuing violently support “Russian Spring”, you ought to listen a lot of information like “why does it lives so good in the republic”. Four main reasons to “love”, about what the supporters of “LPR” has told to us, are in material of informator.lg.ua.
Reason #1: two pensions
The most nimble pensioners, living on the occupied territories and supporting “Russian World”, didn’t interrupt their thoughts and deprive themselves the opportunity to get pension, which is paid by “bloody junta”. The biggest part of such pensioners re-formed payments in Ukraine, getting also “pension”, which is paid by “LPR”. The regular threatens from Ukrainian of “republic” side to “exchange” of such lists and to detect such lucky people, look like don’t scare them.
“And what’s wrong? We’re getting two pensions now. The prices are so big, that it’s not enough , tells the pensioner Tamara P, yes, I’m against Ukraine and so on? I’m not going to refuse from this money, I’ve earned them!” According to the words of woman, there are a pensioners who managed to get even three pensions: in Ukraine and also in “DPR” and “LPR”. How they could this, they only know by themselves.
Meanwhile the difficulties with payment of October pension has already begun in “LPR”. The representative of the pension fund of the “republic” Tatiana Vasileva claimed that as of mid-October “a third part of pensions had been paid” and reminded that delay of pensions was announced earlier by Ministry of Finances. In fact the inhabitants of of “republic” a half a month have got empty promises and requests not to panic except pensions.
“The republic has the funds to pay pensions. The delays occur for technical reasons”, claimed the head of Pension Fund of Alchevsk Inna Tkachuck, hoping in a this way to calm down pensioners, permanently occupying corridors of local filial of Fund. Nobody can’t explain, what is the sense of “technical reasons”? And there are not so a big number of curious people, the biggest part of adepts of “Russian World” believes blindly and unquestioningly.
The fact, that “republic” can’t provide the payment of salaries and the biggest part of this money is doles from Russia not to allow the extinction of the electorate, doesn’t want to come into “Novorossiya” heads. Also, as the thoughts that Russia earlier or late will interrupt the financing of bottomless budget of “LPR” and pensioners will be left without Russian money.
Reason #2: “curative” nostalgie
One more subject of the proud of “LPR” lovers is the most intimate and expensive – emblem of the republic. Transformed from Russian double-headed into star-Soviet, the coat of arms of “LPR” warms the soul of frankly nostalgic on USSR times people.
“I like this emblem, it’s so beautiful, like I’ve come in the past times”, tell the woman, buying the cover on the passport with the coat of arms of “LPR” in the module of “Novorossiya” symbolism in the market. The creators of the emblem, making logo of “republic” maybe were hoping on the similar reaction of the main “target group”, those who are over 40 and whose life slogan is “back in USSR”. That’s why they didn’t make their mind for the masterpiece and create something alike on the coat of arms of DPRK and logo of the famous Vietnam balsam “Zvezdochka” (Asterisk).
The game is worth the candle: lumpen, educated life in “Soviet” times, were in delight of such symbolism, even some people got the identity with balsam.
“Yes, it looks like on the picture from the box of the balsam, so, maybe it’s also curative”, jokes woman, bought the cover, as an answer on my parallels with “Zvezdochka”.
New emblem also like the surrealism of happens around doesn’t confuse a lot of people. Somebody is waiting for the coming back of life as earlier and social and economic situation at the same time become worst meanwhile. According to the forecasts, the winter is going to be very hard on the occupied territories. So, local followers of “LPR” are only have their faith in the “curative attributes” of the asterisk from the emblem, maybe it will help.
Reason #3: we will become Russia soon
It happened that a lot of people with Russian roots live in the industrial part of Luhansk region. That’s why there is nothing incredible that a big number of the residents of Donbass is looking in the side of Russia and dreaming to live “like they live”. Communicating with people, visited the referendum of May 11, 2014, you begin to understand that the biggest part has voted not for the independence from everybody, but for joining Russia. Inspired by the example of the annexed Crimea, “LPR”-supporters suddenly decided, that after the week after the referendum there might be the second one about joining “LPR” to Russia. The second referendum didn’t take part neither after a week, nor after a year. The head of “republic” Ihor Plotnitsky regularly added fuel into the burning hearts of Russia lovers, promising that in a closer time we will be in the friendly embraces of “brotherly state”.
“The integration of LPR into Russia is the objective and inevitable process, which conforms to the fundamental interests and aspirations of the residents of Luhansk region”, he claimed on September on the opening of the “round table” “The ways of the integration of Donbass into Russia” in Luhansk. People lively discussed news, like “Plotnitsky said that we will be in Russia soon”, without wishing to think that officially RF hasn’t recognized “republics” and isn’t going to. And border guards on the temporary uncontrolled checkpoint “Izvarino” are continuing stubbornly to call “republic” lands Ukraine and laughing on those, who show them passports of “LPR”. So, the only thing that unites “LPR” with Russia is the rouble zone and high prices, somewhere more than Russian.
Reason #4: we haven’t feed Kyiv yet…
The most popular from mighty settings still living in the heads of Putin is that “but now we don’t feed Kyiv”. The ex-industrial glory of Donbass is still alive in the memory of workers, given their lives to the plants and factories and sacredly believe that “Donbass doesn’t do bad stuff”.
Long time ago Donbass really was famous for its stable big salaries and it was the main attractive reason to workers from Russia, who took the roots there. The dotation coal branch of Luhansk region has been actively destroyed last years and metallurgical enterprises were going through hard times. Today, minings are cutting on the scrap-metal and flooding, plants are stealing and moving out from the occupied territories by the “polite people”. The economy of uncontrolled territories after the year after the beginning of “Russian Spring” has come to an unprecedented decline. Years and billions will go to recover it after coming back all of this to Ukrainian power. And while, blinded by Kremlin propaganda supporters of “LPR” are continuing humbly listen to the TV-news, repeating as spells phrases that “Putin once again tricked everybody” and “Moscow hasn’t been built at the moment”, without wishing to stand out from the sofa, find the TV remote and turn off the voice of a “Big Brother”.
Lilith Rebrova special for informator.lg.ua