Sociologist: Ukrainians have fundamentally changed their attitude towards their state

Yevhen Holovakha, Deputy Director of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, writes about this with reference to the results of the polls.

According to him, the Ukrainians have finally accepted their state.

Moreover, they were accepted not only in an abstract vision, but precisely as a country that, in its current state, deserves respect, acceptance and high appreciation, since Ukrainians saw what neighbors are nearby, how much the Ukrainian state is fundamentally different from what is happening there, and what what they carry from there to Ukraine, - says the sociologist.

According to him, before the war, in November 2021, the Institute of Sociology of Ukraine conducted a study on Ukrainians' assessment of their state. In mid-May 2022, the study was repeated.

And here is what has fundamentally changed. In November 2021, to the question: “What, in your opinion, are the living conditions in Ukraine for the majority of the population?” 53% of the respondents answered that the conditions were generally poor, while 38% said that the conditions were generally satisfactory or good. And already in mid-May 2022, those who considered living conditions in Ukraine were generally poor, 28%, and 62% of respondents answered that these conditions were generally satisfactory or good, the sociologist notes.

According to him, despite everything that is happening, the Ukrainians understood what they had and what they could lose.

The fact is that, despite everything that is happening, the Ukrainians understood what they had and what they could lose. The realization is coming that even in such terrible conditions in which we now find ourselves, the country gives the Ukrainians something that can be assessed as satisfactory conditions. Perhaps this is a psychological phenomenon, but it is a very important realization of the great value of one's state, the expert says.

According to him, in 2021, to the question: “What can you say about the achievements and failures of Ukraine, from 1991 to the present day?” 53% said that failures prevailed, 34% believed that failures and achievements compensated each other, and only 4% of compatriots said that achievements prevailed.

And this is how citizens see the same situation now: 30% said that failures prevailed, 44% tend to believe that failures and achievements compensated each other, and 18% are sure that achievements prevailed, - says Golovakha.

He also emphasizes that to the question: “What do you think about the future of Ukraine?” , which reflects whether a person connects his future with the future of the country, in 2021 the answers were:
most likely, the situation will worsen - 35%, the situation will not worsen, but is unlikely to improve - 38%, most likely the situation will improve - 13%.

That is, confident optimists in November 2021 in Ukraine were only 13%. And here are the results of 2022: most likely, the situation will worsen - 7%, the situation will not worsen, but is unlikely to improve - 13%, most likely the situation will improve - 76%, - says the sociologist.