Russia tried to ‘re-educate’ Ukrainians in Kherson, it didn’t work, NYT
All attempts to make “new citizens of Russia” out of the local population proved unsuccessful. The occupiers could not even fix their currency.
Russia tried to “re-educate” the Ukrainian population in occupied Kherson and make local “Russians”, but it did not work. The New York Times writes about this in its report.
“He [Kherson] was at the center of an ambitious Russian campaign to assimilate citizens and eradicate Ukrainian identity — a goal that President Vladimir Putin had set for all of Ukraine if his armed forces were more successful,” the newspaper writes.
As the publication notes, the invaders banned Ukrainian songs in the regional center, tried to introduce Russian rubles into circulation, told students that they were now “Russians”, but all these attempts were unsuccessful.
As one of the examples, the journalists cite the story of local resident Iryna Diagileva, whose daughter continued to go to school during the occupation. During this period, mandatory performance of the Russian national anthem was added to the program, but teachers ignored the “innovation”. Instead, the children were greeted with the words “Glory to Ukraine!”
Olga Malyarchuk from Kherson, who works in a taxi park, also talks about her experience. The Russians demanded that she pay in rubles, but she continued to pay in hryvnias. Commenting on the Russian propaganda, which the invaders broadcast on television, as well as with the help of numerous billboards in the city, the woman says: “It just didn’t work.”
According to Serhii Bloshko, another citizen, the Russians tried to suppress the pro-Ukrainian population.
“What happened here was ethnic cleansing,” he told reporters.
Even the way two armies — Russian and Ukrainian — entered the city speaks volumes.
“When our soldiers entered, their machine guns were pointed upwards, in the air. When the Russians entered, their weapons were aimed at the people. This explains everything. At the same time, they said that they were our liberators,” the man emphasizes.
We will remind, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Kherson on November 11. Local residents en masse met the Ukrainian fighters in the center of the regional center, they raised the flag of Ukraine over the State Administration building.
Roman Holovnya, the city mayor’s adviser, said that there is a critical shortage of water, medicines and foodstuffs in the liberated Kherson.
On November 13, the Ukrainian military raised the state flag on Antonivskyi Bridge in liberated Kherson, putting an end to the occupation of the right-bank part of the territory of Ukraine.
