Group "Rating" presents the results of a survey conducted on the Day of the Defender of Ukraine. In the report, sociologists say, one can find answers to the following questions:.
- How many citizens are ready to defend their homeland with weapons in their hands?.
- How do Ukrainians refer to the introduction of the Day of the Defender of Ukraine on October 14 and the cancellation of the celebration on February 23?.
- How has the attitude towards OUN-UPA changed?.
- Do Ukrainians want the reconciliation of the UPA soldiers and veterans of the Soviet Army?.
According to a study conducted by the sociological group "Rating" in September 2017, 54% of respondents expressed their readiness in the event of the threat and to defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine by force of arms, which is almost double compared to 2012 year. Such two-thirds among the inhabitants of the Center and the West. In the South, half. But in the East, 52% said that they are not ready to defend their homeland with weapons in their hands (26% are ready, 22% are undecided). Patriotically minded more among men, Ukrainian-speaking and better-off.
59% of respondents support the idea of ??establishing a state holiday of the Day of the Defender of Ukraine on October 14, almost the same number - 56% - does not support the idea of ??canceling the Day of the Fatherland Defender on February 23, known as the Day of the Soviet Army and the Navy. At the same time, if the former are larger in the West, then the latter are in the South and East. Interestingly, the establishment of the holiday on October 14 is equally supported by both men and women. In turn, there is also no difference between the sexes in the matter of condemning the initiative to cancel the celebration on February 23: this is not equally supported by both men and most women. Almost half (45%) of supporters of the idea of ??establishing October 14 as the Day of the Defender of Ukraine does not support the abolition of the celebration of the Soviet holiday.
49% of respondents support the idea of ??OUN-UPA recognition as participants in the struggle for state independence of Ukraine, 29% do not support (41% and 38% respectively, compared to 2015). Almost a quarter of respondents did not decide on the answer. Since the beginning of research on this issue in 2010, the level of support for this initiative has grown 2.5 times.
In the West, the support of this idea is the greatest - 80%. Half of the respondents at the Center also support the recognition of OUN and UPA. At the same time, almost half the inhabitants of the East and the South do not support the idea of ??recognizing the national insurgency. Men, younger, rural residents, persons with higher education and Ukrainian-speaking respondents are more likely to support the recognition of OUN and UPA than other categories.
56% are positive about the idea of ??reconciliation of soldiers of the Soviet Army and OUN-UPA (in 2012, there were 44%). At the same time, there are twice as many in the West as in the East (75% vs. 34%). The thesis of reconciliation is supported more by persons with higher education, villagers and Ukrainian-speaking. Also, they are almost twice as many among those who support the recognition of OUN-UPA as fighters for Independence than among those who do not support the recognition of the national liberation movement.
The thesis that during the Second World War the soldiers of the Soviet Army defended their homeland is supported by the absolute majority of respondents (90%), whereas the thesis that during the Second World War OUN-UPA soldiers defended their homeland support 53%. At the same time, the level of support for the latest thesis has increased 1.5 times compared to 2012. Supporters of the idea that the OUN-UPA soldiers defended their homeland more among youth, men, villagers, Ukrainian speakers and Westerners.
The study was conducted from 20 to 29 September 2017. Audience: the population of Ukraine is 18 years and over. Sampling set: 2000 respondents. The error of representativeness of the study: no more than 2.2%.