It's no secret to anyone that the russians are pursuing a policy of ethnic replacement of the local population in Donetsk. This fact is so obvious that it doesn't require the expertise of specialists. Just take a leisurely stroll down the streets, ride public transportation, or step into a supermarket to understand it.
Local residents have been displaced through persecution for their love of their homeland, the creation of unbearable economic and living conditions, and military actions since 2014 in the city's territory (let's just remember the capture of the airport), and the 2022 mobilization... It is now clear that all of russia's actions were aimed at destroying or displacing local residents from Donbas.
And, as if by the law of Archimedes, the displaced residents of Donetsk are being replaced by representatives of the smaller nationalities of vast russia, who bring along their own culture. Or rather, lack of culture. At least from the perspective of native Donetsk residents. Because for some, even eating dogs is normal, but not for us.
However, among the newcomers, there are many people who look European. But when it comes to norms of behavior and culture, they know just as much as reindeer herders. Against the backdrop of a severe shortage of workers in the communal services sector, they all turn what used to be a modern city with streets washed with shampoo into a big garbage dump.
None of the newcomers bother to find a trash can to throw away a tram ticket, a candy wrapper, or a banana peel. In supermarkets, they toss receipts on the floor next to the checkout. And in public transport, they can leave an ice cream wrapper on the seat or under it without a trace of embarrassment.
Communication etiquette is a separate topic. As it turns out, "new Donetsk residents" have a very limited vocabulary, and their speech is dominated by swear words. In fact, by their manner of speaking, you can instantly tell that you're not dealing with a local resident but someone who came here "for a new life".
It's not clear how long they'll stay here. Because everyone has different motives, reasons, and circumstances.
Some came to earn money, mostly in construction and repairs. They are lured here by high salaries. To put it into perspective - locals are paid 2 or even 3 times less for similar work.
Some fell for the program of preferential lending in the "liberated" lands. They buy real estate in Donetsk, hoping to live here. Apparently, they believe the russian propagandists who tirelessly talk on television about the investment attractiveness of Donbas. And they believe that sooner or later, this place will become a garden city.
Some openly admit that they want to buy an apartment or a house here to rent out in the future. Considering the high demand in this segment, driven by the abundance of "repairmen" and military personnel, it's a quite sensible investment for passive income.
However, this situation in the real estate market may soon change, given that the authorities intend to nationalize the "abandoned" housing since 2014. It is planned to formalize it as "departmental" and provide temporary use to such "liberators" and "restorers". Consequently, the rental market will collapse, and the "investments" of such businessmen will greatly depreciate.
The most dismal situation in terms of replacing the indigenous population is in Mariupol. They bring migrants from Central Asia there, mainly to work on construction sites. They settle there, and after some time, they bring over their families. And all of them are traditional Muslims. All their women wear hijabs - clothing that covers the head and body. They are forbidden to work and have abortions. Therefore, they will reproduce at a geometric progression.
The residents of Mariupol are seriously concerned about this proximity. Because Greeks have predominantly lived here since the late 18th century. By the way, they were resettled from Crimea by the russian empress catherine II. Actually, Mariupol got its name back then, which translates from Greek as "city of Mary". But apparently, modern imperialists have decided to make it a city of Asians.
This isn't the first similar experiment on the population. In 1947, several thousand families of "active nationalists and bandits" were deported from the territory of Western Ukraine to Siberia. Their property was handed over for use to local activists of the Komsomol or other "correct" Soviet people.
In 1954, kremlin leaders began the forced resettlement of the Ukrainian population to Crimea, having previously expelled the Crimean Tatars from there. And the industrial region of Ukraine - the Donbas - was populated by russians, who were sent there on Komsomol vouchers for construction work or jobs in the mines.
And now the kremlin plays with human destinies like tin soldiers, changing ethnic, genetic, cultural, and language policies. What will this lead to in the future? It will depend on how quickly Ukraine can liberate the Donbas.
Liusia Molchanova, Donetsk, for OstroV