TAKE 1 OF 2--POLITICAL SITUATION IN LUGANSK

• Document Type: FOIA
• Keywords: UFO SPECIAL COLLECTION
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005517681
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: January 31, 2011
• Case Number: F-2010-00651
• Publication Date: November 5, 1990

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SERIAL=91UN0196B UDN=V(6185)
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SERIAL: 91UN0196B
PASS: ATTN BBC PRESS I.
COPY TO UD
COUNTRY: USSR
SUBJ: TAKE 1 OF 2--POLITICAL SITUATION IN LUGANSK
SOURCE: MOSCOW LITERATURNAYA GAZETA IN RUSSIAN 31 OCT 90 P 10
TEXT:
//((ARTICLE BY S. KISELEV, LITERATURNAYA GAZETA SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT FOR THE UKRAINIAN SSR: "LUGANSK... IS SEPARATING--
SOCIOPOLITICAL PORTRAIT OF THE CITY IN THE EPOCH OF PERESTROYKA"))
((TEXT)) TODAY, THE SITUATION THAT HAS DEVELOPED IN THIS
500,p00-POPULATION CITY REMINDS ONE OF A FIGHT BETWEEN A HEAVY-
WEIGHT BOXER WHO IS MANAGED BY AN EXPERIENCED TRAINER AND A NOVICE
WHO RELIES FOR HIS SUPPORT ON THE AUDIENCE. THERE IS THE
CNSERVATIVE OBLAST SOVIET UNDER THE WARDSHIP OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
OBLAST PARTY COMMITTEE, AND OPPOSNG IT IS THE CITY SOVIET, WHERE A
STRONG DEMOCRATIC BLOC HAS BEEN ORGANIZED--WHO WILL WIN? AND WIL
THE CITY BE DELIVERED A KNOCKOUT BLOW, IF THE OBLAST SUDDENLY TAKES
LUGANSK IN AN ECONOMIC BLOCKADE ENCIRCLEMENT?
A VERY COMPETENT PUBLIC OPINION POLL, CONDUCTED BY THE LUGANSK
VOTERS' ASSOCIATION, ELOQUENTLY SHOWED THE FOLLOWING: ONE AND FOUR-
TENTHS OF A PERCENT OF THE LUGANSK RESIDENTS AE PLACING THEIR HOPES
ON THE CPSU; FIVE PERCENT, ON NEW PARTIES, AND A--SLIGHTLY LARGER
NUMEER OF PEOPLE, ON STRIKE COMMITTEES. THE REMAINDER OF THOSE
POLLED DO NOT BELIEVE IN ANYTHING.
THIS IS ON THE ONE HAND. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE IS THE WARFARE
POSITION BETWEEN THE RUKH ((UKRAINIAN PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT FOR
PERESTROYKA)), UKRAINIAN REPUBLCAN PARTY, AND UNION OF INDEPENDENT
UKRAINIAN YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE CPSU. BOTH SIDES ARE
SHOOTING AT EACH OTHER FROM A CORNER. SALVOS FROM HE LEFT: WE DO
NOT BELIEVE THE COMMUNISTS SALVOS FROM THE RIGHT: BANDERA AND
PETLYURA SUPPORTERS FROM THE LEFT: THE FIGHT WITH THE PARTY
APPARATUS THAT AT TIMES SLIPS INTO A FIGHT WITH RANK AND FILE
COMMUNISTS--AN EFFORT NOT TO LET GO OF POWER THAT BORDERS ON
HYSTERIA OF THE DOOMED. BOTH SIDES, ALAS, ARE FIGHTING NOT FOR
SOMETHING, BUT AGAINST SOMEONE, WHICH, VERY LIKELY, CAN LEAD TO THE
APPEARANCE OF A THIRD FORCE--THE STREETS. BUT FURTHER--EVERYTHING
ACCORDING TO A WELL-KNOWN SCENARIO: INSUBORDINATION, RIOTS, TROOPS,
A SPECIAL SITUATION, ETC.
PASSIONS, IT IS KNOWN, GET AROUSED. SOMEONE WANTS TO STIR UP THE
RUSSIANS AGAINST THE UKRAINIANS. SOMEBODY, WANTS TO STIR UP THE
WORKERS AGAINST THE COOPERATORS. LUGANSK RESIDENTS AGAINST THE
MINERS (AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS HANGING IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE:
"CARPETS ONLY FOR MINERS.")). MINERS AGAINST DEMOCRATS: IT IS SAID
THAT UNEMPLOYMENT IS EXPECTED WITH THE TRANSFER TO THE MARKET. THIS
ALMOST LED IN SEPTEMBER TO A MINERS' STRIKE IN SUPPORT OF THE
PROGRAM.. .OF RYZHKOV. AND WHEN THE FAMOUS WRITER AND ECONOMIST
VASILIY SELYUNIN VISITED LUGANSK IN OCTOBER, WHEN HE GAVE FOUR
LECTURES HERE ABOUT THE MARKET, ON THE EVENING BEFORE"}1'I'.f"A0IVAL,
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THE OBLAST PARTY COMMITTEE SENT INSTRUCTIONS TO THE VUZ ((HIGHER
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION)) PROPAGANDISTS: GIVE BATTLE TO SELYUNIN
DURING HIS SPEECH AS SOMEONE WHO IS ATTEMPTING TO DESTABILIZE THE
SITUATION IN LUGANSK. AND SOMEONE TRIED TO GIVE BATTLE.-
IN GENERAL, IT COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO THINK THAT EVERYTHING
THAT IS HAPPENING IN LUGANSK IS OCCURRING IN ALMOST THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY, IF IT WERE NOT FOR ONE FEATURE. SOMEWHERE, ABOUT'HALF A
YEAR AGO SUDDENLY, LITERALLY LIKE A UFO, THERE BEGAN TO APPEAR,
WELL, HOW CAN THIS BE PUT, NOT QUITE RUMORS, NOT EVEN CONVERSATIONS,
BUT SOMETHING SOMEWHAT TELEPATHIC, A KIND OF TRANSMISSION OF IDEAS
OVER A DISTANCE. WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE IDEAS WERE BEING
TRANSMITTED FROM, BUT THEIR GIST SOON BEGAN TO BE KNOWN RATHER
WIDELY: AUTONOMY. AND THEN IT WAS IN WHISPERS: AUTONOMY. AND
THEN IN A LOUD VOICE AMONG OUR OWN: AUTONOMY. TERRITORIAL
AUTONOMY. THIS SPLASHED OUT ONTO THE STREETS.
IT WAS SUDDENLY RECALLED IN LUGANSK THAT THE DONETSK-KRIVOROG
SOVIET REPUBLIC, HEADED BY ARTEM (F.A. SERGEYEV), EXISTED IN 1918,
AND THAT ON THE LAWS OF FEDERATION, IT LEFT THE UKRAINE FOR RUSSIA.
IT WAS ARTIFICIALLY CREATED BY THE BOLSHEVIKS (THE CONGRESS THAT
APPROVED THIS DECISION CONSISTED OF 74 DELEGATES), WHO NAIVELY
SUPPOSED THAT THIS WOULD SAVE THE REGION FROM THE INFLUENCE OF THE
CENTRAL RADA AND WOULD PREVENT GERMAN OCCUPATION OF THE DONBAS. THE
REPUBLIC LASTED FROM 30 JANUARY TO 19 MARCH 1918, AFTER WHICH IT
ONCE AGAIN BECAME PART OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE UKRAINE AS A
TERRITORIAL-PRODUCTION AUTONOMY.
AND SO TODAY INLUGANSK TA.LK BAS__ON.C.4 AGAIN STARTED ABOUT THE
RESTORATION OF THE DONETSK-KRIVOYROG REPUBLIC, AND, ABOVE ALL, ABOUT
TERRITORIAL AUTONOMY WITHIN THE RSFSR ((RUSSIAN SOVIET FEDERATED
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC)) SYSTEM. NOW, WHY THIS? PERHAPS THE FACT THAT
LUGANSK OBLAST, IN FACT, BOYCOTTED THE DECISION OF THE UKRAINIAN
PARLIAMENT ON THE SWITCH TO KIEV TIME (THE TIME HERE AS, BY THE WAY,
IN THE CRIMEA, HAS REMAINED MOSCOW TIME), AND THAT IT WAS A
PRECURSOR OF THE FACT THAT LUGANSK IS SEPARATING?...
"HISTORICALLY, THE DONBAS WAS NEVER A PART OF THE UKRAINE,"
EXPLAINED V. CHEKER, HEAD OF THE PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF THE
LUGANSK AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE AND THE COCHAIRMAN OF THE
SOCIOPOLITICAL ORGANIZATION "PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT OF THE LUGANSK AREA
FOR PERESTROYKA (THIS MOVEMENT WAS ESTABLISHED APPROXIMATELY ABOUT A
YEAR AGO TO COUNTERBALANCE RUKH). "THEREFORE, WE ARE AGAINST THE
UKRAINIZATION OF OUR REGION, AND WE THINK THAT GRANTING THE DONBAS A
NEW ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL STATUS WOULD BE WARRANTED. OUR
MOVEMENT IS FOR AUTONOMY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE UKRAINE, OF
COURSE, IF THE REPUBLIC SIGNS A UNION TREATY. AND IF THIS DOES NOT
OCCUR, THEN WE CAN TALK ONLY ABOUT A CHANGE TO'RSFSR JURISDICTION."
"BUT HOW IN YOUR OPINION WILL THE RESIDENTS OF LUGANSK OBLAST
FEEL ABOUT THIS?" WE INQUIRED.
"I THINK THAT MORE THAN HALF OF THE LUGANSK RESIDENTS WILL
SUPPORT THE IDEA OF AUTONOMY WITHIN THE RSFSR SYSTEM.
BUT HERE IS THE OPINION OF YU. KOZOVSKIY, A LEADER IN THE KRAY
ORGANIZATION OF RUKH AND AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF THE PHILOSOPHY
DEPARTMENT OF THE LUGANSK TEACHERS' TRAINING INSTITUTE:
(MORE) 05/1607Z NOV
BT
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