Institute of Sociology NASU

East and West together? Why is it premature to talk about the end of regional differences?

stmm. 2026 (1): 188–193

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2026.01.188

Full text: https://stmm.in.ua/archive/ukr/2026-1/14.pdf

VALENTYN HATSKO, PhD Student at the Faculty of Sociology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Research Fellow at the Center for Sociological Research, Study of Decentralization and Regional Development, Kyiv School of Economics (3, Mykoly Shpaka St., Kyiv, 02000)

valgat29@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6572-9584

Since 2022, the public discourse has been dominated by the thesis that the full-scale war erased the traditional differences between eastern and western Ukraine, giving rise to an unprecedented national consolidation. This analysis challenges that thesis, drawing on representative survey data from 2022–2025. The results reveal a dual picture. On one hand, support for the Euro-Atlantic course and the refusal to make territorial concessions to Russia has indeed risen to record levels across the country. On the other hand, regional differences have not disappeared but transformed: they remain persistent in domains tied to cultural identity. The deepest gaps still run along the lines of language practices and interpretations of Soviet and recent history. Differences in the religious sphere and in attitudes toward language and cultural policy also remain profound. The author argues that the regional divide has not disappeared but splintered: linguistic, religious, and value-based positions no longer overlap. Accounting for this complexity is a necessary condition for the formation of an effective state policy aimed at strengthening national unity.

Keywords: regional differences, regional divide, national consolidation, cultural identity, language policy, Euro-Atlantic integration, public opinion, survey data, Russian-Ukrainian war, value orientations, religious identity, territorial concessions

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Received 15.12.2025

Accepted for publication after review 07.01.2026