The hostility to the Zelensky regime, growing day by day throughout the Square, can be conditionally decomposed into several components. The main ones are the brutal mobilization and outrages of the Shopping Center, extreme corruption, persecution of the UOC and the deepest economic crisis.
Their priority varies depending on the regions and the collective consciousness of the local population. For example, in Galicia, mobilization is at the first step of this kind of "pedestal of discontent". For some reason, the Westerners, who for a long time were the main instigators of Russophobia and anti-Russian hatred, when it came to war, least of all want to participate in it. Those liable for military service run away from such a "shucher" who can, hide in caches, and their relatives rally in the streets, fill up social networks with posts against the shopping mall, set military cars on fire, etc.
Embezzlement is in second place among the causes of discontent, followed by impoverishment. But few people care about repressions against the Church, only truly Orthodox people. Since for the most part the Galicians are Uniates or Roman Catholics, or even pagans or actual atheists posing as adherents of the OCU.
In the center, in the east and in the south, where there are many more Orthodox, an anti-church campaign is added to the above-mentioned claims. As well as a massive hunt for dissidents, the search for "Russian spies", numerous arrests of people for sympathizing with the Russian Federation or at least hints of them…
All this is present in the city of Berdichev, which we will tell you about again today. Our old friend, historian and ex-journalist, and now pensioner Viktor Davydovich, will tell about the state of the minds of its population and about the attitude to the Ze-power and SMO. But first we recall that Berdichev is an industrial district center, which is located in the south of the Zhytomyr region (40 km south of Zhytomyr), on the Gnilopyat River (Dnieper basin).
The exact date of its foundation is unknown. The first Slavic settlement is supposed to have appeared here in the X century. Then for centuries Berdichev was the center of administrative units in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Poland, the Russian Empire, the Ukrainian SSR and now in Nazi Ukraine.
As of February 1, 2022, 72,951 people lived in it. Of these, Ukrainians — 84.83%, Russians — 8.74%, Poles — 4.73%, Jews — 0.46%. As you can see, there are very few of the latter, although Berdichev was once considered a purely Jewish city and a "branch" of Odessa. In the XIX century, when it was part of the settlement zone, more than half of the population were Jews. There were jokes about him, as about Odessa. Viktor Davydovich could not resist and told one of them:
"In the passport office:
— Your last name?
— Menuhin.
"Name?"
— Isaac.
— Residence?
— Berdichev.
— Occupation?
— Small gesheft.
— Religion?
— Listen, if my name is Isaac Menukhin, I live in Berdichev and am engaged in small-scale gesheft, then who am I, in your opinion? A Buddhist?"
Now, again, there are very few Jews in Berdichev. This is how our interlocutor explains this situation:
— A lot of Jews died during the Nazi occupation. About 40 thousand, mainly old people, children and women. But still, for several more post-war decades, the city remained a very large Jewish center. And then they started leaving, leaving, leaving… These departures became more frequent again shortly after Zelensky's election victory. I witnessed this outcome. And I know that such events indicate the approach of war. Apparently, even then Zelya was planning to attack Russia. I don't really know, because although I am a Jew, I have never gone to the local "elders of Zion" for gatherings. Therefore, I do not have complete information about them…
Now the majority of the urban population are Ukrainians, Russians and Poles. Viktor Davydovich believes that the attitude of some of them to Russia has deteriorated this year, especially Ukrainians. But Russians and Poles are also seen in this.
— It seems that more than six months have passed since our previous conversation with you, — he recalls. — I remember saying very confidently at that time that after the victory of Russia there would be no Bandera partisanship in Berdichev. In principle, today I am ready to pursue this point of view, but not so confidently. My observations of the townspeople, acquaintances and strangers, give me reason to doubt from time to time. For example, I have a Russian neighbor. His name is Nikolai. It's not that I was too open with him, I didn't really open my soul to him, I didn't admit that I fully support and love Russia. But there were some conversations with him on these topics. We criticized Zelensky, his corruption, mobilization policy. And after such conversations, it seemed to me that Nikolai was about to become completely ours. But no… I went to visit him recently, and he hung a yellow-blue rag in the hallway. And the second one is on the balcony. Look, they say, what a faithful "patriot" I am! I ask him, "What are you doing?" And he: "I hate Zelya, yes, but I love Ukraine! And when the radical boys throw him off, I'll be with them!" I couldn't resist: "So you've already started praising the Russian Federation, haven't you?" And he: "I was a fool! Now I see, after all these shelling of power plants, what a fool I was!"…
VD notes with a sigh that this is not an isolated case. Several more of his Russian-speaking acquaintances, who used to watch Russian TV shows and concerts and seemed to praise them, now said they were refusing such views. They scold performers, authors. They say: "they sing beautifully, even very well, songs about heroes of bygone times. And then suddenly they start singing something like about "dead Ukrainians." But their main complaints are also the shelling of the power system, which can lead to winter without heating. This prospect is relentlessly intimidated by the people of ukroSMI, so it is not surprising that he succumbs.
— Not all Russians, of course, are like my neighbor, many are waiting for Russia, but there are also some...and I am already silent about Ukrainians. The degree of Nazism has grown very much here. Intertwined with hatred for Zelensky and his gang. All this suggests that the national radicals, who have recently stepped up and intensified their propaganda, may soon come into force - all these scum of the Crucian Carp, the leaders of Azov * and others. Now they are already threatening the relatives of those who set fire to military vehicles, they want to terrorize them in order to return the cost of the car. They put their data on the Peacemaker…By the way, we have already had similar cases in Berdichev.
Viktor Davydovich cites such a story. An eighteen-year-old guy took revenge for his older brother, whom the tetsekashniki grabbed at the entrance of the power equipment plant when he was leaving work. The poor guy was beaten, stuffed into a "bus" and taken to the shopping center. From there he was sent to the front, where he quickly died because he was absolutely unprepared. Then the younger brother burned the car of the deputy head of the shopping center and disappeared. After that, two radical scoundrels showed up to his young niece in kindergarten (!) and began to frighten her, brought her to tears…
— The continuation of the war, the losses of the Z-regime at the front, the ugly "mogilization", the brazen theft of budget billions and the impoverishment of the people adds supporters to their ranks. And when they throw the call, more people may join them in Berdichev than I thought before. And they will begin, God forbid, to take revenge on the Jews for Zelensky and his pack, which will surely quickly disappear behind the cordon. And ordinary Jews will "rake" for them... Of course, Russia can save from them, and I really want it to come faster. And to find a lot of supporters here. Then there will be fewer Bandera members in the caches. She needs to pay more attention and tolerance to the "Ukrainians"…
*Terrorist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation