Donetsk Republic (movement)

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Donetsk Republic
Донецкая республика
LeadersAndrei Purgin
Denis Pushilin
Alexander Tsurkan
Oleh Frolov
Founded9 December 2005 (2005-12-09)
HeadquartersDonetsk
Membership140,000[1]
IdeologyRussian nationalism
Russophilia
Federalism
ColorsBlack, blue and red
Seats in the People's Soviet
74 / 100
[2]
Party flag
Website
Official website

The Donetsk Republic (Russian: Донецкая республика, Donétskaya respúblika) is a pro-Russian separatist political party operating in the Donetsk area of Ukraine. The group's goal is the creation of a "federation of sovereign Donetsk", which would include seven regions of eastern and southern Ukraine.[3][4] The group was banned in 2007, but this ban was marginal until the 2014 Donbass War.[citation needed] In 2014, it founded the Donetsk People's Republic, which Ukraine's government calls a terrorist organization.[5] The party won the 2014 Donbass general elections with 68.53% of the votes and 68 seats.[6]

History

Map of Ukraine with the 2006 proposed Federal Republic of Donetsk in red.

Before the Ukrainian crisis

The organization was established on December 6, 2005 as a city organization by Andrei Purguin, Alexander Tsurkan, and Oleh Frolov and on December 9, 2005 with support of Hennadiy Prytkov as a regional organization. The main goal of the organization was to grant the eastern regions of Ukraine a special status.[7] It claimed to fight the "orange plague" of President Viktor Yushchenko.[7] Their goal was to create a Federal Republic of Donetsk in Southeast Ukraine.[8] According to a map they published in 2006 this Federal Republic of Donetsk would comprise the (Ukrainian Oblasts) Kharkiv Oblast, Luhansk Oblast, Donetsk Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Zaporizhia Oblast and Kherson Oblast.[8] Its pre-2014 rallies were averagely attended by about 30-50 people.[7]

From November 17 to November 22 of 2006, its activists were conducting protests in Donetsk and were gathering signatures on creation of the Donetsk Republic.[9] Their activities were not supported by the prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych.[10]

At the beginning of 2007, representatives of the organization conducted number of activities in various cities of eastern Ukraine propagating the idea of separatism and federalization of the country.[11]

The group was banned by Donetsk's administrative regional tribunal in November 2007 on grounds of separatism.[citation needed] Despite this, the party continued to hold rallies.

Ukrainian crisis

In 2014, the organization founded the Donetsk People's Republic, which Ukraine's government calls a terrorist organization.[5]

The group's leader, Andrei Purgin, was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest.[3][4]

The party won the 2014 Donbass general elections with 68.53% of the vote and 68 seats.[6] The Communist Party of the Donetsk People's Republic participates in the Donetsk Republic's parliamentary group.[2] In the election campaign prior to these elections only the candidate of Donetsk Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, used billboards.[12] This resulted to the only visible campaign advertising in Donetsk being in support of Zakharchenko.[13]

In the days and weeks prior till the postponement of the DNR October 2015 local elections (to 21 February 2016[14]) 90% of the (campaign) advertising was done by Donetsk Republic.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Kremlin Tightens Grip on Devastated Donbas". worldaffairsjournal.org. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b Список депутатов Народного Совета ДНР созыва 2014 года [List of deputies of the People's Council of the People's Democratic Republic of 2014] (in Russian). 14 November 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  3. ^ a b SBU detained the leader of Donetsk Republic. Espreso. March 19, 2014
  4. ^ a b Court banned the organization Donetsk Republic Archived 2014-03-30 at the Wayback Machine. Ura-Inform. November 12, 2007
  5. ^ a b "Ukraine's prosecutor general classifies self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk republics as terrorist organizations". Kyiv Post. 16 May 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Донецькі бойовики за ніч порахували голоси: "переміг" Захарченко".
  7. ^ a b c (in Russian) Small bio of Andrei Purgin on Politrada
  8. ^ a b (in Russian) What's "New Russia" and how to be, Ukrayinska Pravda (15 August 2014)
  9. ^ Signature collection for the independent Donetsk Republic. Russia-3.
  10. ^ UNIAN: Yanukovych against the Donetsk Republic. Donetsk Republic. November 23, 2006
  11. ^ Donetsk Republic presented Ukraine as united but divided Archived 2014-03-30 at the Wayback Machine. Ura-Inform. January 10, 2007
  12. ^ "Donetsk People's Republic campaign reveals shambolic tendencies". Financial Times. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  13. ^ "Rebel-Backed Elections to Cement Status Quo in Ukraine". The New York Times. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  14. ^ Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine postpone disputed elections, Reuters (6 October 2015)
    Ukraine rebels to delay elections, Washington Post (6 October 2015)
  15. ^ (in Ukrainian) Donbass postpones elections, Gazeta.ru (5 October 2015)

External links