A majority of Ukrainians in 2013 viewed the Soviet collapse as harmful

Evidence

In the 2010 election, Yanukovych won again. But this time, international observers certified the election as legitimate. Though I have never met anyone who says he was a great president, he was more favorable to economic interests in the east, and he was seen as the best option to the people with a different vision for the country. This “blue” voting bloc, in contrast to the “orange,” saw Ukraine as a necessarily pluralistic nation and was suspicious of the version of nationalism based in Western Ukraine and its sometimes far-right traditions. Many wanted to preserve some of the things (especially basic economic security) provided by the USSR. In a 2013 Gallup poll, 56 percent of respondents in Ukraine said the fall of the Soviet Union did more harm than good, while only 23 percent said the end of the USSR benefited their country. — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn, 479

Categorization

• CANDY: Solid dinner-party fact: 56% of Ukrainians said the USSR’s fall did more harm than good even in 2013.