What Ukrainians think about lustration and memory policy: ZMINA and Rating presented survey results

On 4 March 2025, the Ukraine Crisis Media Center hosted a presentation of a large-scale sociological survey conducted by the Sociological Group Rating at the request of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA. The survey covers the impact of the war on Ukrainian society, citizens’ attitudes towards lustration, preservation of the memory of the war and the state policy of recovery.

During the event, participants discussed issues that concern Ukrainian society. In particular, Ukrainians express different views on measures to restore trust in the government and neutralise Russian influence in the liberated territories. The society is also actively discussing the ways to commemorate the war, honour heroes and victims of Russian aggression, and the role of state institutions in restoring historical justice.

How the war changed society: data and conclusions

Oleksii Antypovych, Director of the Sociological Group Rating, noted that in the future, Ukrainians are more afraid of a deterioration in the economic situation than of further occupation of the territories or increased rocket attacks. This is due to the fact that society has already adapted to the conditions of war.

Oleksii Antypovych

“On the one hand, we see that the economic losses of Ukrainians, such as the loss of jobs, income, business, have stabilised, while the number of those who have lost their homes, health, or suffered the loss of a loved one is gradually increasing. Instead, in the future, Ukrainians expect the economic situation to worsen rather than further occupation of the territory or increased rocket attacks. This is because for three years we have been living in a war and believe that the enemy will not advance further. And negative economic expectations were traditional for our society back in the pre-war period and remain the same now,” Antypovych said.

Between justice and reality: the role of the state in memorialisation

Maksym Yelihulashvili, Expert of the Ukraine 5 AM Coalition, stressed that while international judicial mechanisms do not provide clear answers to establish justice, it is important to record Russia’s war crimes through memorial practices. 

Maksym Yelihulashvili

“In the context of growing uncertainty regarding the application of classic, judicially oriented international mechanisms for ensuring justice, commemoration tools can become a means of recording the crimes committed by Russians on Ukrainian territory. The high level of readiness to be involved and the prioritisation of local initiatives enable society to meet this demand rather than wait for it. The state is expected to provide only certain framework regulation and support, which should allow for the development of practices, language and symbols of decent memorialisation in the most involved and trauma-sensitive manner,” the expert believes.

Lustration and trust: what is needed for justice?

Daria Svyrydova, Partner of Azones Law Firm, provided a detailed discussion of lustration and the attitude of Ukrainians towards measures aimed at restoring trust in the government.

She noted that society is aware of the need to cleanse state bodies of those who collaborated with the occupation authorities, but at the same time expects clear and transparent mechanisms for lustration: “In the aftermath of the war, justice is largely reduced to judicial proceedings, which obviously significantly limits the instruments for achieving it. Recent surveys demonstrate a long-term trend – the majority of respondents believe that lustration can be used as one of the tools to achieve justice. Namely, by restricting access to the authorities for individuals who have compromised themselves through active cooperation with the Russian Federation, and not just by living and working in the occupation”.

Daria Svyrydova

At the same time, according to Daria Svyrydova, the introduction of lustration will require the state to create a mechanism based on adherence to the rule of law and a high level of public trust.

Ultimately, lustration can become an important component of building a security space in a society that is experiencing the terrible consequences of war.

The discussion was moderated by Alena Lunova, Advocacy Director of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA.

For Reference

The survey was conducted January 3-12, 2025 via telephone interviews (CATI) among 2,000 respondents across Ukraine, excluding the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The margin of error of the study with the confidence interval of 0.95: does not exceed 2,2%. 

You can read the presentation of the results of the sociological study here.

You can watch the recording of the broadcast here.