On October 16, 2024, the Media Center Ukraine hosted the presentation of a comprehensive sociological study on the cognitive de-occupation of Crimea, conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) at the request of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine. The study is one of the outcomes of the work of the Council on Cognitive De-occupation of Crimea, which operates under the Mission and includes representatives from the state, public, expert, academic, and media sectors. Its goal was to provide a detailed overview of Ukrainian society’s attitude toward the de-occupation of Crimea and to identify the key challenges related to the peninsula’s reintegration process.

The study analyzed the current situation on the peninsula, the ethno-ideological structure of the population currently living in Crimea, and projected how these segments might react to potential decisions made after de-occupation. Using a comprehensive approach that included focus groups, in-depth interviews, quantitative surveys, and media space monitoring, the study provided a detailed picture of Ukrainian society’s views on the de-occupation of Crimea and highlighted the key challenges associated with the reintegration process. In particular, the study explored the attitudes of residents of Crimea and mainland Ukraine toward one another, their views on Crimea’s future, the envisioned governance and administrative structures in de-occupied Crimea, issues related to collaborationism, language and staffing policies, Crimea’s status, challenges that Ukrainian society may face after the peninsula’s de-occupation, attitudes toward monuments and landmarks established during Russia’s occupation, and potential decisions regarding toponymy and memorialization.

The full results of the study are available at this link on the website of Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.