Political Situation in Lugansk

This document, a press report dated October 31, 1990, provides a sociopolitical portrait of Lugansk, Ukraine, during the period of perestroika. The author, S. Kiselev, writing for Literaturnaya Gazeta, characterizes the city of 500,000 as a site of intense political conflict, comparing the situation to a heavyweight boxing match between the conservative Oblast Soviet, backed by the Communist Party, and the City Soviet, which hosted a strong democratic bloc. The report highlights the deep divisions within the population, noting that a public opinion poll conducted by the Lugansk Voters' Association indicated that only a small percentage of residents held hope for the CPSU, while many others were disillusioned or focused on strike committees. The text describes a climate of 'warfare' between various political factions, including the Rukh (Ukrainian People's Movement for Perestroika), the Ukrainian Republican Party, and the Union of Independent Ukrainian Youth Organizations. The author warns that these tensions, exacerbated by economic concerns and the prospect of market reforms, could lead to civil unrest, riots, or military intervention. The report also mentions the influence of external figures, such as the economist Vasiliy Selyunin, who visited the city to lecture on market economics, and notes the rising tensions between different social and ethnic groups, including workers and cooperators, and Russians and Ukrainians.