Donetsk Republic (movement)

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Social Movement
"Donetsk Republic"
Общественное движение
«Донецкая республика»
AbbreviationODDR
ChairmanDenis Pushilin
FoundersAlexander Tsurkan
Andrei Purgin
Oleg Frolov
Founded9 December 2005 (2005-12-09)
Banned12 November 2007 (2007-11-12) (in Ukraine)
Preceded byInternational Movement of Donbass
HeadquartersUniversitetskaya 19, Donetsk
Youth wingYoung Republic,
Zakharovtsy
Paramilitary wingDonbas People's Militia
Membership (2022)247,720 (claimed)[1]
IdeologyRussian nationalism[2]
Donbas separatism[3]
Social conservatism[2]
Anti-Ukrainian sentiment[4]
Political positionBig tent
ColoursDNR Flag colours:
  Black
  Blue
  Red
Federation Council (Russia)
2 / 178
People's Council (DPR)
74 / 100
Party flag
Website
oddr.info

The Social Movement "Donetsk Republic" (Russian: Общественное движение «Донецкая республика», romanizedObshchestvennoye dvizheniye «Donetskaya respublika»; ODDR) is a pro-Russian separatist political movement operating in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Before its annexation, the movement's goal was the creation of a "federation of sovereign Donetsk", which would include seven regions of eastern and southern Ukraine.[5][6] The group was banned in 2007, but this ban was marginal until the 2014 Donbas war. In 2014, it founded the Donetsk People's Republic, which Ukraine's government deems a terrorist organization.[7] The movement won the 2014 Donbas general elections with 68.53% of the vote and 68 seats,[8] which were condemned as illegitimate and a violation of the Minsk ceasefire agreements between Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE.[8]

History[edit]

Before the Russo-Ukrainian War[edit]

The organization was established on 6 December 2005 as a city organization by Andrei Purguin, Alexander Tsurkan, and Oleh Frolov and on 9 December 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.[9] It claimed to fight the "orange plague" of President Viktor Yushchenko.[9] Their goal was to create a Federal Republic of Donetsk in Southeast Ukraine.[10] 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.[10]

Prior to the spring of 2014, the organization drew little support and remained on the margins of local politics. [11] Its pre-2014 rallies were averagely attended by about 30–50 people.[9] From 17 to 22 November 2006, its activists were conducting protests in Donetsk and were gathering signatures on creation of the Donetsk Republic.[12] Their activities were not supported by the prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych.[13] 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.[14]

Russo-Ukrainian War[edit]

In 2014, the organization founded the Donetsk People's Republic, which Ukraine's government deems a terrorist organization.[7]

The group's leader, Andrei Purgin, was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest.[5][6]

The movement won the 2014 Donbas general elections with 68.53% of the vote and 68 seats.[8] The Communist Party of the Donetsk People's Republic participates in the Donetsk Republic's parliamentary group.[15] In the election campaign prior to these elections only the candidate of Donetsk Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, used billboards.[16] This resulted to the only visible campaign advertising in Donetsk being in support of Zakharchenko.[17]

In the days and weeks prior until the postponement of the DNR October 2015 local elections (to 21 February 2016[18]) 90% of the (campaign) advertising was done by Donetsk Republic.[19]

Electoral results[edit]

Head[edit]

Election Candidate First round Second round Result
Votes % Votes %
2014 Alexander Zakharchenko 775,340
78.93%
Elected Green tickY
2018 Denis Pushilin
60.86%
Elected Green tickY

People's Council[edit]

Election Party leader Performance Rank Government
Votes % ± pp Seats +/–
2014 Andrei Purgin 662,752 68.35% New
68 / 100
New 1st Supermajority
2018 Denis Pushilin 72.38% Increase 4.03
74 / 100
Increase 6 Steady 1st Supermajority

References[edit]

  1. ^ "НАС: 247720". oddr.info.
  2. ^ a b http://oddr.info/o-nas/ О нас
  3. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2018). "Donetsk People's Republic". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  4. ^ https://studopedia.ru/24_63060_tablitsa-politicheskie-partii-i-obshchestvennie-dvizheniya-v-dnr.html Таблица. Политические партии и общественные движения в ДНР.
  5. ^ a b SBU detained the leader of Donetsk Republic. Espreso. 19 March 2014
  6. ^ a b Court banned the organization Donetsk Republic Archived 30 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Ura-Inform. 12 November 2007
  7. ^ a b "Ukraine's prosecutor general classifies self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk republics as terrorist organizations". Kyiv Post. 16 May 2014.
  8. ^ a b c "Донецькі бойовики за ніч порахували голоси: "переміг" Захарченко".
  9. ^ a b c (in Russian) Small bio of Andrei Purgin on Politrada
  10. ^ a b (in Russian) What's "New Russia" and how to be, Ukrayinska Pravda (15 August 2014)
  11. ^ Gerard Toal (2017). Near Abroad: Putin, the West and the Contest Over Ukraine and the Caucasus. Oxford University Press. p. 243. ISBN 978-0-19025-330-1.
  12. ^ Signature collection for the independent Donetsk Republic. Russia-3.
  13. ^ UNIAN: Yanukovych against the Donetsk Republic Archived 12 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Donetsk Republic. 23 November 2006
  14. ^ Donetsk Republic presented Ukraine as united but divided Archived 30 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Ura-Inform. 10 January 2007
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Donetsk People's Republic campaign reveals shambolic tendencies". Financial Times. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Rebel-Backed Elections to Cement Status Quo in Ukraine". The New York Times. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  18. ^ Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine postpone disputed elections, Reuters (6 October 2015)
    Ukraine rebels to delay elections, The Washington Post (6 October 2015)
  19. ^ (in Ukrainian) Donbas postpones elections, Gazeta.ru (5 October 2015)

External links[edit]