Oksana Oleksiivka, pensioner
“We’re just going to get our documents which we handed over to get passports. Before there were so many queues and you would have to wait three or four hours. We gave our documents to a center on Lesya Ukrainka Boulevard, paid our money and now you can go and collect them after a month without any queues. Those kind of moments are pleasant and should be noted.”

Artem Petrik, Vox Populi

Artem Petrik, analyst
“It’s hard to find positive changes. The financial situation…well that’s clear. The political situation…There are few positive things which can be said.”

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Anna Druzhina, mother
“There’s a lot that I like. That national consciousness is finally being born which was oppressed for 200 years, first under the czarist regime and then under the Soviet Union.”

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Alexandra Byuvalova, student
“It’s a big plus that they are raising the minimum wage. People will get Hr 3,200 instead of Hr 1,200. Things will be a little easier for those who are trying to get by on the minimum wage.”

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Alexandr Rakyevych, lawyer
“Everything is stably bad, maybe that’s a positive thing. There is more money going to the state because businesses are paying more taxes so things should get better.”

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Serhiy Kryvashen, businessman
“I’m apathetic. It’s a catastrophe. Well there are some small positive things but people just want to leave. Lots of people don’t see any future here. I don’t see any for my children…It’s hard to think of any positive…I went to the dolphin aquarium with my children yesterday. That was really positive.”