An April survey by ‘Rating’ polls found that 80% of people in Ukraine say that they are proud to be Ukrainians, which marks a dramatic increase in Ukrainian patriotism when compared to only a 34% positive response in August 2021. Back then, the majority of respondents said that being Ukrainian made them feel sad. As patriotism is hitting a new high, 1 in 3 respondents (32%) admitted they feel sad about living in Ukraine.

The new findings show a steady decline in the number of Ukrainians who call themselves ‘Soviet people.’ The number now sits at a mere 7% compared to 21% in August 2021.

Meanwhile, the number of people who identify themselves as Ukrainian has peaked in April at  98%—a 23-point increase from August 2021.

Overall, 9 in 10 Ukrainians (91%) said the claim that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people” is wrong, in contrast to the comparatively modest 41% of those who shared this viewpoint last year.

While 10% of respondents are optimistic that Ukraine and Russia can patch things up in just 15 years—with 22% believing it would take two times longer (20-30 years)—the largest share of respondents (64%) say the countries will not ever be able to restore friendly relations.

Most Ukrainians (90%) said they supported removal of pro-Russian politicians from the Ukrainian parliament, while 3 in 4 respondents agreed that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate must cut ties with its Moscow leadership.