ИСТИНА

The Ukrainian political crisis in 2014 has led to significant shifts in the life of the Crimean peninsula, leaving a deep trace on the memory and feelings of the local population. The events of the Crimean Spring at that time caused a different reaction in local communities depending on political views, values and identity. Most people mobilized around Russian idea have supported the movement for holding a referendum on independence and accession to Russia. At the same time, in another part of society, primarily among ethnic minorities -Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, but also among dominant Russians, the events have induced sharply negative attitude, up to departure from Crimea. In the north of peninsula the situation was especially ambivalent and dramatic because of close economic and social ties with neighbouring regions of Ukraine and complex ethnic composition. The established Russian-Ukrainian state border in the Crimea and its rigid regime have created many difficulties for the people and local enterprises, radically changing their everyday lives. The research is focused on following issues: what transformation have occurred in interethnic relations after 2014, what is perception of neighboring "mainland" regions and the established state border with Ukraine in the local communities, what means Russia and Ukraine for them today? The authors have analyze the results of sociological survey (six focus groups) and expert interviews held in November 2017 in the two northern border cities of the Crimea -Dzhankoy and Armyansk. The research was supported by Russian Science Foundation, grant No14-18-03621 "Russian Borderland: Challenges of Neighbourhood".