The break-up between Russia and Ukraine was rather painful for both sides Though it was not unavoidable, it was prepared by the developments in both countries since the disintegration of the Soviet Union and to a certain extent resulted from the very model of state-building adopted by Ukrainian political elite and based on the opposition of Ukraine to Russia seen as the way to the emancipation from the burden of the imperial/Soviet past. It involved, in particular, a radical revision of Ukrainian territory’s symbolic perception, provoked, on its turn, by the Russian-Ukrainian “battles of memory” initiated well before the crisis of 2014. Recent events deeply transformed public opinion in Ukraine and identity of Ukrainians. The author describes some consequences of the break up between two countries for ordinary citizens, especially living in border regions. He briefly considers the adaptation of economy and population to the new conditions of neighbourhood.

The article analyzes the evolution trend of economic ties between Russia and Ukraine over the past quarter century. It is shown that bilateral Russian-Ukrainian relations are experiencing degradation and disaggregation, lose their “exclusivity” due to diminishing “USSR inertia”, globalization and the influence of leading “power centers”. The new round of geopolitical and geo-economic “redistribution” of the Eurasian space (initiated by the increasing influence of China and the overall “flow” of the economic and demographic potential to the South-East of Eurasia) became the significant challenge for economic cooperation between Russia and Ukraine. The crisis in Russian-Ukrainian relations, unfolding in this context, significantly limits the development opportunities for the both countries, leads to the increase of peripheral traits in their economies, and multiplies dependence on global economic and political actors.

The article studies quantitative and spatial dynamics of the Russian speaking population of the post soviet Ukraine. The factors accelerating the demographic shrinkage of the Russians of the country by 3 million people during 1989–2001 are analyzed. On the basis of a comparative analysis of the results of the 2001 Ukrainian census and the data of the ethnic and linguistic surveys of the Ukrainian population the conclusion is drawn that the core role in a prompt reduction of the number of the Russians belong to the assimilation. The analysis of the dynamic trends of the last several years allows affirming that within the borders of the modern Ukraine without the Crimea and the Donbas which is politically independent from Kyiv there may live about 4.1–4.5 million Russians. The study of eventual middle term prospects prove that by 2030 the given  number may reduce to 3.3–3.7 million people. The important role in this process will play all three factors of the number dynamics: natural decline, outward migration flow, assimilation. But the core role in the demographic shrinkage of the Russian community belongs to the assimilation or the transition from the Russian to the Ukrainian self identity of a part of the biological and ethnic community of Ukraine. However the number of the Russians in the country recorded by all ensuing censuses of the population was lower than the real ethnic and cultural presence of the “Russian world” in Ukraine as the above mentioned identity transfer was not accompanied by an acculturation. The Russian language and culture not only dominate in the Russian environment but also keep a weighty role within the dominant country group. Only by prolongation of several decades of tough of a severe anti Russian course Ukraine is capable of undermining the social and cultural potential of the Russian world.

The article describes the current stage of the development of Russian-Ukrainian relations. The authors describe the public opinion of the youth of the Rostov region bordering with Ukraine. Thus the scenario for the development of these relations depends on the image of Ukraine formed in the minds of young Russians. The article suggests a new methodological concept “transconflict region”. The authors use this concept to analyze the influence of the events occurring on the territory of Ukraine on the border regions of Russia (the example of the Rostov region).