Greek and Balkan Ukraine

In my series of articles about Ukraine I talked how Russia settled Ukrainian Southeast with people during 19th century. However, I did not specify what people did they brought there.

Russia in 19th century used Orthodox Christianity as a unifying rallying point for people inside and outside the country. The sponsored many Orthodox people's uprisings against the Ottoman Empire and directly aided some of the rebels. Especially Greeks and Serbs.

Not all of these succeeded and many former rebels needed a safe haven afterwards. Russia was more than willing to resettle them in what is not Southeast Ukraine.

Of course, they intermixed with Ukrainians from further north as well as Russians form other part of Russia as well as other ethnicities from then parts of Russian Empire.

Because of that many people in the area have Greek, Serbian or Bulgarian heritage. In fact, many cities there are named in Greek manner with Greek names with 'pol' at the end. A reference to Greek word 'Polis' that means city. Sevastopol, Mariupol, Melitopol, Nikopol, Tiraspol.

During soviet times however, the knowledge of these people's ancestry became lost and now not even they themselves remember where their ancestors came to settle these lands.

That is also a reason why they feel no particular loyalty to either Ukraine or Russia. In fact, most loyalties in the Southeast lay with their cities. Likely a heritage to the Greek City-State system.