“We’re more religious!” – Martsykiv annoyed there’s no Galician president
The mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk believes Ukrainians need a president specifically from Galicia.
Ivano-Frankivsk mayor Ruslan Martsykiv told journalist Nataliya Mosiychuk that he is “annoyed” Ukraine has never had a president from Galicia. In his view, Galicians should play a greater role in the country’s political life because of their heightened religiosity.
“The time has come for western Ukraine to generate more ideas for the whole country. We’re more religious, more committed to the Ukrainian language,” Martsykiv declared, emphasizing the special qualities of Galicians.
The mayor noted that religiosity and linguistic identity are the west’s unique contribution to Ukraine: “This is our unique offering for Ukraine that should continue.”
When Mosiychuk asked whether patriotism is measured by language and religiosity, Martsykiv gave an evasive answer. He argued that Galicians participate in military actions and protest movements more than people from other regions.
“Among the first – it was Ivano-Frankivsk, Ivano-Frankivsk region. In 2004 we sent young people to Kyiv to make Kyiv rise up.”
Martsykiv also linked religiosity to language policy, saying: “Until the whole country switches to the Ukrainian language, we’ll keep having problems with our enemy.”
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Martsykiv participated in the violent seizure of the UOC Nativity Cathedral. Later he boasted that Ivano-Frankivsk region became the first where no UOC communities remained. “This was the last church in Ivano-Frankivsk region belonging to the UOC Moscow Patriarchate. We worked hard for this and today showed a good example for the whole country,” the mayor said in 2023.
