Maria Tomak, Head of the Crimean Platform’s Support Service, took part in the Crimea Wave Forum as a speaker at the panel discussion “Cultural and Information Reintegration of Crimea”.

“When we de-occupy Crimea, we will face three layers of propaganda that need to be deconstructed: the Russian-imperial, Soviet, and the layer of modern Russian propaganda. However, our challenge and our task is to reshape Russian narratives among the international community as well,” said Maria Tomak.

Ms. Tomak noted that in communication with the countries of the Global South, where Russian propaganda is still quite widespread, the thesis that the Crimean peninsula is also part of the Global South works well. This helps to undermine the layer of Russian propaganda that has been formed in this region for a long time.

During her speech, the head of the Crimean Platform’s Support Service also touched upon the cognitive work that should be done among Ukrainian citizens from the mainland: “According to my observations, Ukrainians mostly associate Crimea with a vacation. Not with the deportation of the Crimean Tatars, not with its multiculturalism, but with a vacation. We have to change this and take it into account when reintegrating the liberated peninsula.”

Other speakers at the panel discussion were: Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko, Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy and Communications of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Iryna Borovets, Deputy Head of the Q-Hub project and educational organization Khalil Dervishev, and freelance advisor to the head of the OP Andriy Yermak, journalist Serhiy Leshchenko.

The Crimea Wave Forum was organized by the youth wing of the Servant of the People political party ZeMolodizhka, with the participation of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Q-Hub project and educational platform.