Regarding progressive ideas, I strongly disagree with the claim that everyone back home is unprogressive. People who were born and raised in large cities are very progressive. You can also look at the demographic map and see that we have a large number of cities. In addition, a significant part of the population from eastern Ukraine is generally atheist. Those who identify as Orthodox are, in practice, not really religious, and many people there do not even celebrate Christmas. Overall, the country is secular on all sides.

There are also historical and social facts that are often ignored. Women in Ukraine gained access to higher education relatively early compared to many European societies, and women’s participation in education, science, and the workforce has long been normalized. Urban society was shaped by industrialization, strong scientific institutions, and a tradition of secular education. Even today, attitudes toward gender roles, education, and personal freedoms in major cities are closer to what is usually called “progressive” than people from outside often assume.