War deploys armies and opinions, sometimes it overturns them. TO Odessa, in the south of Ukraine, Russian is spoken, and until recently the majority of the population sympathized with Moscow. This is no longer the case. “Even the orphans of the USSR are rebelling against the Tsar, they have all become Ukrainian patriots”, he says Ugo Poletti, Milanese entrepreneur and journalist. Two years ago he founded The Odessa Journal, an online newspaper in English, to make a contribution to the cosmopolitan vocation of the city. He chose to live and work on the Black Sea, where in 1898 Eduardo di Capua wrote O ‘sole mio. That sun, today, is out. Russian ships loom on the horizon.
Poletti, how much is the link between Odessa and Italy alive?
“A lot, even if the Italian community has barely 60 or 80 members. But the inhabitants of Odessa love to remember the history of their city, the style of which was sculpted by our architects. It was an Italian, a Neapolitan of Spanish origin, Giuseppe de Ribas, to suggest to Catherine the Great to create a harbor in the bay in front of a Turkish fort. Then he looked around and saw only peasants and Cossacks, so he got the skills he needed from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. He even chose the name of the city inspired by Ulysses. In short, here, if you are Italian, you feel more important “.
Can nationalism take root in such an open city?
“Ukrainian nationalism has never really caught on around here. After all, the surnames of residents hark back to a cosmopolitan past, although 70 years of communism have planed the differences. The Jewish presence, however, still matters a lot. And many companies have managers. foreigners”.
Russian is spoken there. Is the invasion perceived differently than the rest of Ukraine?
“Before the war in the Donbass, many sympathized with Moscow also because of their kinship. Half of the city voted for pro-Russian parties. Already in the elections for the mayor a year and a half ago this share dropped to 20% and today it is it is halved. People felt attacked, offended, humiliated. Even the nostalgics of the USSR have changed their minds “.
The telephone conversation stops suddenly: Poletti has heard an explosion, freezes. “The Russians keep us under pressure”, he tries to play down.
Is the city ready to resist?
“Yes, there is incredible preparation: the military, trained by the British and Canadians, have already had battle experiences. The city is filled with volunteers, the restaurants cook for the soldiers.”
Do you breathe fear?
“Not so much. Ukrainians are warriors in the soul. They keep joking, they keep a cool head. Odessa has not emptied itself.”
Are you afraid?
“I had it at the beginning, when at 5 in the morning we were awakened by missile attacks. I took courage when friends and my partner, who is Ukrainian, decided to stay here anyway.”
Have any of your colleagues enlisted?
“No, but a dear friend of mine, who was already in the Border Guard, is at the front today: his life is in danger”.
What does reporting in Ukraine mean today ?
“In peacetime it meant telling about a city full of charm, today it means telling about the war by looking at it with the eyes of a European. My role is to act as a filter for a lot, too much, propaganda”.
How has your job changed since the start of the war?
“Before, I was only concerned with culture, art, music and corporate life. Then my newspaper was dragged into this conflict.”
Are there pro-Russian newspapers?
“There were. They represented a part of the country. They’ve been closed.”
Is the local press compact on the resistance line or are there also those who propose to deal with the Russians?
“Anyone who did would risk arrest for high treason. This is not the time for nuances.”
What is the prevailing sentiment among Ukrainians today?
“Pride, euphoria, the desire to teach the enemy a lesson. There is an excess of optimism”.
If the Russians won the war, how would they be received?
“They would find an ungovernable country”.
Would she go away?
“I haven’t thought about it yet, I’d probably stay here. After all, I’m an Italian citizen, so I’m not one of the most exposed people. But maybe the Russians would close my newspaper.”