I hate generalizations, but I've spent the past nine years convinced that Luhansk is the nuttiest region of Ukraine. I've only been there once, I know, but the experience was so bizarre and nerve-wracking that I just can't help it. It's a long story - a rather comical horror story. Maybe I'll write about some of it one day. Maybe not.

And nothing seems to have changed in Luhansk since late 2000, according to this piece (RUS) on Korrespondent.net.

Lenin turned 140 years old on April 22, and the folks in Luhansk held a rally to mark their idol's birthday. One guy ended his speech with these words:

Putin, Lenin and Christ are with us!

The only difference, perhaps, is that Natalya Vitrenko is no longer on their minds. Who knows, maybe ten years ago the chant went like this: "Lenin, Vitrenko, Christ and the Virgin Mary are with us!"

And the region's Communist leader said this about the goals of his party:

First, they'll join forces with the Party of Regions "to kick the nationalists out of the parliament," then they'll "defeat the Party of Regions and kick all the capitalists out of the parliament" - and then, "together with the brotherly nations, they'll build a new union state" - the one that will grant the nations the right to self-determination.

Simply beautiful.

:)