Gukalova, I. V., Pokliatskyi, S. A., Leiberiuk, O. M., Shvaiko, V. M., & Kushnir, A. S. Social Preconditions for the Transformation of Household Farming Practices in Communities of Kyiv Prydniprovia Region During the War

DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.15407/ugz2025.04.065
Ukr. geogr. z. 2025, No. 4:65-80
Date of submission: 

20.10.2025

Date of approval for printing: 

16.02.2026

Date of acceptance: 

27.11.2025

Ukrainian Geographical Journal 2025 No. 4 — Український географічний журнал 2025 № 4
Language of publication: 
Ukrainian
Full text: 
PDF icon UGJ_2025_4_3_65-80.pdf
Authors: 

Gukalova, I. V., 
Pokliatskyi, S. A., 
Leiberiuk, O. M., 
Shvaiko, V. M., 
Kushnir, A. S., 

Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv

Abstract: 
The full-scale Russian invasion has posed serious challenges to the development of the agricultural sector and to the quality of life of inhabitants in specific territorial communities of the Kyiv Prydniprovia region, particularly those affected by temporary occupation or located in zones of constant shelling, thereby necessitating an examination of their resilience to these impacts. The study aims to generalize the results of the perceptual assessment of agricultural development potential and the significance of the agricultural sector for households, and to investigate the peculiarities of residents’ adaptation through the lens of their perception of local problems, analysis of aspects significant for their quality of life, and migration intentions before and after the full-scale Russian invasion. The research is based on the analysis of survey data from respondents representing the involved communities. The survey results indicate that the war catalyzed the narrowing of labor-market opportunities, changes in attitudes toward agriculture, and the expansion of agriculture’s role in ensuring family welfare. The agricultural sector in all four regions remains relatively stable: the majority of the population continues to cultivate land in the same areas on their farms. It does not significantly change either the structure of crops or the types of domestic animals, if they are kept. The trend toward a slight reduction in the number of cultivated crops indicates the simplification of production and a concentration on profitable types. The traumatic experience of war forces people to abandon animal husbandry and seek more predictable and stable spheres of activity outside agriculture. Quality-of-life assessment criteria shift in favor of ensuring basic needs: the availability of electricity, water, and security becomes much more important than comfort (extended assessment of amenities) in the pre-war understanding. Respondents’ migration sentiments across the region during the pre-war and wartime periods shifted toward a greater proportion wishing to change their current place of residence and relocate. This desire does not depend directly on the presence or absence of occupational experience; in particular, respondents from the Cherkasy region were the most willing to move to the other areas. Therefore, the Kyiv Prydniprovia region may require a geographical redistribution of agricultural production from areas with potentially high rates of population migration to safer territories. Future research should focus on the potential for possible agricultural “recolonization.”
Key words: 
agricultural sector sustainability,  Russian-Ukrainian war,  quality of life,  questionnaire survey,  households,  territorial communities,  Kyiv Prydniprovia Region
Pages: 
065-080
References: 

1. Marushchinets, A. V. (2015). Sectoral and territorial transformation of the agricultural sphere of the Kyiv Dnieper Region. Ukrainian Geographical Journal, 1, 42–49. [In Ukrainian]. [Марушинець А. В. (2015). Галузево-територіальна трансформація агарної сфери Київського Придніпров’я. Український географічний журнал, 1, 42–49.]

2. Adam-Hernández, A., & Harteisen, U. (2019). A Proposed Framework for Rural Resilience—How can peripheral village communities in Europe shape change? AGER: Revista de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo Rural. Journal of Depopulation and Rural Development Studies, 28, 7–42. URL: https://www.redalyc.org/journal/296/29662606001/html/

3. Steiner, A., & Atterton, J. (2015). Exploring the Contribution of Rural Enterprises to Local Resilience. Journal of Rural Studies, 40, 30–45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.05.004

4. Baranovskyi, M. O., & Baranovska, O. V. (2021). Rural areas of Ukraine in unfavorable conditions: approaches to delimitation, features of development. Scientific Bulletin of Kherson State University. Series “Geographical Sciences”, 15, 9–16. [In Ukrainian]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32999/ksu2413-7391/2021-15-1

5. Malchykova, D. (2015). The taxonomy of regional forms of territorial organization for the needs of planning of rural areas. Human Geography Journal, 19(2), 13–18. [In Ukrainian].

6. Nahirna, V. P., & Rudenko, L. G. (2025). Spatial and Functional Dynamics of Suburban and Rural Zones in the Kyiv Metropolitan Area amid Global and Military Challenges. Ukrainian Geographical Journal, 2, 47–58. [In Ukrainian]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/ugz2025.02.047

7. Gukalova, I. V. (2023). Demographic and Social Factors of Rural Development in Ukraine: Trends in Change. Ukrainian Geographical Journal, 2, 35–47. [In Ukrainian]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/ugz2023.02.035

8. Volovyk, L. M. (2019). Features of agribusiness development in the capital region (case study of Kyiv region). In Materials of the VIII All-Ukrainian scientific-practical conference “Regional problems of Ukraine: geographical analysis and search for solutions”, Kherson: Helvetica, 57–60. [In Ukrainian].

9. Dotsenko, A. I. (2017). Rural settlement in the Kyiv region and problems of its development. Scientific Bulletin of Kherson State University. Series “Geographical Sciences”, 4, 43–49. [In Ukrainian].

10. Dembitsky, S., Zlobina, O., Kostenko, N., et al. (2024). Ukrainian society in wartime. The year 2024. Collective monograph. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology of NAS of Ukraine. 450 p. [In Ukrainian].

11. Zlobina, O. G. (2024). Stressful conditions of the Ukrainian population in the context of war: socio-group analysis. Bulletin of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 6, 49–56. [In Ukrainian].

12. Libanova, E. (2023). Ukraine’s Demography in the Second Year of the Full-Fledged War. Wilson Center. URL: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/ukraines-demography-second-year-full-fledged-war

13. Kaplan, Yu., Skvortsova, V., Valevsky, O., et al. (2024). The state of civil society development in Ukraine in 2023–2024: analytical report. Kyiv: NISS, 47 p. [In Ukrainian]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.53679/NISS-analytrep.2024.15

14. Razumkov Center. (2025). “Ukraine’s Red Lines”: Public Opinion and National Beliefs (April–May 2025). [In Ukrainian]. URL: https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/chervoni-linii-ukrainy-gromadska-dumka-i-natsionalni-perekonannia-kviten-traven-2025r

15. New Europe Center. (2024). Foreign policy and security. The mood of Ukrainian society. Results of a nationwide survey. [In Ukrainian]. URL: https://www.sapiens.com.ua/publications/socpol-research/326/Annual-Opinion-Poll-Results_ukr_print.pdf

16. Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. (2024). Trends in trust in social institutions in 2021–2024. Press release. [In Ukrainian]. URL: https://kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1467&page=1

17. Questionnaire “Resilience of the agricultural sector”. [In Ukrainian]. URL: https://surl.li/tsumxz

18. Sociological Research Laboratory of VNTU. Sample Calculator. [In Ukrainian]. URL: https://socio-lab.vntu.edu.ua/download/Calculator.html

19. Gukalova, I. V., Pokliatskyi, S. A., Kushnir, A. S., Leiberiuk, O. M., & Shvaiko, V. M. (2025). Resilience of the Agrarian Sector during Wartime (questionnaire survey): Cases of Individual Communities in Kyiv Prydniprovia Region through Residents’ Perceptions. [In Ukrainian]. [Гукалова І. В., Покляцький С. А., Кушнір А. С., Лейберюк О. М., Швайко В. М. Стійкість аграрної сфери в умовах війни (анкетне опитування): приклади окремих громад Київського Придніпров’я у сприйнятті мешканців. 25 жовтня 2025 р.]. URL: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/451eeb7eb2d34bfaa5e58702ae815ce8