The Onoprienko family is split down the middle on whether Crimea should become part of Russia or stay with Ukraine, reflecting deep divisions between even blood relatives ahead of Sunday's referendum.
Dima, 17 -- a computing student who loves the Beatles, "Breaking Bad" and Western sportswear -- and his mother Olga, a kindergarten teacher, are both desperate for Crimea to remain an autonomous region of Ukraine.
But Dima's bodybuilding brother Zhenya, 20, and taxi driver father Sasha believe that only closer ties with President Vladimir Putin's Russia can bring Crimea the jobs and stability it desperately needs.
"We have long discussions -- one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours -- very long discussions," said Dima with a boyish grin in the sitting room at the family's bungalow in Dzhankoy, northern Crimea.
"I love Russian people but I don't like Putin -- he is a dictator."
Russian forces have taken control of Crimea ahead of Sunday's controversial referendum on closer ties with Moscow which is all but certain to go Putin's way.
People who, like Dima and his mother, are sympathetic to the Kiev Independence Square protests which last month toppled Russian-backed president Viktor Yanukovych are horrified by the prospect.
Many others in Crimea -- which was part of Soviet Russia until 1954 and where a majority of people are ethnic Russians -- are backing such a move.
The interconnections between ethnic Ukrainians and Russians here have left some families playing out Europe's most serious geopolitical crisis since the Cold War in miniature across the kitchen table.
Dima's elder brother Zhenya -- who works at a railway station and records his own rap music in his free time -- is among those wanting closer ties with Russia.
"For me, it's all about making sure war will not happen here," he explained, showing off pictures of his friends posing with pro-Moscow forces in town posted on Russian social network V-Kontakte.
"If the Russians were not here, I would expect the same protests as in Kiev. We have already had people who wanted to remove the Lenin statue in the town but people have prevented that."
- 'Like cheese in a mousetrap' -
Their father and mother also have clashing views, informed by their experience of living in Ukraine under the former Soviet Union.
"Old people often say that under Communism we used to live well but I say we used to live badly and now we live worse," said Sasha, a 55-year-old with gold teeth, a ready laugh and a taste for a drink.
"Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the factories have stopped working and if Russia is here, some of them will start to work again."
Olga, who had prepared a special dinner for Dima and the family as he visited home from university in Crimea's capital Simferopol, listened to the debate anxiously and wept gently when asked for her view.
"Ukraine is my motherland and all the things that Russia is promising -- it is like cheese in a mousetrap," she said.
"In the beginning it was very hard for me that my husband just turned so quickly to Russia... now I just think the decision to join Russia will be taken (in the referendum) so I'm trying to accept it."
But despite their differing political views, the Onoprienkos insisted their family will never be torn apart by politics.
"I always tried to bring up my children so they can form their own opinions," said Sasha, after a finger-jabbing burst of debate with Dima.
"We will always try to find a compromise because we are family... just because we are actively discussing something doesn't mean we are falling out."
Moments later, the family filed through to the kitchen to eat.
The Onoprienko family is split down the middle on whether Crimea should become part of Russia or stay with Ukraine, reflecting deep divisions between even blood relatives ahead of Sunday’s referendum.
Dima, 17 — a computing student who loves the Beatles, “Breaking Bad” and Western sportswear — and his mother Olga, a kindergarten teacher, are both desperate for Crimea to remain an autonomous region of Ukraine.
But Dima’s bodybuilding brother Zhenya, 20, and taxi driver father Sasha believe that only closer ties with President Vladimir Putin’s Russia can bring Crimea the jobs and stability it desperately needs.
“We have long discussions — one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours — very long discussions,” said Dima with a boyish grin in the sitting room at the family’s bungalow in Dzhankoy, northern Crimea.
“I love Russian people but I don’t like Putin — he is a dictator.”
Russian forces have taken control of Crimea ahead of Sunday’s controversial referendum on closer ties with Moscow which is all but certain to go Putin’s way.
People who, like Dima and his mother, are sympathetic to the Kiev Independence Square protests which last month toppled Russian-backed president Viktor Yanukovych are horrified by the prospect.
Many others in Crimea — which was part of Soviet Russia until 1954 and where a majority of people are ethnic Russians — are backing such a move.
The interconnections between ethnic Ukrainians and Russians here have left some families playing out Europe’s most serious geopolitical crisis since the Cold War in miniature across the kitchen table.
Dima’s elder brother Zhenya — who works at a railway station and records his own rap music in his free time — is among those wanting closer ties with Russia.
“For me, it’s all about making sure war will not happen here,” he explained, showing off pictures of his friends posing with pro-Moscow forces in town posted on Russian social network V-Kontakte.
“If the Russians were not here, I would expect the same protests as in Kiev. We have already had people who wanted to remove the Lenin statue in the town but people have prevented that.”
– ‘Like cheese in a mousetrap’ –
Their father and mother also have clashing views, informed by their experience of living in Ukraine under the former Soviet Union.
“Old people often say that under Communism we used to live well but I say we used to live badly and now we live worse,” said Sasha, a 55-year-old with gold teeth, a ready laugh and a taste for a drink.
“Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the factories have stopped working and if Russia is here, some of them will start to work again.”
Olga, who had prepared a special dinner for Dima and the family as he visited home from university in Crimea’s capital Simferopol, listened to the debate anxiously and wept gently when asked for her view.
“Ukraine is my motherland and all the things that Russia is promising — it is like cheese in a mousetrap,” she said.
“In the beginning it was very hard for me that my husband just turned so quickly to Russia… now I just think the decision to join Russia will be taken (in the referendum) so I’m trying to accept it.”
But despite their differing political views, the Onoprienkos insisted their family will never be torn apart by politics.
“I always tried to bring up my children so they can form their own opinions,” said Sasha, after a finger-jabbing burst of debate with Dima.
“We will always try to find a compromise because we are family… just because we are actively discussing something doesn’t mean we are falling out.”
Moments later, the family filed through to the kitchen to eat.
