The decline of social protection in Ukraine: A case of dismantlement of a city-forming enterprise as a socioeconomic guarantor

This study examines the erosion of social protection in post-1991 Ukraine, focusing on the impact of dismantling a city-forming enterprise that had upheld citizens’ welfare since the 1960s. In the socialist era, enterprises were central to providing socioeconomic security, linking economic production directly with social policy. The post-Soviet industrial decline critically undermined the sustainability of social welfare, a process reinforced by Washington Consensus–inspired reforms that accelerated the dismantling of socialist institutions. Using archival research and semi-structured interviews, I investigate how these changes affected socioeconomic welfare in Central and Western Ukraine. Findings reveal a persistent demand among citizens for adequate social provisions. This study highlights how the collapse of socialist enterprises destabilized social security, illustrating the broader consequences of post-socialist economic and policy transformations for citizens’ livelihoods.