Ukrainism: Who constructed it and why. Part II

Who were the “Ukrainian children” trained by radicals from other countries? Sergey Kurginyan and the Aleksandrovskoye commune present a new, revised edition of the collective monograph

Continuation of the lecture presented on March 4, 2023 (Link to previous part is available here: Part I)

US expert on Russia Michael McFaul said in an interview with Vladimir Pozner on January 30, 2012, shortly after his appointment as US ambassador to Russia, “There was a group called Pora! [English: It’s Time!], there was a group in Serbia in 2000 – Otpor! [English: Resistance], and they received financing.”

Vladimir Vyatrovich, a Banderite historian from Lvov, coordinated the activities of the Ukrainian youth organization “Pora!” on the Maidan in 2004.

After Viktor Yushchenko came to power in Kiev, the OUN diaspora firmly established itself in Ukraine. Stetsko’s ally Zvarych was appointed Ukraine’s Minister of Justice.

In 2008, the former coordinator of the organization “Pora!” Vyatrovich became the head of the archives department at the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory (UINP), overseeing the decommunization in Ukraine. At the same time, the archives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), where all Soviet documents on the crimes of the Banderites were stored, also fell under his supervision. (It is obvious that after such appointments, it is pointless to search for the truth in these archives.) Later, Vyatrovich became director of the UINP, under whose pressure the Nazification of Ukraine was steadily pursued.

Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the European Union allows Western elites to take Russia under their control, and the West, therefore, perceives it as the most important point of its international policy. Accordingly, when Ukraine under Yanukovich tried to veer off the European path, it was firmly kept from doing so. In 2014, an anti-constitutional coup d’état was carried out on the Euromaidan in Kiev, in which neo-Nazis played a crucial role and which the West greeted with applause.

After their victory in 2014, the Banderites gained a strong foothold in Ukraine’s military and law enforcement agencies. Representatives of the “Azov”* movement, which emerged from the “Azov” battalion*, later transformed into a regiment, have gained great power. The “Azov”* movement is led by “White Führer” Andrey Biletsky. The eastern regions of Ukraine fell under Biletsky’s supervision. He and several other “Azov”* members were appointed to major official positions in the Interior Ministry and the police. Biletsky and representatives of the National Corps party*, which he founded, have gained significant control over the army.

What is the origin of the “Azov”* movement? In 2002, Biletsky headed the Kharkov cell of the Stepan Bandera Trizub, the paramilitary wing of the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists (KUN) founded by Slava Stetsko and Roman Zvarych. After the coup d’état on the Euromaidan in 2015, Zvarych headed the “Azov”* election campaign headquarters. Zvarych was also the head of the “Azov Civil Corps”* for a short time. The “Azov”* movement cooperates with the Zvarych’s foundation. The ties between “Azov”* and the original OUN* diaspora led by Stetsko are thus obvious.

The “Azov”* ideologists come from the paramilitary structure “Patriot of Ukraine”, which Biletsky founded in 2005. In the pamphlet manifesto by the “Patriot of Ukraine” entitled “Ukrainian Social Nationalism,” Biletsky declared, “The treatment of our national organism must begin with the racial cleansing of the nation.” [The original source contained spelling errors not reproduced in the translation – translator’s note] He went on to explain the historical mission of Ukrainians as the vanguard of the White race, “The historical mission of our nation at this turning point is to stand in the forefront and lead the White peoples of the world in the final crusade for their existence … against Semitic-led Untermenschen.” Another ideologist Ilyenko emphasized in the same pamphlet that the key to the victory of global neo-Nazism is “the re-demonization of National Socialism.” (But they say there is “no Nazism” in Ukraine…)

The “Azov”* ideologists developed a gnostic-fascist worldview for their militants. The Black Sun – the mystical SS symbol – is in its core. The “Azov”* ideologist Vyshynsky declares that Man is imprisoned in the material world and calls for resorting to the mystical practices of the Black Sun. He directly links the anti-demiurgic rebellion to “Lucifer’s rebellion,” which is associated with the “Planet Venus,” and the latter in turn with the “Great Mother of All Things.” To “rise above people”, the initiate must “extinguish his inner light completely”, “be reversed”. It is also pointed out that “war experience, murder experience, crimes … that break a person from the inside” can be considered an initiation.

Eastern Ukraine, the historical “Wild Fields”, Donbass – where the “Azov” militants would run to for criminal experience – is presented in the “Azov”* ideology in a very peculiar way. These territories are allegedly not closely connected to Russia, but they are a mystical territory, the Ukrainian New World, where the construction of Greater Ukraine must begin. Accordingly, these territories are called “secondary substance”, directly connected with the Black Sun – “the primary substance”. Vyshynsky claims, “The Ukrainian dream is our dream of the New World, which is to be discovered, conquered and built from scratch, on the original, untouched soil of the Wild Field, which is our primary substance, the metaphysical and metapolitical materia secunda, and which knows no separation between the Earth and the Sea.” It is, therefore, clear why the neo-Banderites should fight for these lands with zeal.

“Azov”* ideologists, oriented toward the international neo-Nazi movement, developed the ideas of the White “Reconquista” and the formation of a neo-Nazi “Pan-Europe”. According to these ideas, White pure-blood Eastern Europe led by Ukraine should become its vanguard. Biletsky’s White “Ubermenschen” should occupy Russia up to “the Siberian-Caspian resources”.

The “Azov”* members are actively building relations with neo-Nazis worldwide, creating an extensive international network.

International conferences dedicated to the “Pan-Europe” concept developed by the “Azov”* ideologists are held in Kiev.

The international festival of National Socialist black metal Asgardsrei (“The Ride of Asgard”) organized by the “Azov”* also takes place there regularly. Participating bands from different countries roar satanic songs with curses to “Untermenschen”, “Jews and other sprouts of rot”. As part of the festival, “Azov”* organizes political conferences called The Pact of Steel [referring to the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Nazi Germany and fascist Italy – translator’s note].

Well-known neo-Nazis come to Kiev for the no-holds-barred fights organized by “Azov”*.

In 2018, Greg Johnson, an ideologist of the US Alternative Right, visited the Pan-Europe conference organized by Azov* in Kiev and said that what was “happening in Ukraine is a model and an inspiration for nationalists of all white nations.”

The Azov* members constantly demand the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Ukraine. As another Azov* ideologist Yelena Semenyaka succinctly states, “The Ukrainian National Idea is Andrey Biletsky plus nuclear warheads.”

The intertwining of fascist insanity with the nuclear weapons issue is becoming characteristic of contemporary Ukraine. In 2015, Azov* militant Sergey Korotkikh took the office of the head of the department for guarding strategic facilities of the State Guard of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs. This service protects Ukraine’s strategic facilities, including nuclear power plants. Korotkikh is known, in particular, for his admiration of ISIS* jihadists, “…they are great at what they do. I really like their videos. I drool over what is happening in the territories under their control”.

Recall that the ISIS* videos show numerous executions and torture of the dissenters. The Russian special operation revealed the Ukrainian variants of the same behavior: castration of Russian prisoners, burning alive, gouging out their eyes, kneecapping, torture…. And what if Korotkich and his ilk were to guard Ukrainian nuclear power plants following the ISIS example, i.e. unleashing a nuclear catastrophe in the middle of Europe?

The Azov* members also support quite practical international projects currently being implemented in Ukraine.

In 2015, at the initiative of Polish President Andrzej Duda, an alliance of Eastern European and Central European countries – the so-called Trimarium (or Three Seas Initiative) – was founded within the EU. This alliance was specifically created to displace Gazprom from Europe with the help of the United States. For that purpose, LNG terminals are being built in Poland and Croatia to store US liquefied gas.

A special group from the NATO-affiliated Atlantic Council*** was established to supervise the Three Seas Initiative. Among the members of this group was one of the US Sovietologist Zbigniew Brzeziński’s sons, Ian. Another son of Zbigniew Brzeziński’s, Mark, who became US ambassador to Poland in January 2022, also advocates the implementation of the Three Seas Initiative and the separation of Ukraine and Belarus from Russia. On the eve of his appointment as ambassador, he said, “I will deepen and broaden the partnership between Poland and the United States to spearhead economic growth in the region, including through the Three Seas Initiative. <…> I will work with Poland to support the government and people of a peaceful and whole Ukraine, as well as the aspirations of the Belarusian people for a democratic Belarus.”

The Azov* members actively supported the Three Seas Initiative. In July 2016, they held a founding conference of the Intermarium Support Group (Latin for “Between-Seas”) in Kiev. Its goal was to build an “Adriatic-Baltic-Black Sea Union.” Representatives of diplomatic missions from Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Lithuania attended the conference. The conference elected Biletsky as coordinator of the Intermarium Support Group. “Our idea is that we are neither East nor West, we are Intermarium, Between-Seas, the Baltic-Black Sea community,” Biletsky said. And he explained that the union should oppose “the Eurasian monster – Russia, first and foremost.” Biletsky organized several more Intermarium conferences, which more and more high-ranking guests, including representatives of the Polish Defense Ministry, attended.

After the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, neo-Nazis from all over the world rushed there. In March 2022, Rita Katz, co-founder of SITE Intelligence Group, a US organization that tracks neo-Nazi and jihadist networks, said, “I haven’t noticed this level of movement-wide recruitment activity since the Islamic State* declared its so-called caliphate in 2014…” Katz pointed out that neo-Nazis are traveling to Ukraine since they see this country “as a chance to further ‘accelerationist’ agendas, which seek to speed up a civilization-wide collapse and then build fascist ethno-states from the ashes.”

Despite the reluctance of the West to notice Nazis in Ukraine, more and more evidence of the Azov* war crimes began to gradually leak into the press. For example, in May 2022, Frenchman Adrien Bocquet, upon his return from Ukraine, where he was on a humanitarian mission, described the Azov* crimes he had witnessed against Russian prisoners brought in vans, “Every soldier pulled out of this van was shot in the knee with a Kalashnikov.” Bocquet pointed out that the prisoners “were defenseless and with their hands and feet tied.” And that “people who had the misfortune to say they were officers were shot in the head.” The French volunteer noted, “When I see a 19-year-old Russian or a representative of another country being shot twice in the knee, with his hands tied and unable to defend himself and left to bleed to death, that’s called a war crime, isn’t it?” Bocquet pointed out, referring to the Azov* battalion, “This battalion is huge, they with their super-Nazi network logo are scattered all over Ukraine, and this doesn’t bother anyone. Members of this battalion with neo-Nazi acronyms and patches take weapons out of Europe to commit war crimes.”

Nazism in Ukraine has been in full bloom for a long time.

Children from the age of 9 are taught racism in Azov* camps.

The Banderite greeting “Glory to Ukraine!” can be heard everywhere. Since 2018, this salute has become the official greeting of the Ukrainian army.

Contemporary history textbooks spread propaganda in Ukrainian schools saying that Russians have been the main enemies of ancient “Rus-Ukraine” (the invariant of Grushevsky’s “Ukraine-Rus”) for centuries.

Nationalism is described as a positive phenomenon underlying “national liberation movements.”

Ukrainian textbooks fully approve of the cooperation between Ukrainian nationalists and the Austrian authorities in the early 20th century.

Textbook authors openly admire the German occupation of Ukraine under Skoropadsky. Ukrainian students couldn’t help but imagine how “peace and order were established in Kiev. Theaters, restaurants, stores, etc. were reopened. <…> The Germans ran the city of Kiev with their typical penchant for order. They printed a high-quality map of the city, and signboards in German appeared on the streets. The city got new widespread telephone and telegraph networks that connected the German establishments. Two new large stores were opened, selling new books, as well as the latest Berlin and Vienna newspapers.”

The Banderites are glorified as heroes in the textbooks.

The Volyn massacre is justified by the fact that the Polish population allegedly took an “aggressive stance” towards Ukrainians.

Militants of Nazi battalions, such as Azov* and Aidar*, are called heroes.

At the same time, the “Azov”* militants and other Nazis regularly give “lessons of courage” in schools.

This is how a whole young generation that sits today in the trenches on the other side of the front was raised.

European elites have bet on Banderite Ukraine for the long term.

For example, Otto von Habsburg’s heir Karl von Habsburg owns the radio Krayina FM in Ukraine, which broadcasts openly nationalistic programs. One of the programs of Krayina FM is the Club of 100% Ukrainians. The opening of the “club” was announced as follows, “For those in whose chest beats a Ukrainian heart! For those who, like us, consider themselves true patriots! For those who honor and preserve their native language, we have created our Club.”

Karl von Habsburg is a longtime friend and business partner of Bulgarian Christo Grozev, one of the members of the international investigative network Bellingcat*****. They started investing in the Ukrainian media market together.

In 2021, Grozev actively participated in the Bellingcat* investigation into the failed special operation of Ukrainian special services to detain members of the Russian PMC Wagner. Grozev filmed an interview with Zelensky’s rival, former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko, on this topic. The Bellingcat* material raised questions about the inaction and nearly treason by Zelensky’s administration. The connection of Grozev, who initiated the scandal, to Karl von Habsburg did not go unnoticed at that time. The Polish weekly Myśl Polska‘s article “The Habsburgs are still in the game” qualified the whole story as a joint operation of Grozev and Karl von Habsburg to “incite war in Ukraine.”

The energy crisis and serious threats from the opposition finally shook Zelensky’s regime in the fall of 2021. The Bellingcat’s** investigative materials about the PMC Wagner published at this time had triggered the so-called Wagnergate. To remain in power, Zelensky was forced to take the course of a complete break with Russia.

Karl von Habsburg continued his political initiatives after that. In January 2022, CNN released its documentary film about the poisoning of Navalny**. This is how director Daniel Roher spoke about the film’s creation, “At the beginning of 2020, Karl von Habsburg approached me and said “Do you know this Alexei Navalny******? I might have a lead about the people who wanted to poison him.” As soon as he said these words, I knew how I would be spending my next year. He introduced me to Navalny’s** close friend and ally, the renowned Bulgarian journalist Christo Grozev, whose specialty among other things was uncovering Russian poisonings. And a few weeks later, we were traveling to the Black Forest, which is where I met Alexei**.”

It seems that the political intention would be first to shake the situation in Ukraine and then to move Navalny** to power in Russia.

In parallel, the issue of Russia’s allegedly “subjugated” peoples is again on the agenda.

Since May 2022, Warsaw, Prague and other European capitals have been regularly hosting landmark anti-Russian events – “free nations of post-Russia forums” with the participation of Russian émigré separatists (including Ichkerian* separatist leader Akhmed Zakayev), Ukrainian politicians, and so on.

Oleg Magaletsky, the owner of Bar Hot in Kiev, is called the ideologist of these forums. In 2015, his bar presented a show during which a cake in the shape of a very lifelike Russian baby on a Russian flag was cut and distributed accompanied by shouts from the crowd, such as “Tummy for me!” and alike. The bar’s menu included “the Odessa Trade Union House Black Burger “, “Volyn Massacre” cold cuts, etc. A year later, Magaletsky’s bar hosted another show, “the execution of a Russian pilot”, reenacting the ISIS executions.

Paul Goble, one of the most influential American Sovietologists, actively supervises “free nations of post-Russia forums.” John Lenczowski, president of the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., says of Goble, “… Paul Goble, was the U.S. government’s number one expert on the non-Russian nationalities of the Soviet Union. An amazing scholar who had every important job in these fields in the U.S. government and then became the Special Advisor on the non-Russian nationalities to the Secretary of State James Baker.” As Baker’s advisor, Goble actively contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now, in his address to participants on the 2nd Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum, Goble states that “captive nations within the current borders of the Russian Federation have unprecedented opportunities to obtain support for their aspirations.”

In January 2023, another “free nations forum” was held in the building of the European Parliament in Brussels. It was characterized by the participation of Rainhard Kloucek, Secretary General of the Austrian branch of the Pan-European Union, chaired by the already mentioned Karl von Habsburg.

Ukrainism is an anti-Russian construct that has been nurtured over centuries. Since the 13th century, the Catholics and various rivals of the Rus’ actively sought to extend their influence over the western Russian territories and separate them from Russia. In the second half of the 19th century, the Austrians and Poles began to intensely shape Ukrainian nationalism. In the 20th century, Ukrainian and German nationalists established close connections. These ties with the Nazis were not severed after World War II. A fascist political entity was involved in the destruction of the USSR and now seeks the collapse of Russia. Today we see the same fascism in Ukraine. Once again, children are being taught violence under the slogan “nation above all.” Once again torture and executions are being carried out. After acquiring stable fascist content, the virus of Ukrainism threatens not only Russia but the whole world.

* — organization banned Russia

** — organization banned Russia

***— organization recognized as undesirable in Russia

**** — organization banned Russia

*****— organization recognized as undesirable in Russia

****** — included in the list of terrorists and extremists on the territory of the Russian Federation.

******* — organization banned Russia

Source (for copy): https://eu.eot.su/2023/09/13/ukrainism-who-constructed-it-and-why-part-ii/

This is the translation of the second part of the lecture on the revised multi-authored monograph “Ukrainism: Who constructed it and why”  first published in The Essence of Time newspaper, Issue 525.  This research work was written by the members of Aleksandrovskoye commune, which is part of the School of Higher Meanings of the Essence of Time movement and is supported by the members of the Experimental Creative Centre International Public Foundation.

Dr. Sergey Kurginyan is a political and social leader of the Essence of Time movement, theater director, philosopher, political scientist, and head of the Experimental Creative Centre International Public Foundation.

Speaking about the topic of the monograph “Ukrainism: Who constructed it and why”, Sergey Kurginyan explained, “We are studying Ukrainism, not Ukraine. Our subject is Ukrainism as a construct. The creation of this construct, its characteristics, its consecutive transformation, its implementation, and finally its outlook―this is the focus of our study, which is thus fundamentally different from a normal historical or sociological study of a normal Ukraine”.