There was a non insignificant segment of the Ukrainian population that sided with the Nazis when they invaded (UPA, OUN-B), mostly in the western part of the country). These guys very much enjoyed a good war crime against Poles, Jews or Russians, enough that they were willing to ignore the Germans killing other millions of other Ukrainians, most of whom did heroically defend their homeland alongside the Red Army.
After nazis lost, Stalin annihilated these bandit groups. He and Beria were extremely thorough in laying waste to the collaborators. However in the years since the fall of the Soviet Union the more nationalist/nazi-adjacent side of the Ukrainian government is continuing the tradition of their nazi collaborating ancestors and turning the OUN-B into the patriotic martyrs.
I think expat communities have something to do with it. I was listening to a podcast about modern reactionaries and nazis the other day, and they did an episode about Slavic Native Faith. The Ukrainian brand was started by a Ukrainian, but took off in the States long before it gained a foothold in the motherland.
There was a non insignificant segment of the Ukrainian population that sided with the Nazis when they invaded (UPA, OUN-B), mostly in the western part of the country). These guys very much enjoyed a good war crime against Poles, Jews or Russians, enough that they were willing to ignore the Germans killing other millions of other Ukrainians, most of whom did heroically defend their homeland alongside the Red Army.
After nazis lost, Stalin annihilated these bandit groups. He and Beria were extremely thorough in laying waste to the collaborators. However in the years since the fall of the Soviet Union the more nationalist/nazi-adjacent side of the Ukrainian government is continuing the tradition of their nazi collaborating ancestors and turning the OUN-B into the patriotic martyrs.
These groups were also funded by the CIA throughout the cold war of course.
operation "aerodynamic " for those interested ..
I think expat communities have something to do with it. I was listening to a podcast about modern reactionaries and nazis the other day, and they did an episode about Slavic Native Faith. The Ukrainian brand was started by a Ukrainian, but took off in the States long before it gained a foothold in the motherland.
specifically since 2014