Posted on 05/03/2015 12:30:53 AM PDT by WhiskeyX
With Russia pushing hard to monopolize the remembrance of the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, activists in Ukraine have decided to push back.
The Information Resistance group, with assistance from the Ukrainian military and the National Military History Museum, has produced two emotionally charged public-service advertisements that emphasize Ukraine's tremendous sacrifices and contributions to victory in 1945.
The Kremlin considers the current government of Ukraine to be fascists that revere controversial World War II-era Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera, who Moscow views as a Nazi collaborator.
"The dialogues [in the advertisements] show better than any political rhetoric the true feelings of the 'modern Banderites,' as Russian propaganda calls us, regarding the memory of our grandfathers who fought and stopped fascism," Ukrainian lawmaker and Information Resistance activist Dmytro Tymchuk told Euromaidan Press.
At the same time, the pieces draw a straight line between the heroism and patriotism of the World War II period and the sacrifices currently being made to combat Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
They boldly assert that, contrary to the claims of many Russians, Ukraine has every right to be proud of its wartime record. They also portray that pride as the foundation of the national rebirth Ukraine has experienced since the Euromaidan protests began in November 2013.
(Excerpt) Read more at rferl.org ...
“The Kremlin considers the current government of Ukraine to be fascists that revere controversial World War II-era Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera, who Moscow views as a Nazi collaborator. “
My history recollection of the historical Soviet and Nazi regimes is that those under the Soviets thought of the Germans as sort of saviors. Possibly the lesser of two evils.
I believe there was a Soviet made famine in the Ukraine that killed a few million Ukrainians. With this freshly in mind in WWII, where loved ones were starved to death less than a decade earlier, certainly an invading army killing off Soviets would have been a sight for sore eyes.
Even today, the Ukrainian remembrance of such atrocities would be no different than the Koreans or Chinese remembering what the Japs did to them in WWII.
Bandera was put in a concentration camp by the Nazis. He both fought with and against the Nazis.
The USSR allied itself with the Nazis, then fought them.
Bandera did what he did to try and liberate his country.
The USSR did what it did to oppress Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Poland (et al.).
Bandera comes out the better of the two.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.