Mazepa, Petliura, Bandera... It's not about figures

For two hundred years, the Russian authorities and chauvinistic Russians called all Ukrainians who spoke the Ukrainian language and considered themselves to be something separate from Russians 'Mazepas'. Since the 1920s, Russians have called such Ukrainians 'Petliurists'. And since the 1950s - 'Banderites'.

“It is not about the historical figures of Mazepa, Petliura, or Bandera. And it doesn't matter how Ukrainian society or a particular Ukrainian feels about these figures. Each of these personalities was mythologized and slandered by the Russians only to be able to further harass Ukrainians.”

As soon as a Ukrainian begins to consider himself a Ukrainian, the soul of a Russian chauvinist cannot survive this, and the Russian tries to stigmatize this Ukrainian in every possible way. And it's not about the historical figures of Mazepa, Petliura, or Bandera. And it doesn't matter how Ukrainian society or a particular Ukrainian feels about these figures. Each of these personalities was mythologized and slandered by the Russians only to be able to further harass Ukrainians. 

This is what respected historians should explain to foreign colleagues and journalists. And not to debate with them on the topic of what makes Bandera good or bad.

Source

About the author. Olha Len, journalist.

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