Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union (UCP–CPSU), abbr. СКП–КПСС is a federation of communist parties in the post-Soviet states founded in 1993. Gennady Zyuganov has been the organisation's chairman sinc ...

Communist parties A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

fall of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

Socialist Party of Ukraine The Socialist Party of Ukraine ( uk, Соціалістична Партія України, translit=Sotsialistychna Partiia Ukrayiny, SPU) was a social democratic and democratic socialist political party in Ukraine. It was one of the oldest par ...

2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Snap elections to the Verkhovna Rada took place on 26 October 2014. Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine, had pressed for early parliamentary elections since his victory in the presidential election in May.1918.General official results of Rada election
Interfax-Ukraine (11 November 2014)
Central Election Commission announces official results of Rada election on party tickets
Interfax-Ukraine (11 November 2014) The Communist Party and its immediate predecessor emerged as the largest political force after each Ukrainian parliamentary election from 1990 until

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

. In the aftermath of the 2013–2014 Euromaidan protests, the

General Prosecutor of Ukraine The prosecutor general of Ukraine (also procurator general of Ukraine, uk, Генеральний прокурор України) heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General ( uk, Офіс ...

and the Security Service of Ukraine have both filed charges against the party. The charges include supporting the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia and "financing terrorism" (i.e. providing support to separatists in Donbas), both acts of

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

against the Ukrainian state. In particular, regional party cells in Donetsk Oblast formed the Communist Party of the Donetsk People's Republic, which actively supports separatist efforts. In May 2015, laws that ban communist symbols came into effect in Ukraine. Because of these laws, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry stripped the party of its right to participate in elections on 24 July 2015.Ukraine's Justice Ministry outlaws Communists from elections
'' Kyiv Post'' (24 July 2015). On 16 December 2015, Kyiv District Administrative Court validated the claim of the Ministry of Justice in full, banning the activities of the party in Ukraine.Court rules complete ban of Communist Party of Ukraine
/ref>Ukraine bans Communist party for 'promoting separatism'
/ref> The party appealed the ban to the

European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that ...

. The Central Election Commission of Ukraine prohibited the candidacy of Petro Symonenko for the

2019 Ukrainian presidential election The 2019 Ukrainian presidential election was held on 31 March and 21 April in a two-round system. There were 39 candidates for the election on the ballot. The Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia an ...

due to the fact that the statute, name and symbolism of his party did not comply with the 2015 decommunisation laws.The CEC refused to register nearly fifty presidential candidates

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

(8 February 2019) Symonenko has led the Communist Party since 1993.European Court began reviewing complaints about the ban of the Communist Party

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

, (30 December 2016)
Kiev has a nasty case of anti-communist hysteri
br
Ukraine court bans Communist Party

Daily News and Analysis ''Zee Media Corporation Limited'' (abbreviated as ZMCL; formerly Zee News Limited) is the news broadcasting company of the Essel Group which is controlled by Subhash Chandra. The company is engaged mainly in the business of broadcasting of new ...

(17 Dec 2015) During the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

, the Communist Party of Ukraine took a pro-Russian stance, and as a result has had its ban re-affirmed by the Ukrainian government.А куда пропал Петр Симоненко? Оккупанты помогли ему выехать

Obozrevatel "Obozrevatel" (; ) is a Ukrainian Internet publication of socio-political orientation, created in 2001. It belongs to Ukrainian politician and entrepreneur Mykhailo Brodskyy. In the publication, he holds the position of the chairman of the editori ...

(12 May 2022)

History

Early years and electoral successes

The KPU considers itself to be the direct successor to the original Communist Party of Ukraine, a branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) which was founded on 5 July 1918 in Moscow. The original communist party existed until 30 August 1991, when the CPSU and its branch in Ukraine were banned. Between 1991 and 1993, several small communist organizations were created throughout Ukraine. "Without clear legality", communists from all over Ukraine convened on 6 March 1993 for the All-Ukrainian Conference for Communists in an attempt to reestablish the KPU. In reaction, the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

(thr Ukrainian parliament) legalized the establishment of communist parties two months later. On 19 June 1993, the 1st Congress of the newly founded KPU was convened. Officially, it was designated as the 29th Congress to denote it as a direct successor to the Soviet KPU and it elected Petro Symonenko as First Secretary. In the 1994 presidential election, the KPU supported the candidacy of

Oleksandr Moroz Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Morozrussian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Моро́з, translit=Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Moroz (born 29 February 1944) is a Ukrainian politician. He was the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada twice, ...

from the

Socialist Party of Ukraine The Socialist Party of Ukraine ( uk, Соціалістична Партія України, translit=Sotsialistychna Partiia Ukrayiny, SPU) was a social democratic and democratic socialist political party in Ukraine. It was one of the oldest par ...

(SPU). The relationship between the KPU and SPU was strong throughout the 1990s, with Moroz even speaking to the 22nd KPU Congress (held in 1999). In the

1998 Ukrainian parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Ukraine on 29 March 1998. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1976 The Communist Party of Ukraine remained the largest party in the Verkhovna Rada, winning 121 of the 445 ...

the party gained 24.65% of the vote and 123 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament. The first ten members on the party list were Petro Symonenko ( MP), Omelian Parubok ( MP), Anatoliy Nalyvaiko (tunneler of the Karl Marks Mine ( Yenakieve)), Borys Oliynyk ( MP), Valeria Zaklunna-Myronenko (actress of the Lesya Ukrainka Theater (

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

)), Adam Martynyuk (the 2nd secretary of the Central Committee of CPU), Anatoliy Draholyuntsev (mechanic-electrician at

Luhanskteplovoz Luhanskteplovoz ( uk, Луганськтепловоз or Luhansk Locomotive Works), earlier known as Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Works is a large industrial company in Luhansk, Ukraine, manufacturing locomotives, multiple unit trains (both electr ...

), Vasyl Sirenko (Koretsky Institute of State and Law ( NANU), unaffiliated), Borys Molchanov (tool craftsman at Dniproshyna) and Anatoliy Strohov (pensioner). The KPU won 121 seats, constituting 19.5% of the seats in the Verkhovna Rada. The good result in the 1998 election led the KPU to field their own candidate in the 1999 presidential election as they nominated party leader Symonenko. Symonenko received 23.1 percent of the votes in the first round, trailing behind

Leonid Kuchma Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( uk, Леоні́д Дани́лович Ку́чма; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. Kuchma's presidency saw numerous corru ...

who received 38,0 percent of the votes. In the second round Symonenko received 38,8 percent, losing to Kuchma who received 57,7 percent of the vote. In 2000, two parties split from the party, namely the Communist Party of Ukraine (renewed) and the

Communist Party of Workers and Peasants The Communist Party of Workers and Peasants ( uk, Комуністична партія робітників і селян, ''Komunistychna Partiya Robitnykiv i Selian'', KPRS) was a political party in Ukraine, formed in 2001 following a split from ...

.Ukraine Bars Communists From Elections

Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

(24 July 2015) The KPU argued that the creation of parties was encouraged by President

Leonid Kuchma Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( uk, Леоні́д Дани́лович Ку́чма; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. Kuchma's presidency saw numerous corru ...

in order to syphon votes away from their party. The

Constitutional Court of Ukraine The Constitutional Court of Ukraine ( ua, Конституційний Суд України) is the sole body of constitutional jurisdiction in Ukraine. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine interprets the Constitution of Ukraine in terms of l ...

recognized in 2001 that the ban on the Communist Party of Ukraine violated the

Constitution of Ukraine The Constitution of Ukraine ( uk, Конституція України, translit=Konstytutsiia Ukrainy) is the fundamental law of Ukraine. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the ''Verkhovna Rada'', the parliament ...

. At the

parliamentary election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

on 30 March 2002, the party won 19.98% of the popular vote and 66 out of 450 seats in the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

. The first ten members on the party list were Petro Symonenko ( MP), Omelian Parubok ( MP), Ivan Herasymov (Head of the Veterans of Ukraine Organization, unaffiliated), Borys Oliynyk ( MP), Valeria Zaklunna-Myronenko ( MP), Adam Martynyuk ( MP), Stanislav Hurenko ( MP), Oleksandr Tkachenko ( MP), Anatoliy Nalyvaiko ( MP) and

Oleh Blokhin Oleg Vladimirovich Blokhin, or Oleh Volodymyrovych Blokhin ( uk, Оле́г Володи́мирович Блохі́н, rus, Оле́г Влади́мирович Блохи́н; born 5 November 1952), is a former Ukrainian and Soviet footbal ...

( MP, unaffiliated).

Electoral decline

Symonenko's support sharply declined at the time of the 2004 presidential election. Symonenko received 5% of the votes and came in fourth place, unable to get into the controversial runoff which caused the

Orange Revolution The Orange Revolution ( uk, Помаранчева революція, translit=Pomarancheva revoliutsiia) was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate afterm ...

. Since then, the party lost much support, particularly after the Orange Revolution. In the 2006 parliamentary election, the party won 3.66% and 21 seats.Комуністична партія України
Database DATA The first ten members on the party list were Petro Symonenko ( MP), Adam Martynyuk ( MP), Ivan Herasymov ( MP), Kateryna Samoilyk ( MP), Omelian Parubok ( MP), Valeria Zaklunna-Myronenko ( MP), Oleksandr Holub ( MP), Valentyn Matvyeyev ( MP), Oleksandr Tkachenko ( MP) and Petro Tsybenko ( MP). No later than 2006, the Communist Party office in

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loca ...

on regular basis provided material and logistical assistance to the separatist organization Donetsk Republic (banned in 2007) which with the assistance of the Communist Party was spreading printed information materials of separatist orientation in authorship of the ideologist of Donetsk internationalism Dmitriy Kornilov as well as by collecting signatures for "independence of Donbass" agitated for violation of territorial integrity of Ukraine through seceding several

oblasts of Ukraine An oblast ( uk, о́бласть; ) in Ukraine, often called a region or province, is the main type of first-level administrative division of the country. Ukraine's territory is divided into 24 oblasts, as well as one autonomous republic, Crimea ...

from Ukraine and uniting them into one quasi state formation based on Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson "republics".In Donetsk collecting signatures to secede from Ukraine (В ДОНЕЦКЕ СОБИРАЮТ ПОДПИСИ ЗА ОТДЕЛЕНИЕ ОТ УКРАИНЫ)
Zadonbass. Even after the Donetsk Republic Party was banned for separatism on 6 November 2007 by the Donetsk district administrative court on the suit of the Chief Justice Administration of Donetsk Oblast based on materials of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Donetsk branch of Communists did not cease to assists separatists with its tents and printing capabilities periodically conducting joint campaigns with them. In the

parliamentary election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

on 30 September 2007, the party won 5.39% of the popular vote and 27 out of 450 seats. The first ten members on the party list were Petro Symonenko ( MP), Yevhen Volynets (tunneler of the Vasily Chapayev Mine (

Shakhtarsk Shakhtarsk (, ) or Shakhtyorsk (russian: Шахтёрск) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Regionally, the city is an administrative urban enclave also consisting of cities Torez and Snizhne and surrounded by Shakhtarsk Raion. It serves ...

)), Maryna Perestenko (Head of the Mars farm ( Simferopol Raion)), Ivan Herasymov ( MP), Yuriy Haidayev ( Minister of Healthcare, unaffiliated), Adam Martynyuk (1st deputy Chairman of parliament), Valeriy Bevz (Deputy Minister of Emergencies), Oleksandr Tkachenko ( MP), Oleksandr Holub ( MP) and Ihor Aleksyeyev ( MP). The party participated in the 2010 presidential election as part of the

Election bloc of left and central left political forces The Election Bloc of Left and Center-left Political Forces ( uk, Блок лівих і лівоцентристських сил (лівий блок)) or the Block of the Left Forces ( uk, Блок Лівих Сил) is the name of a bloc of poli ...

. The party participated in the 2010 presidential election as part of the

Election bloc of left and central left political forces The Election Bloc of Left and Center-left Political Forces ( uk, Блок лівих і лівоцентристських сил (лівий блок)) or the Block of the Left Forces ( uk, Блок Лівих Сил) is the name of a bloc of poli ...

. The Communist Party was part of the parliamentary coalition called "Stability and Reforms" that supported the First Azarov government. On 28 November 2006, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the Law of Ukraine "About 1932–1933 Holodomor in Ukraine".Law of Ukraine.
About 1932–1933 Holodomor in Ukraine
.

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

website. The first article of the document states: "The Holodomor is a genocide against the Ukrainian people". The second article states that the public denial of the Holodomor as a genocide is recognized as desecration of the memory of millions of victims, disparaging of Ukrainian people and is unlawful. On 13 January 2010, the Kyiv Appellate Court reviewed the criminal case on the fact of committing genocide (

crime against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...

) and agreed with the conclusions of the investigation that the leadership of the Soviet Union, including

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

and others, had purposely created such living conditions designed to physically eliminate a part of the Ukrainian national group.Resolution of the Kyiv Appellate Court on the fact of committing genocide in Ukraine in 1932–1933
Security Service of Ukraine website. The court found Stalin and others guilty of indirectly committing the crime. Less than four months after the ruling, on 5 May 2010, the Communist Party branch office in

Zaporizhzhia Oblast Zaporizhzhia Oblast ( uk, Запорі́зька о́бласть, translit=Zaporizka oblast), also referred to as Zaporizhzhia ( uk, Запорі́жжя, links=no), is an oblast (province) of southeast Ukraine. Its capital is Zaporizhzhia. The ...

publicly unveiled a monument of Stalin in Zaporizhzhia.Communists about the dead woman: She died of worthy death in front of Stalin (Коммунисты об умершей женщине: Она умерла достойной смертью, перед Сталиным)
Korrespondent.net. 5 May 2010. Members of the Communist Party were criticized for hindering journalist activity and cursing at protesters during the event. Three people also reportedly fainted from the heat during the unveiling ceremony, and one woman later died from a heatstroke. The Communist Party was criticized for a statement it later issued in memory of the woman who died, which said, "She died a worthy death in front of Stalin." In the 2010 local elections, the party scored between 5% and 12% of the votes in all

Ukrainian Oblasts An oblast ( uk, о́бласть; ) in Ukraine, often called a region or province, is the main type of first-level administrative division of the country. Ukraine's territory is divided into 24 oblasts, as well as one autonomous republic, Crimea ...

, except in Western Ukraine and Kyiv Oblast, where they almost had no voters. In the

2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election The Ukrainian parliamentary election of 2012 took place on 28 October 2012.constituencies An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

(it had competed in 220 of the 225 constituencies) and thus 32 seats.Proportional votes

, Central Election Commission of Ukraine The party did win about one and a half million more votes compared with the results of the previous election.After the parliamentary elections in Ukraine: a tough victory for the Party of Regions
Centre for Eastern Studies (7 November 2012) Independent candidate Oksana Kaletnyk joined the Communist parliamentary faction on 12 December 2012. Importance of Kaletnyk joining the Communists was due to parliamentary regulations on obtaining its own parliamentary factions which required to have at least one deputy who came to parliament by winning a constituency.

Oleh Tyahnybok Oleh Yaroslavovych Tyahnybok ( uk, Оле́г Яросла́вович Тягнибо́к, born 7 November 1968) is a Ukrainian politician and far-right activist who is a former member of the Verkhovna Rada and the leader of the Ukrainian natio ...

tried to challenge the creation of Communist faction, but on 30 January 2013 the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine declined his petition. Kaletnyk left the faction (at her own request) on 29 May 2014. The first ten members on the party list were Petro Symonenko ( MP), Petro Tsybenko ( MP), Iryna Spirina (Head of Psychiatric Department (Dnipropetrovsk Medical Academy)), Spiridon Kilinkarov ( MP), Oleksandr Prysyazhnyuk (unemployed), Ihor Aleksyeyev ( MP), Ihor Kalyetnik (Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine), Adam Martynyuk (1st deputy Chairman of parliament), Valentyn Matvyeyev ( MP) and Yevhen Marmazov ( MP). In 2007 and 2012, the electorate of the party was estimated to be very loyal to the party.Eight Reasons Why Ukraine’s Party of Regions Will Win the 2012 Elections
by

Taras Kuzio Taras Kuzio (born 1958) is a British academic and expert in Ukrainian political, economic and security affairs. He is Professor of Political Science at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy ( Kyiv, Ukraine). Education Taras Kuzio received a ...

,

The Jamestown Foundation The Jamestown Foundation is a Washington, D.C.-based conservative defense policy think tank. Founded in 1984 as a platform to support Soviet defectors, its stated mission today is to inform and educate policy makers about events and trends, wh ...

(17 October 2012)
UKRAINE: Yushchenko needs Tymoshenko as ally again
by

Taras Kuzio Taras Kuzio (born 1958) is a British academic and expert in Ukrainian political, economic and security affairs. He is Professor of Political Science at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy ( Kyiv, Ukraine). Education Taras Kuzio received a ...

,

Oxford Analytica Oxford Analytica is an international consulting firm providing strategic analysis of world events. It was founded in 1975 by David Young, an American employee of the National Security Council during the Nixon administration. Clients of Oxford ...

(5 October 2007) The party supported the vote of Mykola Azarov's candidacy for the post of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

that created the Second Azarov government. Symonenko stated on 28 December 2012 that the Communist Party of Ukraine and Azarov's (and President

Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of D ...

's)

Party of Regions The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of U ...

had not concluded any agreements concerning the Communist support, but that his party had supported Azarov's nomination because Azarov had told them his government was ready to implement the program on Ukraine's accession to the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. Symonenko added that should Azarov fail to fulfill the promise of Ukraine's joining this customs union, the Communists would initiate his resignation.Symonenko:Communist Party had no agreements to support Azarov's candidacy for premiership
'' Kyiv Post'' (28 December 2012) The government continued to negotiate with the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

for Ukraine's integration in the European Union while (according to President Yanukovych) it was also in negotiations with

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

to "find the right model" for cooperation with the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. In January 2014 the party supported the so-called '' Anti-protest laws'' amidst the Euromaidan protests (pro- Ukrainian EU integration and anti-President Yanukovych protests) that had started in November 2013. In February 2014, the party came out in firm opposition to the Euromaidan violence and identified the movement as a "coup" to overthrow the elected government and replace it with a pro-

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

regime and in an open plea from the First Secretary called for all communist and

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

movements around the world to condemn the events as such. However, the party did vote in favour of the impeachment of Yanukovych.

Attempts at banning of the party and disappearance from national representation

After President Yanukovych's ouster on 25 February 2014, several legislators have talked about the possibility of outlawing the KPU due to its alleged cooperation with pro-Russian separatists. On 6 May, the party was outraged when its parliamentary representatives were expelled from the parliamentary session hall. A week later, Acting President

Oleksandr Turchynov Oleksandr Valentynovych Turchynov ( uk, Олександр Валентинович Турчинов; born 31 March 1964) is a Ukrainian politician, screenwriter, Baptist minister and economist. He is the former Secretary of the National S ...

threatened to ban the KPU for alleged involvement in the ongoing pro-Russian unrest in the east of the country. On 8 July, the

Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...

asked Kyiv's District Administrative Court to ban the activity of the party as a result of "a large amount of evidence regarding illegal activities and illegal actions on the part of the Communist Party" (according to Justice Minister

Pavlo Petrenko Pavlo Dmitrovich Petrenko ( uk, Павло Дмитрович Петренко) is Ukrainian politician, jurist, lawyer. MP of Ukraine 7th convocation. Minister of Justice of Ukraine from 27 February 2014 until 29 August 2019. Education Aft ...

). The

Party of the European Left The Party of the European Left (PEL), commonly abbreviated European Left, is a European political party that operates as an association of democratic socialist and communist political parties in the European Union and other European countries. ...

and the

European United Left–Nordic Green Left European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe a ...

grouping in the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

condemned the possible ban and declared their solidarity with the KPU.

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

's State Duma denounced the ban too and believed it was "an attempt by the new Kyiv authorities to force political and civil forces that do not agree with the path taken by the

ultranationalist Ultranationalism or extreme nationalism is an extreme form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains detrimental hegemony, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion) to pursue its sp ...

powers to shut up". The KPU also received solidarity from the

National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (commonly known as the RMT) is a British trade union covering the transport sector. Its current President is Alex Gordon and its current General Secretary is Mick Lynch. The RMT is on ...

(RMT) in Britain. On 11 April, a scuffle started in the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

between KPU leader Petro Symonenko and two MPs from the far-right All Ukrainian Union "Svoboda", after Symonenko blamed them for the Russian annexation of Crimea and the pro-Russian unrest in Eastern and Southern Ukraine. After repeatedly calling for calm, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada

Oleksandr Turchynov Oleksandr Valentynovych Turchynov ( uk, Олександр Валентинович Турчинов; born 31 March 1964) is a Ukrainian politician, screenwriter, Baptist minister and economist. He is the former Secretary of the National S ...

suspended the session for fifteen minutes. In the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election, Symonenko initially again ran as a candidate of his party, but he withdrew from the race on 16 May.Communist leader Symonenko withdraws his candidacy from presidential race
Kyiv Post (16 May 2014) The Central Election Commission was unable to remove from the ballot his name because he withdrew from the race after the deadline of 1 May 2014.Simonenko left the ballot

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

(17 May 2014) In the election, he still received 1.51% of the vote.
Results election of Ukrainian president
Телеграф (29 May 2014) On 1 July, six MPs left the Communist Party faction in parliament, reducing it to 23 members.''Dynamics in the fraction of the in the Communist Party of Ukraine in the VII convocation''

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

On 22 July, a vote supported by 232 MPs gave the

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Голова Верховної Ради України, Holova Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy) is the presiding officer of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's unicameral parliament. The chairman presides ...

(the speaker of Ukraine's parliament) the power to dissolve a faction that has lost some of its members compared to the number it had while it was formed during the first parliamentary session after the previous election, pending a signature from President

Petro Poroshenko Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko ( uk, Петро́ Олексі́йович Пороше́нко, ; born 26 September 1965) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. Poroshenko se ...

.Communist Party Ousted From Ukraine Parliament
''

The Moscow Times ''The Moscow Times'' is an independent English-language and Russian-language online newspaper. It was in print in Russia from 1992 until 2017 and was distributed free of charge at places frequented by English-speaking tourists and expatriates s ...

'' (23 July 2014) Later that day, Poroshenko signed this bill, giving effect to this new parliamentary regulation. The next day, speaker and former Acting President Turchynov announced the party's impending dissolution and added to MPs: "We only have to tolerate this party for another day". The party's faction in parliament was dissolved on 24 July by Turchynov. That same day, it was announced that at the time 308 criminal proceedings against members of the party had been opened.Against the Communists opened 308 criminal proceedings

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

(24 July 2014) Communists were accused of openly supporting the annexation of Crimea by

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, supporting the creation of self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and

Lugansk People's Republic The Luhansk or Lugansk People's Republic (russian: Луга́нская Наро́дная Респу́блика, Luganskaya Narodnaya Respublika, ; abbreviated as LPR or LNR, rus, ЛНР) is a disputed entity created by Russian-backed ...

and agitating for annexation of the

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Dnipropetrovsk Oblast ( uk, Дніпропетро́вська о́бласть, translit=Dnipropetrovska oblast), also referred to as Dnipropetrovshchyna ( uk, Дніпропетро́вщина), is an oblast (province) of central-eastern Ukra ...

to Russia. The party leadership at the time stated its support for Ukrainian territorial integrity and excluded separatist dissenters from its membership. On 4 September, the Kyiv District Administrative Court indefinitely postponed the hearing about the ban of the party.SBU chief: Communist Party ban important for national security
Interfax-Ukraine (10 November 2014) The October 2014 parliamentary election further marginalized the party as it won no constituency seats and came 1.12% short of reaching the 5% election threshold.Communist Party of Ukraine goes to elections to Parliament, the electoral list headed Symonenko
Interfax-Ukraine (29 August 2014) Since prior to its independence, Ukraine was a constituent republic of the Communist

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

and this meant that for the first time since 1918 Communists were not represented in Ukrainian national politics.Ukrainian Communist leader Symonenko not planning to leave country
Interfax-Ukraine (29 October 2014)
Ukraine’s Elections Mark a Historic Break With Russia and Its Soviet Past

Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

(27 October 2014) The first ten members on the party list for the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election were Petro Symonenko ( MP), Adam Martynyuk ( MP), Kateryna Samoylyk (senior), Vasyl Sirenko (Koretsky Institute of State and Law, non-partisan), Petro Tsybenko ( MP), Ihor Aleksyeyev ( MP), Serhiy Hordiyenko ( MP), Yevhen Marmazov ( MP), Spiridon Kilinkarov ( MP) and Serhiy Khrapov (unemployed). In May 2015, laws that banned communist symbols (the so-called "decommunization laws") came into effect in Ukraine, meaning that the party could not use communist symbols or sing the Soviet national hymn or "

The Internationale "The Internationale" (french: "L'Internationale", italic=no, ) is an international anthem used by various communist and socialist groups; currently, it serves as the official anthem of the Communist Party of China. It has been a standard of t ...

". In a 24 July decree based on these laws, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry stripped the party of its right to participate in elections and stated that it was continuing the court actions (which started in July 2014) to end the registration of Ukraine's communist parties. On 30 September, the District Administrative Court in Kyiv banned two smaller communist parties, the

Communist Party of Workers and Peasants The Communist Party of Workers and Peasants ( uk, Комуністична партія робітників і селян, ''Komunistychna Partiya Robitnykiv i Selian'', KPRS) was a political party in Ukraine, formed in 2001 following a split from ...

and the Communist Party of Ukraine (renewed).The court banned the two Communist parties

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

(1 October 2015)
Kyiv’s Court terminates two Communist parties
Ukrinform (1 October 2015) However, the Communist Party was not banned because it had filed an appeal against the Justice Ministry's decree on its activity termination. The party decided to take part in the October 2015 local elections as part of the umbrella party

Left Opposition The Left Opposition was a faction within the Russian Communist Party (b) from 1923 to 1927 headed ''de facto'' by Leon Trotsky. The Left Opposition formed as part of the power struggle within the party leadership that began with the Soviet fou ...

.The communists go to the polls in the "Left Opposition" – the leader of the Communist Party
RIA Novosti

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

(13 August 2015) According to the Interior Ministry, this was legal as long as the new party did not use communist symbols. Other party members took part in this election as Nova Derzhava. The political party Nova Derzhava was established in 2012.Symonenko invented how to squeeze into the local elections (Симоненко придумал, как протиснуться на местные выборы)

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

. 25 September 2015 On 1 August, it elected a new leader Oleh Melnyk. Formally along with the Communist Party, it is also a member of the Left Opposition Association. In late 2015, 19 local party leaders from the party's South and East Ukraine organizations resigned from the central committee to protest against the repression of internal dissent they blamed on Symonenko. On 16 December, the District Administrative Court in Kyiv satisfied the claim of the Ministry of Justice and banned the activities of the Communist Party. This ban was criticized by John Dalhuisen of Amnesty International, who stated that the ban was "the same style of draconian measures used to stifle dissent” as used by the Soviet Union. On 25 January 2016, the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine denied the party in the consideration of the cassation of the (16 December 2015) ban. The court suspended the appeal for the time being until the

Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...

determines the legitimacy of the law on decommunization.From Frank to Kiwis: who are the Ukrainian socialists
Hromadske.TV (1 May 2018) Nevertheless, the party appealed its ban at the

European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that ...

. The attempts to ban the party never did forbid individual members of the party to take part in elections as an independent candidate.Довибори до ВР: У Дніпрі 51 кандидат, є представник КПУ (By-election to the Verkhovna Rada: in Dnipro 51, a candidate is a representative of the Communist Party)
''

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

'', 19 June 2016. The party still sends in its required financial reports and is still listed on the website of the

Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...

and the website of the Department of State Registration and Notary. In February 2019, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine refused to register the candidacy of Symonenko for the

2019 Ukrainian presidential election The 2019 Ukrainian presidential election was held on 31 March and 21 April in a two-round system. There were 39 candidates for the election on the ballot. The Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia an ...

due to the fact that the statute, name and symbolism of the Communist Party did not comply with the 2015 decommunization laws.

Views of the ban's legitimacy

According to a Kyiv Polytechnic professor, who published an article in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', the party came into conflict with the Ukrainian government after the

Revolution of Dignity The Revolution of Dignity ( uk, Революція гідності, translit=Revoliutsiia hidnosti) also known as the Maidan Revolution or the Ukrainian Revolution,

due to prominent displays of support for ousted Ukrainian President

Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of D ...

during the Euromaidan protests and alleged involvement with the separatist movement in Donbas as well as the party's pro- Russian government agenda. However, the party did vote in favour of the impeachment of Yanukovych.Parliamentary vote on the draft resolution on the withdrawal of President of Ukraine to fulfill constitutional powers (number 4193) – as a basis and as a whole
,

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

Two days after the Ukrainian parliament changed its regulations regarding the required size of parliamentary groups, the Communist Party faction was dissolved on 24 July 2014.Turchynov dissolves Ukrainian Communist Party faction in parliament
Interfax-Ukraine (24 July 2014) According to political scientist Tadeusz A. Olszański, the party "effectively supports the separatist rebellion" during the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Rev ...

. Explaining the withdrawal of the status of political party from the KPU and 2 of its satellites, the secretary of state security and defense

Oleksandr Turchynov Oleksandr Valentynovych Turchynov ( uk, Олександр Валентинович Турчинов; born 31 March 1964) is a Ukrainian politician, screenwriter, Baptist minister and economist. He is the former Secretary of the National S ...

stated in July 2015 that the communist party took a treacherous position from the very first days of Russian aggression and acted as its Fifth Column.

Banning and seizure of assets

On 6 July 2022, the KPU was again banned after a

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukrain ...

court ruling which turned over all its assets, including party buildings and funds, to the Ukrainian state. In a statement, the Eighth Administrative Appeal Court said that it had satisfied the claims of the

Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...

and ordered the party's closure. "The activity of the Communist Party of Ukraine is prohibited; the property, funds and other assets of the party, its regional, city, district organisations, primary centres and other structural entities have been transferred to the state." During the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

, the party was reported to have taken a pro-Russian stance, and the party's leader Petro Symonenko in March had fled to

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

with the assistance of Russian forces during the Kyiv offensive.

Ideology

In its statute, the Communist Party claims that "on voluntary basis it unites citizens of Ukraine who are supporters of the Communist idea".Party program
Communist Party of Ukraine official website. The party considers itself a successor of the Communist Party of Ukraine of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

and calls itself a "battle detachment of RKP(b)–VKP(b)–KPSS". The party claims that prohibition of that party in August 1991 was unlawful, which was confirmed by the decision of the

Constitutional Court of Ukraine The Constitutional Court of Ukraine ( ua, Конституційний Суд України) is the sole body of constitutional jurisdiction in Ukraine. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine interprets the Constitution of Ukraine in terms of l ...

on 27 December 2001. The party sets itself in an opposition to any government and seeks a full restoration of the

socialist state A socialist state, socialist republic, or socialist country, sometimes referred to as a workers' state or workers' republic, is a sovereign state constitutionally dedicated to the establishment of socialism. The term '' communist state'' is of ...

in the country without any particular association with any other political parties.

Program

* Political sphere: liquidation of

presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...

as an institution, strengthening of democratic measures of state and public life; electoral legislation reform ensuring a proper share of representation of workers, peasants, intelligentsia, women, youth in

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

of Ukraine and local government; introduction of practice to recall deputies and judges who received vote of no confidence; election of judges of prime level; filling with real meaning and proper financial support regional and local government; introduction in the country a system of public control; creation of labor group councils vested with powers to monitor economic activity of businesses; suppression of corruption, organized crime, particularly in the upper echelon of power; elimination of benefits and privileges for officials; federalization of Ukraine; comprehensive development of Ukrainian language and culture, granting Russian language the status of state language; changing of Ukraine's state symbol, lyrics and music of the State anthem. * Economic policy: modernization and public control over economy, nationalization of strategic businesses; establishing a competitive state sector of economy, energy independence; reforms in Agro-Industrial Complex, Housing and Communal Services, etc.; prohibition of private property. * Social sphere: liquidation of poverty, social justice, system of

progressive tax A progressive tax is a tax in which the tax rate increases as the taxable amount increases.Sommerfeld, Ray M., Silvia A. Madeo, Kenneth E. Anderson, Betty R. Jackson (1992), ''Concepts of Taxation'', Dryden Press: Fort Worth, TX The term ''progre ...

ation and state price regulation, free medicine, secondary and

tertiary education Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

; full compensation of deposits in the Soviet Savings Bank. * Spiritual sphere: quality

youth politics Youth politics is a category of issues which distinctly involve, affect or otherwise impact youth. It encompasses youth policy that specifically has an impact on young people (for example, education, housing, employment, leisure) and how young peop ...

; preservation of historical and cultural heritage including Soviet; increased punishment for distribution of narcotics, human trafficking, prostitution, promotion of pornography, violence; combating immorality, vulgarity, cynicism, national chauvinism, xenophobia, falsification of history, fascism, neo-Nazism, anti-Communism, anti-Sovietism; banning of neo-Nazi organizations in Ukraine, criminal penalties for acts of fascism; freedom of worldview and expression of faith, secular state. * Foreign policy: non-aligned military status, independent foreign policy, active position on creation of a new European system of collective security, reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, review international agreements with WTO and IMF, membership and active position in the CIS,

Customs Union A customs union is generally defined as a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff.GATTArticle 24 s. 8 (a) Customs unions are established through trade pacts where the participant countries set up ...

and

Eurasian Economic Community The Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC or EurAsEC) was a regional organisation between 2000 and 2014 which aimed for the economic integration of its member states. The organisation originated from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on ...

of the Russian Federation, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Soviet legacy

The KPU was established as "the inheritor of the ideas and traditions of the KPU, as it existed until its banning in August 1991". In general, the party has laid weight on

nostalgia for the Soviet Union The social phenomenon of nostalgia for the era of the Soviet Union (russian: links=no, Ностальгия по СССР, Nostal'giya po SSSR), can include its politics, its society, its culture, its superpower status, or simply its aest ...

to gain votes. In contrast to many parts of the former Soviet Union where leftist conservatives have tried to win votes by promoting local nationalism, the KPU supports a form of Soviet nationalism, considering the establishment of an independent Ukraine as illegal. The party has remained loyal to the legacy of the Soviet Union. In 1998, to celebrate the would-be 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union it published ''Historical Thesis'', a text which painted a rosy picture of the former state. The Soviet Union is barely criticized and controversial events such as the

Great Purge The Great Purge or the Great Terror (russian: Большой террор), also known as the Year of '37 (russian: 37-й год, translit=Tridtsat sedmoi god, label=none) and the Yezhovshchina ('period of Nikolay Yezhov, Yezhov'), was General ...

and Holodomor are not mentioned in the party press. There are some who are favorable to

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

's legacy, giving the impression that things "only began to go wrong with ikitaKhrushchev's 'adventurism'". Despite all this, when the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) is criticized at all, the favored line is that the party and state lost their belief in key Leninist principles.

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

, the founder of the Soviet Union, "is still considered

sacrosanct Sacrosanctity was the declaration of physical inviolability of a temple, a sacred object, or a person through the ''lex sacrata'' (sacred law), which had religious connotations. Festus explained that: “Sacred laws are laws which have the sanctio ...

" by the party and official pronouncements talk of the "Leninist Communist Party of Ukraine" and more precisely that the KPU continues "speaking in the words of Lenin". Symonenko has criticized the label of conservative on the KPU, stating that the party is not willing to abandon its own history. He has referred to the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

as "the tragic events of the recent past". Further, the KPU believes the Soviet Union "was criminally destroyed". The party believes that Ukraine has been living off the legacy of the Soviet Union since its independence. However, certain concessions to the present have been made and at the 2nd KPU Congress it was stated that "it would be

utopian A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia'', describing a fictional island society ...

to try and revive a socio-economic system of different relations, which existed in different conditions, under different principles and different organizations of production and distribution, different social-class structures of society, a different level of consciousness".

Marxism

The party adheres and believes in the Marxian concepts of

class struggle Class conflict, also referred to as class struggle and class warfare, is the political tension and economic antagonism that exists in society because of socio-economic competition among the social classes or between rich and poor. The forms ...

and

historical materialism Historical materialism is the term used to describe Karl Marx's theory of history. Marx locates historical change in the rise of class societies and the way humans labor together to make their livelihoods. For Marx and his lifetime collaborat ...

. Their ongoing belief in historical materialism cements their views that the

socialist mode of production The socialist mode of production, sometimes referred to as the communist mode of production, or simply (Marxian) socialism or communism as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels used the terms ''communism'' and ''socialism'' interchangeably, is a specif ...

will still be the society of the future. It could be said that the party believed stronger than ever in the possibility of a socialist future since the "careerists", symbolized by

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

,

Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...

and

Leonid Kravchuk Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk ( uk, Леонід Макарович Кравчук; 10 January 1934 – 10 May 2022) was a Ukrainian politician and the first president of Ukraine, serving from 5 December 1991 until 19 July 1994. In 1992, he signed ...

, were gone. The KPU believes that since the West has developed into a

post-industrial society In sociology, the post-industrial society is the stage of society's development when the service sector generates more wealth than the manufacturing sector of the economy. The term was originated by Alain Touraine and is closely related to si ...

,

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...

through

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

was actively "de-modernizing" Ukraine. This was in their favor since de-modernization would lead to the reestablishment of a dominant proletarian class. As Vasyl Tereshchuk, a former party theoretician expelled in 2005, noted: "People are surviving on what they accumulated in the years of Soviet power: that is, they are not yet a classic proletariat as they still have much to lose (a flat, a car, a dacha, etc.). But their full proletarianization will come sooner or later". Secondly, the dissolution of the Soviet Union directly led to the reestablishment of class antagonism in society. This antagonism led to the

exploitation Exploitation may refer to: *Exploitation of natural resources *Exploitation of labour ** Forced labour *Exploitation colonialism *Slavery ** Sexual slavery and other forms *Oppression *Psychological manipulation In arts and entertainment *Exploi ...

of the proletariat by "a comprador

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

... behind which stands world

imperialism Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...

headed by the USA". According to Symonenko, on this basis there was no chance for a

social democratic Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...

movement ever to develop in Ukraine. The "softening of class antagonism in the West" which had led to the establishment of social democratic parties "was only possible because the local working class, as part of the 'golden billion', lived 'as parasites on the labour of the countries of the world periphery' to which Ukraine was rapidly being consigned. Ukraine could not expect any 'lessening of class antagonism, only the reverse". Symonenko appreciates the economical aid and partnership with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and calls to use

Communist Party of China The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...

as the example, giving the country back to the working people, and "build our country into a strong country like China".

Views on nationalism

At least in the beginning, the party is best described as Soviet patriotic. As Yurii Solomatin, a member of parliament, noted in 2000, "we are Soviet communists; we are Soviet people; we are Soviet patriots". The party continues speaking about the existence of a "

Soviet people Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in t ...

" and "Soviet homeland" and at the beginning no concessions were given to local

Ukrainian nationalism Ukrainian nationalism refers to the promotion of the unity of Ukrainians as a people and it also refers to the promotion of the identity of Ukraine as a nation state. The nation building that arose as nationalism grew following the French Revol ...

. There has been no talk of establishing a national communism unique to Ukraine and the 1st KPU Congress even criticized the notion of establishing a unique "Ukrainian communism". Instead, the KPU has opted promoting Ukraine as a "bi-cultural state". At the 1st KPU Congress, Symonenko told the delegates that "'the interests, rights and specific traits of one nation above those of other nations and nationalities', and in which 'the

Ukrainian language Ukrainian ( uk, украї́нська мо́ва, translit=ukrainska mova, label=native name, ) is an East Slavic language of the Indo-European language family. It is the native language of about 40 million people and the official state langu ...

' should not be 'over'-privileged, but left alone to enjoy 'its natural development, purged of the imposed language of the diaspora. The

Russian language Russian (russian: русский язык, russkij jazyk, link=no, ) is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language mainly spoken in Russia. It is the First language, native language of the Russians, and belongs to the Indo-European langua ...

, as the native language of half the population of Ukraine, hould be giventhe status of a state language alongside Ukrainian". Their views on patriotism is highly nostalgic. When the

Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union (UCP–CPSU), abbr. СКП–КПСС is a federation of communist parties in the post-Soviet states founded in 1993. Gennady Zyuganov has been the organisation's chairman sinc ...

(UCP–CPSU), a loose organization of post-Soviet parties was formed, it was met with open arms. However, when the Communist Party of the Russian Federation proposed in 1995 to transform the organization into a modern-day

Comintern The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet Union, Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to ...

, the KPU opposed because of their Soviet patriotic views. In recent years, their commitment to Soviet patriotism has been partially replaced with a vaguer

Eurasianism Eurasianism (russian: евразийство, ''yevraziystvo'') is a political movement in Russia which states that Russian civilization does not belong in the "European" or "Asian" categories but instead to the geopolitical concept of Eurasia, ...

. Wishing not to reestablish a union with Russia "'as a protectorate of the Russian bourgeoisie", "the Ukrainian Communists have rediscovered the natural link from Soviet to East Slavic or Eurasian nationalism in the supposed common 'economic civilization' and proclivity for collective labour of all the East Slavic peoples". As noted in the party journal ''Communist'', the "'Soviet man ... did not emerge from nothing before him stood the courageous Slavic-Rusich, the labour-loving Ukrainian peasant, the self-sacrificing Cossack". At the 4th KPU Congress, the party conceded that Ukraine would not join any particular union as long as it weakened the country's sovereignty. At the same time, Petro Symonenko publicly backed Ukraine's membership in the

Eurasian Customs Union The Eurasian Customs Union (EACU; russian: Таможенный союз ЕАЭС, Tamozhenyi soyuz) was a customs union consisting of all the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union. The customs union was a principal task of the Eurasian E ...

. Symonenko has often been referred to as a Ukrainophobe. Symonenko made controversy in 2007 when he accused the Ukrainian nationalist figure

Roman Shukhevych Roman-Taras Yosypovych Shukhevych ( uk, Рома́н-Тарас Йо́сипович Шухе́вич, also known by his pseudonym, Tur and Taras Chuprynka; 30 June 1907 – 5 March 1950), was a Ukrainian nationalist, one of the commanders of Na ...

of receiving two Iron Crosses from Adolf Hitler. Shukhevych's kids submitted a lawsuit against Symonenko in response. The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv city declared that Symonenko failed to present any proof of his claim and obligated "to refute the false information he spread about Roman Shukhevych at the next plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine after the court's decision enters into force".

Criticism

Writing on ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', Ukrainian sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko described the KPU as a "conservative and pro-Russian group", whose leaders "became a part of the bourgeois elite and invited business support for their cause", pointing out that the richest deputy of the

7th Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada The 7th Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada ( uk, Верховна Рада України VII скликання) was a session of the legislative branch of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. Its composition was based on the results of the 2012 par ...

(Oksana Kaletnik) was a member of the Communist faction. Thus, according to Ishchenko "the only things the party has in common with the determined Bolshevik revolutionaries of the past who spared neither themselves nor others are devotion to the Soviet symbols and appeals to empty “Marxist-Leninist” phrases". After the start of Euromaidan and the

Revolution of Dignity The Revolution of Dignity ( uk, Революція гідності, translit=Revoliutsiia hidnosti) also known as the Maidan Revolution or the Ukrainian Revolution,

, the party newspaper ''Komunist'' published an article comparing the protests to riots in Black ghettoes in the United States during the 1960s; the article, titled "White on the outside, black on the inside", stated that "at least in New York,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

the police sometimes make raids on such places and simply kill a few rabid Negroes. ��Even the dark-skinned vendors in Kyiv second hand shops seem a bit more civilized than our ‘light-skinned brothers’ from the western regions of the country, who have gathered on the Maidan". The article was widely condemned as racist.

Election results

Parliamentary elections

File:Ukrainian parliamentary election 2007 (CPU)a.PNG, A map showing the results of the Communist Party of Ukraine (change in voter percentage from 2006) per region for the 2007 parliamentary election File:Ukr elections 2012 multimandate oblasts kpu.png, A map showing the results of the Communist Party of Ukraine in the 2012 elections File:Результати виборів до ВР України 2014 (Комуністична партія України).png, A map showing the results of the Communist Party of Ukraine in the 2014 elections

Presidential elections

Ministerial appointments

* March–December 2007: Yuriy Haidayev

Ministry of Healthcare (Ukraine) The Ministry of Health of Ukraine ( uk, Міністерство охорони здоров'я України, ''МОЗ'') is the main healthcare body in the system of central government of Ukraine. It is based on former Ministries of Healthca ...

(

second Yanukovych government Second Yanukovych Government was a governing coalition of the Party of Regions, the Communist Party and the Socialist Party in Ukraine after the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election and the 2006 Ukrainian political crisis. Until 24 March 2007, ...

) ** Haidayev was officially unaffiliated, but he was on the party list to parliament from the Communist Party

Splinter parties

* Communist Party of Ukraine (renewed) *

Communist Party of Workers and Peasants The Communist Party of Workers and Peasants ( uk, Комуністична партія робітників і селян, ''Komunistychna Partiya Robitnykiv i Selian'', KPRS) was a political party in Ukraine, formed in 2001 following a split from ...

* Communist Party of the Donetsk People's Republic

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

Books

*

Journal articles

*

External links

*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Communist Party Of Ukraine 1993 establishments in Ukraine Banned communist parties in Ukraine Banned political parties in Ukraine Eurosceptic parties in Ukraine Far-left political parties Political parties established in 1993 Political parties in Ukraine Russian political parties in Ukraine International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties

History

Early years and electoral successes

Electoral decline

Attempts at banning of the party and disappearance from national representation

Views of the ban's legitimacy

Banning and seizure of assets

Ideology

Program

Soviet legacy

Marxism

Views on nationalism

Criticism

Election results

Parliamentary elections

Presidential elections

Ministerial appointments

Splinter parties

See also

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

Books

Journal articles

External links