Трансформація суспільного ставлення українців до теми національно-визвольного руху 1920–1950-х років упродовж сучасної московської збройної агресії

Based on the analysis of scholarly literature and recent sociological research data, this study traces the changes in Ukrainians’ attitudes toward the national liberation movement of the 1920s–1950s, a topic that, amid the current Moscow-led armed aggression against Ukraine, has come to the forefront of the information front in the hybrid war.

It has been established that the phenomenon of the national liberation movement and the significant transformations in Ukrainians’ perception of the OUN–UPA struggle during the 1920s–1950s have become subjects of active academic study by historians, political scientists, and sociologists in Ukraine. The author emphasized that these changes in public attitudes have been influenced less by state policy on historical memory or scholarly achievements, and more by the violent annexation of Crimea, the occupation of parts of Donbas, and especially the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.

The paper argued that during the period of Moscow’s armed aggression, Ukrainian society has shown an increased demand for historical truth as a means of countering falsifications, pseudo-myths, and manipulations related to the term «collaborationism» in reference to the OUN–UPA. It is noted that public perception of the connotation of terms such as «fascists», «banderites», and slang neologisms like «Ukronazis», «Ukry», «Ukropy», and others has undergone significant changes. Academic knowledge and rethinking of the national resistance movement in the 1920s–1950s have become the foundation for profound shifts in Ukrainians’ attitudes toward it. Most importantly, this process has served as a factor in affirming national self-identification, strengthening national and political identity, consolidating the Ukrainian nation, and reinforcing the fighting spirit aimed at unconditional victory over Russian aggressors.

In conclusion, the author asserted that the historical truth about the desperate resistance of participants in the national liberation movement, as well as the lessons learned from their unsuccessful attempt to restore statehood in the 1920s–1950s, open the path to victory and Ukraine’s civilizational progress.