The essential book for modern Ukrainian society
"BAN RUSCISM"
The full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, demonstrated to the entire world how Ukrainians can defend their homeland and how inaccurate the predictions of Western analysts and intelligence agencies were regarding the idea that the "second strongest army in the world" could occupy Ukrainian territory within a few days. As a result of these events, terms like "Russian fascist" or "Rashist" began appearing more frequently in Ukrainian media, giving rise to the concept of "Ruscism." Consequently, the Russo-Ukrainian war has pushed Ukrainian society to actively research and seek historical parallels in the relationship between Ukraine and Russia over the centuries. As it turns out, there are not many publications on this topic, creating an urgent need for a resource that explores the components of Rashism as both an ideology and a contemporary societal practice.
"Ban Ruscsim" is a book that provides answers to complex questions about the origins of Ruscism, its spread across Ukraine, and its emergence in the modern information space.
The authors of the book "Ban Ruscism" have attempted to summarize the main directions of Russia's policies toward Ukraine and Ukrainians during various periods and across different state formations. By sharing their research with a broader audience, the authors aim to promote the cessation of such phenomena both at individual and national levels. Although the publication is labeled as "popular science," it references nearly 500 sources, ranging from archival documents to works by internationally recognized scholars.
"Ban Ruscism" is one of the first publications where the authors clearly and concisely define the components of Russian ideology and societal practices.
14 renowned authors worked together for this idea
The idea for creating this collective monograph and the inspiration behind the project came from philosopher, professor, and academician Viktor Ogneviuk, who passed away on October 21, 2022. The creating of the book began with his definition of Ruscism . In addition to him, the authors of the book include doctors of philological and historical sciences, underscoring the scholarly nature of "Ban Ruscism" and its robust factual foundation for research. Each author made a significant contribution to the book, addressing critically important issues that will help Ukrainians understand the "language" of the enemy. In their reflections, the authorial team emphasizes the importance of this topic for the reader.
Viktor Ogneviuk
(1959-2022)
Doctor of Philosophy, professor, academician of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, rector of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University.
The publication was approved for print 12 days before the presentation
The only essential element for writing a book is, of course, an idea. And the answer to the question "Why is this book needed?" was found almost immediately — the Russo-Ukrainian war became an example of a reborn form of fascism from Russia, which took on new forms and manifestations. The task before the authors in creating this publication was to highlight the main components of the "Russian world" as an ideology and practice that evolved into Rashism, a practice that moved from mere competition between two states and nations to the reality of one nation's physical extermination by another. Only by studying Rashism can Ukrainians not only ban it but also destroy the entire empire of evil.
The authors worked on turning this idea into reality for 8 months. Initially, many of the future authors doubted the possibility of creating a book within such a time frame, especially on such a socially critical topic. Despite their doubts, each of them understood the importance of this publication not only for Ukraine but also for the world, which is why they saw the process through from "idea to publication." The book was approved by the Academic Council of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University just days before its official presentation to the world.
April 2022
The visionary and inspiration behind the project, Viktor Ogneviuk, shaped the idea for the creation of the book.
May - June 2022
The authors began their cooperation by organizing and discussing the main concepts of the book.
July 2022 - January 2023
Editing the chapters of the book involved refining the content and enhancing the arguments presented.
February 2023
The first presentation of the book at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University
Structure
Created in the format of a collective monograph, the publication consists of 15 chapters that trace the history of Ukrainian and "Russian" civilizations from ancient times to the present day. It covers the centuries-old struggle between the "Western" and Moscow worlds, the ideological confrontation of the Ukrainian national liberation movement and the "Russian world." The book concludes with predictions about the post-ruscism world by Volodymyr Ohryzko, a candidate of historical sciences, head of the Center for Russian Studies, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, as well as conclusions co-authored by doctors of historical sciences Ihor Hyrych and Valentyna Piskun.
Readers can independently choose the chapters that interest them most from a historical or scientific perspective and explore the topic of Rashism at various levels. This approach allows everyone to trace the "red thread" throughout the book, which emphasizes that Ruscism is an ideology and practice of interfering in the internal affairs of other states and imposing one's own worldview through armed invasion into the borders of sovereign nations.
Currently, the idea of Ruscism has a clear definition. This definition describes it as the ideology and political activities of contemporary Russian leadership, marked by analogies to German Nazism during the interwar period and World War II. Thus, the importance of the topic raised in the book cannot be underestimated.
The main point that the authors of the book seek to convey to readers is that the history of Ruscism represents a cyclical error that humanity has repeatedly faced. For instance, Italian fascism under Mussolini in the 1930s was perceived as a relatively original and acceptable ideology of its time. Similarly, German National Socialism under Hitler enjoyed widespread support. Both fascism and National Socialism adeptly disguised themselves as acceptable ideologies for societal development. Then came World War II, and no Italian fascist was held accountable at the Nuremberg Trials. Likewise, representatives of Soviet Stalinism were absent, and it took several decades for European organizations to reach a consensus on the similarities between fascism and communism.
Humanity simply made a mistake by failing to recognize the insidiousness and criminal nature of both Italian fascism and German National Socialism in a timely manner, let alone the later emergence of Russian Ruscism.
Historical Parallel
A must-read book for every Ukrainian and foreigner alike
All of this is just a small part of the thoughts and conclusions found in the book "Ban Ruscism". I am more than convinced that readers will discover a wealth of new information, perspectives, evaluations, and concepts on its pages—ideas they may not have encountered before—that will empower them to stand more firmly on Ukrainian soil.
First presentation "BAN RUSCISM"
On February 28, 2023, at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, the presentation of the publication «Ban Ruscism» took place. The team of authors, consisting of leading historians, philosophers, political scientists, philologists, and diplomats, was present at the event in almost full attendance.
