RELEVANCE OF DONTSOV, A TRIBUTE TO THE IDEOLOGIST'S 134-th ANNIVERSARY

"On the flag of the Ukrainian State - which we must fight for, and which must be clear for all - we should rise not a petty fleeting ideology like socialism or another "cracy," but our own native idea, the idea of our nation, the idea of Christian culture. It is about the idea of a spirited, faitfull, militant Christianity and its defenses, who in the time of need will couragely stand on the side of the Christian idea against all the apparent and secret forces, who have swore to drown the idea of Christ in the swamp of materialism and bring slavery and darkness into the world. With Christ against the devil and his servants, regardless of national affiliation." 

 - Dmytro Dontsov

On August 30, 1883, in the southern city of melitopol was born Dmytro Dontsov - a prominent political thinker, one of the ideologists of Ukrainian nationalism.

Agree that 134 years is a significant time segment. But Dontsov continues to be relevant. His works had brought a lot of benefits to the nation during the the First World War and national liberation strugge of 1917-1920, as well as in the interwar period and after the Second World War. Some his thoughts are resonate with the realities of our time. Some of them are perceived as something self-evident. As an example we can recall Dontsov's predcitions on inevitable confrontation to Russia. Others, on the other hand, still have rather revolutionary character. 

First of all it refers to voluntarism, which Dontsov had been promoting in the interwar time. After the defeat of the national liberation struggle, Ukrainians needed a special psychological energy to get out of disbelief and continue the struggle. And Dontsov found one. 

In short, Dontsov voluntarism it's conscious choice of the path of struggle, even despite that the victory seems impossible. Today's situation is significantly different from that of the interwar period. Ukrainian society, and the nationalist movement first of all, needs high level of passionarity. After all, the hardest challenges of fate can be overcomed. But it requires self-confidence and readiness to swim against the tide. 

The second guideline concerns Dontsov's traditionalism. Dontsov was not only  a fervent anti-communist, he also managed to see the futility of liberal ideology. Moreover, he had made such decission several decades before the Occidental world faced the culturally-Marxist insanity. Another point that Dontsov noted was that Western liberals are, by and large, allies of Moscow. Today, the situation has changed little. Putin's nepotism regime has all benefits from the powerlessness and unprincipleness of the leaders of Western countries.

At the same time, Dontsov's traditionalism has nothing to do with "anti-Westernism." On the contrary, Dontsov was a passionate patriot of the Occident civilization and had concidered Ukraine an important and one of the front links in Europe's defence redoubts. Today, such an orientation is especially relevant. Ukraine should not rely on the support of liberal forces in the West. But cooperation with really conservative forces is very desirable. Ukrainian national interests coincide with the interests of the revival of Western civilization.

original by Petro KLYMCHUCK, AzovPress