Olena Semenyaka
 Olena Semenyaka  (politician) | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | 1987 | |||||||||||||
| Nationality | Ukrainian | |||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Kyiv-Mohyla Academy | |||||||||||||
| Interests | Azov Battalion | |||||||||||||
Described as the "first lady" of Ukrainian nationalism, her international networking with Neo-fascist groups make her a formidable power behind the throne in Ukraine
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Olena Semenyaka has been described as the "first lady" of Ukrainian nationalism.[1]
"Her pseudo-intellectualism and international networking with Neo-fascist groups, as well as her guru-like command of the Azov movement in Ukraine, make her a formidable power behind the throne in the Kiev regime."[2]
Background
Little is known about Semenyaka and her background before Maidan in 2014. Semenyaka has a master’s degree in philosophy, specializing in the German Conservative Revolution (1918–1933). Since 2010, she has been preparing a PhD at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, interrupted by the 2013–14 Maidan.[3]
Activities
Semenyaka asserted herself as a powerbroker for Azov’s 2017 "National Manifesto," which established an alliance between the nationalist parties for the presidential and legislative elections of April and June 2019.[3]
As of 2023, Semenyaka is spokeswoman for National Corps and head of the Azov Movement’s International Outreach Office and is working to grow the group’s international ties. From April 2019, she was made responsible for coordinating transnational networks.[3]
Semenyaka networked and organized events with far-right organizations and ideologues from Europe and the United States[4] From 2016 until at least 2020, she regularly traveled across Europe, meeting with far-right groups, including Italy’s CasaPound, and Germany’s National Democratic Party, lobbying for these groups to support Azov instead of Russia.[5] Semenyaka also spoke at the far-right Scandza Forum in Sweden, alongside Mark Collett, a Neo-Nazi activist from Britain’s National Party and self-described Nazi sympathizer.[6][7]
References
- ↑ https://www.rferl.org/a/azov-ukraine-s-most-prominent-ultranationalist-group-sets-its-sights-on-u-s-europe/29600564.html
- ↑ https://twitter.com/wokesocieties/status/1657709767572193280
- ↑ a b c quoted in https://www.illiberalism.org/olena-semenyaka-the-first-lady-of-ukrainian-nationalism/#18
- ↑ https://ctc.usma.edu/the-globalization-of-far-right-extremism-an-investigative-report/
- ↑ https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/17/theres-one-far-right-movement-that-hates-the-kremlin-azov-ukraine-biletsky-nouvelle-droite-venner/
- ↑ https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/.premium-inside-the-extremist-group-that-dreams-of-ruling-ukraine-1.6936835
- ↑ https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/azov-battalion#_ftn46
