| Country: | Ukraine |
| Abbreviation: | СКУ |
| Colorcode: |
|
| Union of Communists of Ukraine | |
| Native Name: | Союз комуністів України |
| Colors: | Red |
| Native Name Lang: | uk |
| Newspaper: | Marksizm i sovremennost |
| European: | INITIATIVE (2013–2023) ECA (2023–)[1] |
| Ideology: | Communism Marxism–Leninism[2] Anti-revisionism |
| International: | IMCWP |
| Seats1 Title: | Verkhovna Rada |
| Foundation: | December 1992 |
The Union of Communists of Ukraine (Russian: Союз коммунистов Украины, Ukrainian: Союз комуністів України abbreviated СКУ or SKU) is a Ukrainian anti-revisionist[2] Marxist–Leninist Communist party.
In May 2015, a set of new Ukrainian decommunization laws came into effect, banning the Union of Communists of Ukraine from participating in electoral politics.[3]
The founding conference of the Union of Communists was held in December 1992, and it was registered with Ukrainian authorities in March 1993.[4] [5] At the time of organization on 12 March 1993 it claimed to have 2,000 members in 13 oblasts.[4] [5] Yurii Solomati was registered as the leader of the organization.[5] The main stronghold of the party has been Luhansk.[5] Initially many party members were also affiliated to the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU), although the KPU soon began purge dissident elements.[5] [6] Whilst the influence of the Union of Communists waned, it acted as a competitor of KPU in south-eastern Ukraine at an early stage.[6]
At the 23rd congress of the Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union held in March 1993, the Union of Communists is included as an associative member.[7] Considering itself as the legitimate heir of the CPSU, the Union of Communists demanded return of CPSU property seized by the Ukrainian state.[6] The organization called for the reconstruction of the Soviet Union.[6]
The Union of Communists began publishing the theoretical journal Marksizm i sovremennost (Марксизм и современность, 'Marxism and Modernity') from Kyiv in 1995.[8] Politically it is close to the Russian Communist Workers Party, with many people (including Yabrova) holding dual memberships.[6]
As of the early 2000s, the group was led by Tamila Yabrova.[6]
In 2013, the party took part in the founding of the Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties.[9]
In May 2015, laws that ban communist symbols came into effect in Ukraine.[3] Despite that, the Union of Communists of Ukraine remained active.
In June 2022, the party released a statement outlining that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a confrontation between "the international capitalist alliance of countries, led by the USA and NATO, and the international capitalist alliance of countries, led by Russian state-monopolistic capital."[10]