Russian propaganda uses its versions of historical events against Ukraine to discredit and devalue the achievements of Ukrainians. Propagandists regularly spread manipulative statements about the history of our state, accusing Ukrainians of rewriting the history of Kyiv Rus, the Holodomor, World War II, or certain territories, in particular, Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine. For example, Kremlin propaganda notes that Kyiv Rus was a “common state of ancestors”, which means that Ukraine and Russia have “same roots”.  Kyiv appears in such statements as “the mother of Russian cities”, which allegedly emphasizes the historical connection and strengthens the influence of the aggressor country on Ukraine. However, after the beginning of Russian aggression, disinformers almost stopped calling Kyiv Rus and began to focus on the leading role of Velykyi Novhorod in the formation of ancient Russian civilization.

Also, Russian propaganda tries to emphasize the positive aspects of the history of the USSR, significantly diminishing its negative consequences. This is how propagandists want to portray Russia as the successor to the Soviet Union and assert its influence over Ukraine. Russian propaganda downplays or denies the suffering experienced by Ukrainians during the Soviet era, especially during the Holodomor. It is portrayed as a general Soviet experience rather than a targeted genocide of Ukrainians. And the collapse of the Soviet Union is presented as “the greatest tragedy in the history of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians”. The propagandists of the aggressor countries exaggerate the role of the Soviet Union in the victory over Nazi Germany in relation to other victorious states. At the same time, they selectively keep silent or downplay the contribution and sacrifices of Ukrainians, exalting and exaggerating the role of Russia. Russian propaganda often depicts all of Ukrainian nationalism and the independence movement as Nazi through the cooperation of individual Ukrainian nationalist groups with Germany during World War II.

To justify the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russian propaganda claims that Crimea “has always been a Russian land and an integral part of it”. Russian propaganda positively highlights the periods when the island was under Russian control. At the same time, they are silent about the history of the Crimean Khanate and any positive changes in the peninsula associated with Ukraine. In addition, disinformers try to justify Stalin’s deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 by claiming that they were “Nazi collaborators”.