In Soviet satire of the 1960s-1980s, Ukrainian nationalists and ‘Zionists’ were regularly depicted as allies acting under the patronage of the USA. These cartoons were published not in the central ‘Krokodil’, but primarily in republican publications aimed at a local audience. The most characteristic example is the Kyiv magazine ‘Perets’.
It was not about an artistic experiment, but about a political task: to form a stable link ‘anti-Sovietism = imperialism = American money’. In the context of the Cold War, this became part of a systemic information policy.
Magazine ‘Perets’: regional satire as an instrument of ideology
‘Bandit Brothers’ and the dollar as a common sign
In issue No. 15 for 1975, artist I. Alexandrovich published a cartoon with the caption ‘BANDIT BROTHERS’. The question in the caption was rhetorical: ‘Have you noticed what connects the ‘Bandit Brothers’? The dollar sign!’
In the drawing, a Ukrainian nationalist and a ‘Zionist’ stood side by side — both presented as caricature figures with emphasized symbols: an embroidered shirt hinting at a collaborationist past, the Star of David, bags of dollars. Behind the scenes — American influence.
From the Soviet logic point of view, they were united by a common ‘sponsor’ — Washington, which allegedly uses nationalism and Zionism against Moscow.
‘Family Portrait of Imperialism’
In issue No. 19 for 1982, artist S. Gerasymchuk depicted the ‘Native Father’ — imperialism — and two ‘bloody sons’: Ukrainian bourgeois nationalism and Zionism.
Caption to the drawing: ‘FAMILY PORTRAIT OF IMPERIALISM’.
The ‘son’ in the embroidered shirt has a microphone with the inscription ‘Radio Liberty’, which broadcast from Munich and was funded by the US government. The ‘Zionist’ has ‘Plans of Aggression’ and the symbolic Star of David. The father sits on a neutron bomb.
Thus, the link was visually reinforced: nationalism + Israel + USA = a single anti-system front.
Why together?
Anti-Sovietism as a common denominator
In Soviet discourse, Ukrainian nationalists in emigration and international Zionism were united by the concept of ‘anti-Sovietism’ (‘anti-radyanshchyna’). This allowed them to be presented as ideological allies, regardless of real political differences.
In issue No. 10 for 1981, a cartoon ‘IN ONE HARNESS’ appeared — a symbolic depiction of joint movement against the USSR.
Such plots did not reflect real alliances. The State of Israel and international Jewish organizations never cooperated with former Nazi collaborators. However, in the conditions of the Cold War, propaganda on both sides often simplified and radicalized the image of the enemy.
Wolf and Fox: imagery as a tool
In issue No. 6 for 1977, artist A. Arutyunyants depicted a Ukrainian nationalist in the image of a Wolf with a trident, and Israel — in the image of a Fox with the Star of David. Caption: ‘The wolf is not related to the fox, but they have the same habits!’
The cartoon referred to familiar fairy tale archetypes, enhancing emotional perception. The Wolf is rough and straightforward. The Fox is cunning and deceitful. Together — a dangerous pair.
This visual rhetoric worked to reinforce the political narrative: any anti-Soviet movements are part of a single ‘imperialist’ project.
The context of the Cold War and the role of the USA
The Soviet position was that both Ukrainian emigration and Israel exist solely thanks to US military and financial support. Therefore, cartoons almost always feature the dollar, the American flag, or a hint of an external curator.
In issue No. 5 for 1972, artist V. Zelinsky published the drawing ‘DEMONIC CHILDREN’, where the same characters are united again.
It is important to understand: these materials were published in a state magazine and reflected the official ideological line.
In analytical publications by NANews — News from Israel | Nikk.Agency, such plots are considered as an example of how visual propaganda formed stable mythologems that outlived the USSR itself.
Local audience and hidden address
Cartoons about ‘Banderites’ in ‘Perets’ were not reprinted by the central press. They were aimed at the audience of the Ukrainian SSR. This explains the focus on the regional theme.
In each union republic, there were their own satirical magazines in national languages. In Ukraine, ‘Perets’ actively criticized local nationalism — both modern and historical (Petliura, Skoropadsky).
Materials from 1961–1982, including drawings by V. Glivenko and S. Gerasymchuk, are practically not represented on the internet today and have been preserved in paper archives.
What is important to consider today
The link ‘Banderites and Zionists’ is a product of the era of ideological confrontation. It reflects not factual alliances, but the propagandistic logic of the time.
In the conditions of the Cold War, each side formed the image of the enemy through simplification and symbolic hyperbole. Soviet satire became part of this mechanism.
Historical analysis of such materials is important not for reviving old myths, but for understanding how informational constructs are formed, reinforced, and continue to influence public perception decades later.