He was widely known for his depictions of social struggles in Ukraine and people fighting against the Russian invasion
David Chichkan, a Ukrainian anarchist and artist who dedicated 20 years of his life to the struggle, was killed by Russian forces on 9 August in the area near Zaporizhzhia in south east Ukraine. Born in Kyiv in 1986, he began his creative career in the early 2000s. Joining the military over a year ago, he volunteered to fight alongside other anarchists in the infantry, defending the Ukrainian people against the so-called ‘Russian world’.

David was an artist well known globally for his depiction of social struggles within Ukraine and, later, his paintings of people fighting against the Russian invasion. Many activists in Ukraine and abroad can find themselves in his art, whether it is fighting with the police, the state, or capital. He was also among the people who, despite of all the challenges of war-torn Ukraine, never forgot about his comrades in Belarus and donated his art to raise funds for anarchist prisoners there.

One of his many comrades observed that “David’s ideas were not purely utopian, but rather practical, based on the real state of Ukrainian society. In his vision, community and anarcho-syndicalism required concrete implementation here and now: preserving and expanding the rights and opportunities of workers and women, overcoming colonial oppression, and redistributing wealth to those who did not have it. He considered Russian fascism to be the greatest threat to the implementation of these ideas today. David combined this ideology and practical approach like no one else and became a pillar and legend of the anti-authoritarian movement in Ukraine”.

It is hard to estimate how many people David touched through his work and his struggle. His exhibitions Ribbons and Triangles, 2022, and Lost Opportunity, 2017 were both vandalised by right-wing activists and some works were destroyed. The 2024 exhibition With Ribbons and Flags was cancelled due to threat and criticism but was to be dedicated to representatives of the anarchist and anti-authoritarianism movement defending Ukraine. Those influenced by his work will carry his legacy through the dark times into the world where people of Ukraine and all around the world can live in peace and enjoy the freedom that David gave his life for.

The story of David Chichkan is the story of many progressive journalists, artists, scientists, and workers in Ukraine—many of those fighting against Russian invasion today—who have dedicated their lives to fighting for an honest and equal society, where corruption, abuse of power and conservative dogmas can be left in the past.

The violence of the Russian state takes away the future not only of those people, but also the future of the society that could have been built by these brave souls. David’s family and comrades are asking for support to fund his funeral and gravestone. You can also support Solidarity Collectives or other organisations that are organising support not only for the fighters but also for civilian population.
Comments
Art Review obituary
anon (not verified) Wed, 08/13/2025 - 12:25
David Chichkan, Ukrainian artist whose anarchist beliefs informed his work, 1986–2025
https://artreview.com/david-chichkan-ukrainian-artist-whose-anarchist-beliefs-informed-his-work-1986-2025/
Should artwork featuring…
anon (not verified) Wed, 08/13/2025 - 13:57
Should artwork featuring military drones or Makhno next to a Ukrainian flag he never flew be considered "anarchist art" or should it be considered the human equivalent of AI slop? Recuperation hitting new highs each day.
The nationalist recuperation…
Tim Declercq Wed, 08/13/2025 - 14:34
In reply to Should artwork featuring… by anon (not verified)
The nationalist recuperation of Makhno is nothing new, nor is Freedom News as a promoter of this in the English language space. Not too long ago they published a glowing review of the old Makhnofests from around 2005-2006 which were in reality not much more than nationalist and fascist events, something which they, ironically enough, could have easily learned from the RKAS people like Shevchenko or Dubovik as they wrote quite a review of these events back then. The opportunism is through the roof.
I'm personally more surprised that the collective decided to publish a direct call for financial support for Solidarity Collectives even after we've learned that much of that support goes to far-right militia groupings. If those are the ANews standards then might as well publish financial support calls for Troy Southgate and the likes.
In a way, it's true that if…
anon (not verified) Thu, 08/14/2025 - 10:16
In reply to The nationalist recuperation… by Tim Declercq
In a way, it's true that if some outlet like FN are still being platformed elsewhere despite their fucked up support to fascist-friendly orgs, that won't teach them to be less stupid and to verify their sources. I get Anews mods are still committed to being non-sectarian... and leave benefit of the doubt to readers. They haven't removed your comments, which is a plus, but I think that could be helpful if there's at least a temporary withdrawal of support for FN with a kind of statement.... as here FN can still behave like everything's alright as they're on cruise control mode driving in the wrong direction on an highway...
Well I'm very much in favour…
Tim Declercq Thu, 08/14/2025 - 11:19
In reply to In a way, it's true that if… by anon (not verified)
Well I'm very much in favour of non-sectarian news publishing and I have no inherent issue with publishing the FN article, my only issue with publishing this is with the very last sentence of that article: "You can also support Solidarity Collectives or other organisations that are organising support not only for the fighters but also for civilian population." That's pretty much a direct call for donations, with a link to a donation website, when we know by now that at least part of those donations end up with people in fascist militia groups. In my view *that* is a bridge too far. Other than that very last sentence I'm all in favour of publishing this article - obviously I'm highly critical of the article but that's another matter than being against its publication.
Are you American? Please,…
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 08:44
In reply to Should artwork featuring… by anon (not verified)
Are you American?
Please, think about the difference between living in a coloniser country and a colonised one.
Anarchists fought alongside nationalists in Ireland, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Armenia, Korea, China and many other places.
"Anarchists fought alongside…
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 09:28
In reply to Are you American? Please,… by anon (not verified)
"Anarchists fought alongside nationalists in Ireland, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Armenia, Korea, China and many other places."
Hums... Nope?
- Irish independence movement also had a lot of Nazi supporters, and other racist scum.
- KKE was leading the liberation war of Greece against the UK and the fascists in charge. You might go risk asking Greek anarchists if they consider the KKE to ever have been their "comrades"... lol
- Korea, in a way...
- Anarchists in the national liberation of Bulgaria? Armenia? Macedonia? Wat?
Off the top of my head you seem to be confusing natlib communists with "anarchists". Not the same crowd.
If you want good examples of anti-colonial anarchist(ic) uprisings you might wanna look instead into Bougainville, Nigeria (no I am not Z), the Cangaceiros of Brazil and to some extent the Zapatistas and other native struggles in US & Canada. They might not have been all "pure black anarchist" but they at least had to nationalist state-building aims and were not co-opted or co-led by brutal authoritarians like Neonazis or tankies.
Of course they weren't White Caucasians... so maybe not of interest to u?
There were anarchists in…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/25/2025 - 15:14
In reply to "Anarchists fought alongside… by anon (not verified)
There were anarchists in Macedonia during the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilinden%E2%80%93Preobrazhenie_Uprising), and from what I recall some of their organizations would have logos with slogans like "No gods, no masters."
A concrete example:
During the late 19th century, prominent figures of the Bulgarian National Revival, including Lyuben Karavelov and Hristo Botev, first came into contact with anarchism. Under the influence of Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin, Bulgarians joined the International Workingmen's Association (IWA) and participated in the uprisings of the Paris Commune and Herzegovina. Botev himself was inspired by Bakunin to take anarchist communism back to Bulgaria, where he communicated the philosophy through his poetry.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism_in_Bulgaria . Botev is a pretty well known revolutionary in Bulgaria.
Are you aware that both…
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 09:46
In reply to Are you American? Please,… by anon (not verified)
Are you aware that both Malatesta and Kropotkin said that the Greeks of Crete were right to fight for independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1897 but it was also wrong for anarchists to intervene because of, among other things, the intervention of the Great Powers (Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the United Kingdom)?
Are you aware that Ukraine, though it has no colonies, took part in the American-led occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2000s, became the world's fourth largest arms exporter in 2012 and exported arms to Saudi Arabia, India and Myanmar despite the invasion and genocide those countries were perpetrating? Are you aware that Ukraine has bought thousands of Israeli weapons since 2022 at least? Does colonization not count when it harms Palestinians and benefits Ukrainians?
Is anarchism for white european and euro-american people only or are non-white Indigenous peoples allowed (or even allowed to live)?
For example, here is a…
Tim Declercq Wed, 08/13/2025 - 15:14
For example, here is a translation of the report from some anarchists who decided to visit that Makhnofest in 2006: (https://avtonom.org/en/pages/2006-0)
"Makhno Festival: Another Crap
On August 24-25, a festival in memory of Nestor Ivanovich took place in Gulyai-Pole (though not in the best way). Impressions of Donetsk comrades.
Tent city in front of the stadium
The first thing we saw when we arrived was a tent city located at the entrance to the stadium where the Independence Day celebration was taking place. In the center of the camp was a bunch of drunk, vomit-covered punks with black flags and bored trash nearby, watching the events with detachment, while on the edges sat quiet informals and just hippie nerds who had come to hang out at the concert, drink and talk abstruse nonsense to each other. Although, as it turned out, this was just the tip of the iceberg. We moved on.
Stadium
This is where the main action took place. In addition to a small stage, the field was dotted with various drinking establishments, pubs, and kebab shops, so that those who for some reason did not have time to get drunk could successfully do so, as they say, without leaving the cash register. After the opening of the festival, the so-called Makhnovist readings began, which proceeded very sluggishly, but the organizers zealously kicked out those poets who "desecrated" the holiday with poems in Russian. By the way, the presentation of the series "9 Lives of Nestor Makhno" took place on the big screen, but without sound, because most of the characters did not speak their native language. And then it got worse - towards the evening the first chords began to sound, and various tipsy scum from UNSO, the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists and similar organizations began to gather under the stage, Bandera flags and T-shirts with openly Nazi content began to flash around, like: “Thank God I’m not a Muscovite” or with an image of an eagle with a Ukrainian trident in its claws.
Imagine how this rabble reacted to our appearance with a black and red banner and stickers saying "fuck off fascists" - the smartest and most eloquent representatives of Ukrainian fascists, were immediately put forward to deal with the Donetsk antifa, could not string two words together, only mumbled something incoherent, trying to write us off as either Jews or "fucking communists". The advantage in numbers was about one to a hundred and clearly not in our favor, so if you want to join the beautiful, go to some Nazi rally with a call to fuck off the fascists, then share your impressions.
Having settled the problems with the patriots, we nevertheless left the stadium, since hearing the chants of the non-musicians from the stage between songs like: "Mama Anarchy! Batko Makhno! Death to the Jews!" is not the most pleasant pastime for real anarchists, so we, having gathered the most sensible elements, went to the tent city to conduct discussions, which, frankly speaking, did not go very well, since everyone's mood was spoiled by the atmosphere of the "festive".
The second day of the festival was not much different from the first, it began with the opuses of a drunken Poderevyansky, who competed with himself, who would shout louder into the microphone "faggot on the dick", then portraits of famous political figures were exhibited, and everyone could, having bought a tomato, determine the tomato leader of the nation (apparently, for the uncles of the sincere Ukrainians childhood continues to play harshly), and all this stall in the evening smoothly flowed into a concert, which we did not attend, since we got a full picture of the Day of state independence with the anarchist Makhno, who never fought for it."
Now compare this with the description Freedom News gave of the same event: (https://freedomnews.org.uk/2024/09/20/the-life-death-and-resurrection-o…)
"Between 2006 and 2009, Makhnofest, a grand artistic and cultural event, was held annually on Independence Day. As its organizers emphasized, “Officials may celebrate in Kyiv, but real Ukrainians come to Huliaipole.”"
Uhu, a "grand artistic and cultural event" indeed... After this, does it really suprise anyone that Freedom News is peddling this nationalist recuperation of Makhno in the English language space? It's fundamentally taking advantage of the lack of detailed knowledge of the political situation in Ukraine in the English language space, with few people familiar with the extent of the attempts at nationalist recuperation of the Makhnovist movement, let alone with specific events like Makhnofest or knowing where reviews of such events were published.
huh?
cold war zzzz (not verified) Thu, 08/14/2025 - 12:47
In reply to For example, here is a… by Tim Declercq
How can we be certain you are not advancing a Russian agenda? lol While I have also raised concerns about Ukraine’s fascist and statist influence within the movement, that does not mean we should dismiss all other possibilities or accept your commentary on Ukraine uncritically. Fuck FN but fuck you too xD
Like what are you suggesting…
Tim Declercq Thu, 08/14/2025 - 15:11
In reply to huh? by cold war zzzz (not verified)
Like what are you suggesting here? That I read a review of Makhnofest in a 2024 article on FN, got in my time machine to travel back to the year 2006 to write a report of that event for Avtonom, then travelled forwards again to the current day to reference it here in a comment on ANews?
You should of course never accept anything uncritically, but simply saying "fuck you" hardly qualifies as substantive criticism, and I have provided direct references for what I said so you could engage with that if you want to dispute it. Heck I could even give you some more if you want, people like Azarov have also written extensively on the nationalist recuperation of the Makhnovite movement in Ukraine, including through things like Makhnofest.
I went and checked Azarov's…
Tim Declercq Thu, 08/14/2025 - 15:47
In reply to Like what are you suggesting… by Tim Declercq
I went and checked Azarov's website and it turns out he just wrote an article on this, also expressing outrage at the mural of Makhno with the Ukrainian flag. Here's the link for those who want to read: https://azarov.net/comprehension/practic/382-war-and-anarchists.html
Dude... the paintings in the…
anon (not verified) Thu, 08/14/2025 - 15:53
In reply to huh? by cold war zzzz (not verified)
Dude... the paintings in the article above are by themselves doing nationalist recuperation of Makhno. By deing depicted next to a Ukrainian flag? Yes. Makhno was always against this national flag-waving, and if the Black Army would have existed today they'd be fighting both the Russian imperialists and Ukie nationalists.
This is why we benign amoral…
ANow (not verified) Thu, 08/14/2025 - 08:22
This is why we benign amoral nihilists snigger amongst ourselves when encountering these "artistic jingoistic anarchists", but not in their presence, or we shall be beaten. *sigh*
wtf
anarr (not verified) Fri, 08/15/2025 - 09:16
In reply to This is why we benign amoral… by ANow (not verified)
And what David has to do with this Makhnofest 20 years ago?!
Again, I feel only disgust about all these Americans ranting while we again mourn a dear friend and comrade. The least you can do is not to spit on our dead..
Here, in faraway peripheric countries..
Your peripheral country's…
anon (not verified) Fri, 08/15/2025 - 12:44
In reply to wtf by anarr (not verified)
Your peripheral country's army is getting billions of dollars in weaponry from the West, your poor peripheral country is now the biggest arms importer on the entire planet, how much support do you really need from a few dozen anarcho hippies and punks in America? If you don't want your friends to die in the Ukrainian trenches, maybe suggest they don't enlist as cannon fodder for a state that couldn't give a shit less about them. Don't expect us to salute anarchists when they become cops or politicians and then succumb to the dog eat dog institution they themselves signed up for either.
We are Post-Abyss amoral…
ANow (not verified) Sat, 08/16/2025 - 00:28
In reply to wtf by anarr (not verified)
We are Post-Abyss amoral nihilists, we smirk derisively at you jingo-drenched Statist sheeple! You beg for bombs and go to slaughter over a fenceline with your neighbors because blah blah power god orders you. *sneers*
I just want to make it clear…
Tim Declercq Sat, 08/16/2025 - 05:23
In reply to wtf by anarr (not verified)
I just want to make it clear that David had nothing whatsoever to do with Makhnofest. I brought up Makhnofest in context of a criticism of Freedom News, the publisher of this article, not a criticism of David Chichkan. His mural of Makhno with the Ukrainian State flag, the republication of which prompted my criticism of Freedom News, has been controversial since it was unveiled two years ago. In Ukraine the discussion about that mural has basically already been had years ago, but since these things only really come up in the English language space whenever someone dies you do get the issue that these discussions always erupt right after someone died.
Fatal U-turn
anon (not verified) Sat, 08/16/2025 - 02:38
Tragic. Much of Chichkan's previous work was harsh critique of war propaganda showing Russian and Ukrainian ultranationalist soldiers in uniform fighting each other - strongly implying that the nazis on both sides were essentially the same - while contrasting that with anarchists from Ukraine and Russia defying national divisions and rallying together for social justice issues and against militarism.
What happened to change his perspective? Did he indeed voluntarily line up for the meat grinder or was he forcefully mobilized?
He didn't change perspective…
anon (not verified) Sun, 08/17/2025 - 15:21
In reply to Fatal U-turn by anon (not verified)
He didn't change perspective. He always fought for freedom. He helped Ukraine outside of the army from the start of the full scale invasion and joined the army volutarily. He's a hero. Stop this "both sides" bullshit.
So he was always a liberal…
anon (not verified) Sun, 08/17/2025 - 18:51
In reply to He didn't change perspective… by anon (not verified)
So he was always a liberal not an anarchist? Because liberals think there can be freedom under a state and anarchists don't, that's the definition. It's not about being against both sides. It's about being against all sides, all states, all arms companies, even petty manipulative authoritarian individuals such as yourself who try to sell snake oil as anarchy. When our commanding officers say "jump", we don't say "how high" like you and your bootlicker buddies.
could he have been an…
anon (not verified) Sun, 08/17/2025 - 19:12
In reply to So he was always a liberal… by anon (not verified)
could he have been an anarchist, but also gone into the military, because he simply wanted to? bc of a look or a job or etc? perhaps an ulterior motive? i admit, it's a stretch
Anarchism is not pacifism or…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 06:57
In reply to So he was always a liberal… by anon (not verified)
Anarchism is not pacifism or "liberalism". Anarchists fought with weapons against the tsar, Franco, Hitler, Stalin, the Empire of Japan and now Putin.
Congrats on being so…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 07:49
In reply to Anarchism is not pacifism or… by anon (not verified)
Congrats on being so ignorant of history, including anarchist history, that you think that every single time anyone used a weapon they did so as a soldier in a state army following orders. By your definition, anarchism cannot and could never exist, only statism. By your definition every violent anarchist action in history was the work of the state, from Ravachol to Schwarzbard and beyond. Congrats on badjacketing every anarchist and autonomous rebel who ever lived. Honorable work you're carrying out, in service to the Ukrainian state.
That's in your head.
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 12:33
In reply to Congrats on being so… by anon (not verified)
That's in your head.
Just because you can't…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 14:33
In reply to That's in your head. by anon (not verified)
Just because you can't follow a conversation doesn't mean someone else is imagining something. There are more than two options in the world than just liberalism and pacifism, and if you can't figure that out, you only have yourself to blame for your willful ignorance.
You are talking about…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 16:21
In reply to Just because you can't… by anon (not verified)
You are talking about something else than me.
You started it. Have you…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 16:52
In reply to You are talking about… by anon (not verified)
You started it. Have you ever tried not typing something you've thought of? You could even whisper to yourself. Take the tinfoil hat off first though.
This is an inter-imperialist…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 08:43
In reply to Anarchism is not pacifism or… by anon (not verified)
This is an inter-imperialist war. "Putler" ain't more a Hitler as Zealotsky... who btw has been proudly wearing militarist fatigues in public and in office, something that is usually seen under military juntas and fascist regimes.
Interesting then that it was…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 12:35
In reply to This is an inter-imperialist… by anon (not verified)
Interesting then that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine.
Are you Usanian? Because in Europe all anarchists are united against Putin.
In Europe only a handful of…
Tim Declercq Mon, 08/18/2025 - 13:01
In reply to Interesting then that it was… by anon (not verified)
In Europe only a handful of idiot liberals are supporting Ukraine. The Tiger Lillies were even chased out of Exarchia when they tried to do a concert there because of their support for Ukraine.
How anarchic...
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 16:22
In reply to In Europe only a handful of… by Tim Declercq
How anarchic...
Yes it is. Events by Greek…
Tim Declercq Tue, 08/19/2025 - 05:52
In reply to How anarchic... by anon (not verified)
Yes it is. Events by Greek patriots and nationalists are also not allowed there, so why should ones by (pro-)Ukrainian ones be? They can go sing the praises of the Ukrainian regime and its NATO backers in another neighbourhood.
Nice "anarchism": "believe…
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 08:37
In reply to Yes it is. Events by Greek… by Tim Declercq
Nice "anarchism": "believe as we do or get harassed!".
You're stuffed with Putin propaganda.
Imagine how much of a…
Tim Declercq Tue, 08/19/2025 - 10:24
In reply to Nice "anarchism": "believe… by anon (not verified)
Imagine how much of a liberal you have to be to think that anarchists are required to provide a platform to reactionaries. "If you don't provide a platform for this reactionary then you're harassing them!" lol
Nationalists: "We demand to…
Tim Declercq Tue, 08/19/2025 - 10:43
In reply to Nice "anarchism": "believe… by anon (not verified)
Nationalists: "We demand to be provided with a platform in your anarchist neighbourhood."
Aanarchists: "No, go do it somewhere else."
Nationalists: "Why are you harassing us?"
Liberals: "Nice 'anarchism' anarchists, why are you harassing these poor, poor nationalists?"
lol yes indeed... that is a …
anon (not verified) Wed, 08/20/2025 - 18:07
In reply to In Europe only a handful of… by Tim Declercq
lol yes indeed... that is a "deep cut," comrade.... i didn't know people outside the neighborhood knew of that happening.
to be fair the tiger lilies were invited to perform by anarchists, & then some other anarchists objected, let's say.
"chased out" is a bit dramatic. only this musical group had a conversation with some in the neighborhood and then decided on their own to cancel...
I don't think this is widely…
Tim Declercq Wed, 08/20/2025 - 19:09
In reply to lol yes indeed... that is a … by anon (not verified)
I don't think this is widely know or anything, I just keep in touch with some of my comrades there on the facebook so I tend to hear of these things. With CNT-b we've actually been organizing some film nights about Exarchia here in Belgium, tomorrow we're screening the latest film of Yannis Youlountas, "We are not afraid of ruins."
You are correct that "chased out" is a bit dramatic, it is indeed not that they got physically chased or anything. I thought they had been originally invited by a communist from a bookstore though? At least that's how I heard it.
yes it was to be held on the…
anon (not verified) Thu, 08/21/2025 - 05:33
In reply to I don't think this is widely… by Tim Declercq
yes it was to be held on the bookshop patio, but also comrades from a neighborhood assembly were promoting the performance because of the struggle to reclaim the square. a group of foreign musicians gathering crowd in that location would have helped forced the issue. maybe even make some headlines when these "celebrities" from "real europe" get teargassed, because the state is very sensitive to these types of things. that is my perspective as an exarcheia anarchist who does not support ukraine nationalism. however while i personally would prefer that there was the concert so i can go and have a clash with police, it's not something to cry about. in general i agree with your description (or your comrades' description) of what happened.
the youlountas films are good. i couldn't understand how to make a movie about the movement during that time period and not mention the lockdown, but i accept that is not the nature of these films. they are more about "vibes."
In WWI, Germany invaded…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 14:41
In reply to Interesting then that it was… by anon (not verified)
In WWI, Germany invaded Belgium, an imperialist country that at the time had a big colony in Africa (specifically in the Congo) and a smaller one in China (specifically in the city of Tianjin). One imperialist country invading another country doesn't prevent a war from being inter-imperialist, as Belgium shows. During WWI, anarchists like Malatesta would frequently refer to Belgium in their arguments against the warmonger Kropotkin. Russia can invade other countries and the overall conflict can still be inter-imperialist because other imperialist countries are involved (like NATO). Two or more things can be true at once without cancelling each other out. Hope this helps but I'm sure it's too simple and clear to get through your tinfoil hat into your brain.
Volunteering to go shoot a…
Tim Declercq Mon, 08/18/2025 - 13:09
In reply to He didn't change perspective… by anon (not verified)
Volunteering to go shoot a bunch of people in Donbass may make him many things, but a hero isn't one of them.
Sir, this is an anarchist…
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 08:41
In reply to Volunteering to go shoot a… by Tim Declercq
Sir, this is an anarchist site, not a conservative pacifist one.
Yes it is, and all those so…
Tim Declercq Tue, 08/19/2025 - 10:35
In reply to Sir, this is an anarchist… by anon (not verified)
Yes it is, and all those so-called "anarchists" who volunteered to go shell towns and cities in Donbass and shoot a bunch of people who live there (whether civilians or those mobilized into the DNR/LNR army) should answer for it instead of being heroized.
Of course they have to…
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 17:50
In reply to Yes it is, and all those so… by Tim Declercq
Of course they have to defend themselves against Russia. Ukraine don't kill civilians.
They're not defending…
Tim Declercq Tue, 08/19/2025 - 18:09
In reply to Of course they have to… by anon (not verified)
They're not defending themselves against Russia. The vast majority of them live in the North-West, from Kiev all the way to Lviv, hundreds or even over a thousand kilometers from the frontline in the South-East. What they're defending is their Nation-State's control over regions in which they don't even live, regions which they have to travel for hundreds of kilometers to even get to. That has nothing to do with defending themselves.
Also, Ukraine doesn't kill civilians? All those missiles and shells raining down on civilian targets in Donetsk and Luhansk just magically appear in the air, not fired by the Ukrainian army?
Both teams you keep buy my…
Big Armor (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 21:24
In reply to Of course they have to… by anon (not verified)
Both teams you keep buy my armaments make Igor rich thankyou much very.
WeTF akl thjese fuivkoin…
8,balkl (not verified) Fri, 08/22/2025 - 16:45
In reply to Fatal U-turn by anon (not verified)
WeTF akl thjese fuivkoin fsasciost neop-'Nmazi natiopnaloist ion bioth fguckling sidres inaa a fiovclinh vCapoitloist bionarty wart bastyarfs!,!
Are a crew of gum-choking,…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 11:05
Are a crew of gum-choking, finger-sniffing, optic-hunting, tacticool, mutual-erred, solidarity-fever, drooling larp antifa bros and hos who couldnt be bothered to come up with anything worth doing of their own and instead operate and "regulate" this site. "purely to keep it on track" ofc"
oooOoooooOOOOh.... there…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 12:31
In reply to Are a crew of gum-choking,… by anon (not verified)
oooOoooooOOOOh.... there there... the Anews ANTIFA POLICE has kept you once again from being able to express your COMPASSIONATE LOVE for the Great White Muhrikan Race? Maybe you can file a complaint to MAGA government agents?
they wouldn't know anarchy…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 12:49
In reply to oooOoooooOOOOh.... there… by anon (not verified)
they wouldn't know anarchy if they got trapped in an elevator with musk and zuck
A lot of Russian bots in the…
European Anarchist (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 16:24
A lot of Russian bots in the comment section.
R.I.P.
Slava Ukraini!
It's a police tactic to…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/18/2025 - 16:49
In reply to A lot of Russian bots in the… by European Anarchist (not verified)
It's a police tactic to accuse people of being bots simply because they have different views than you, in this case with them being against the State and you being in favor of the Ukrainian state. A modern update on the old cop tactic of having their informants accuse real members of the Black and Native liberation movements of being cops or snitches. Congrats, bootlicker.
He's a hero. Stand with Ukraine.
Pumba (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 08:39
Everyone who stands for freedom should support those who fight against the Ruscist invasions.
I stand for freedom from…
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 09:58
In reply to He's a hero. Stand with Ukraine. by Pumba (not verified)
I stand for freedom from Ukrainian conscription, militarism (exporting weapons to and importing weapons from colonizer/imperialist countries), and resource extraction from Indigenous lands, just as I stand for freedom from all states, including Russia and Ukraine. Anyone who's not a white supremacist would do the same.
Photos from his funeral a…
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 09:49
Photos from his funeral a couple days ago in Kyiv:
https://t.me/SolidarityCollectives/2469
All those flags say it all.
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 16:24
In reply to Photos from his funeral a… by anon (not verified)
All those flags say it all.
A little clash with the far…
anon (not verified) Wed, 08/20/2025 - 18:36
In reply to Photos from his funeral a… by anon (not verified)
A little clash with the far-right at his funeral:
“Nikitin, I, a gay man, tell you that you are a faggot!”
From Solidarity Collectives
August 19, 2025
On August 18, during the farewell action for David Chichkan, a clash occurred between LGBT soldiers and antifascists who came to honor the fallen, and a far-right activist from Russia, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, Denis Nikitin, known by the call sign “White Rex.”
At the end of the farewell ceremony for David Chichkan on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Nikitin attempted to snatch the rainbow flag from the hands of Viktor Pylypenko — a combat medic and founder of the organization “LGBT Military.” (https://t.me/lgbtiqmilitary) Other soldiers and antifascists came to his aid, as a result of which the attacker was neutralized and removed from the event under a sharp remark from Pylypenko:
“Nikitin, I, a gay man, tell you that you are a faggot!”
When heroes give their lives at the front, and the whole society consolidates in resisting the fascist imperial aggressor, far-right scum try to undermine the values and memory of those who fight for a free Ukraine.
We express solidarity with the LGBT community and personally with Viktor Pylypenko, who was attacked. The free country for which we fight, and for which David Chichkan gave his life, is a country of solidarity, diversity, and egalitarianism.
And if some Führer fans want to take this future away from us — they can follow the Russian warship.
Yeah ain't nobody got a…
Tim Declercq Wed, 08/20/2025 - 19:25
In reply to A little clash with the far… by anon (not verified)
Yeah ain't nobody got a problem with nazis like Denis Kapustin at the funeral just as long as they don't try to snag anyone's flags.
Interesting that you make…
Anybody (not verified) Thu, 08/21/2025 - 12:14
In reply to Yeah ain't nobody got a… by Tim Declercq
Interesting that you make such bold statements without knowing the situation. It just shows more of arrogance mixed with ignorance rather than genuine attempt to understand what happens. Kapustin came to Maidan after the event and tried to attack a small group that was leaving thinking that he can do that, while not noticing a bigger group of people around as well.
this thread is RICH!!
anon (not verified) Tue, 08/19/2025 - 11:32
this thread is RICH!!
Comments under this news as…
Anybody (not verified) Thu, 08/21/2025 - 12:20
Comments under this news as well as under many other posts about Ukraine just shows how bankrupt are certain parts of anarchist movement in the West. One of the best anarchist artists got killed by russian state while protecting his people against invasion. In over 10 years of war in Ukraine westerners showed more ignorance than anything else in connection with that region of the world.
Example is simple even here - when you look at mural of Makhno you didn't pay attention that the flag on it is not really a ukrainian flag, but rather a diagonal blue-yellow flag, with clear depiction of how David, a veteran of anarchist movement in Ukraine struggles with the current situation and tries to understands himself in the situation where russian state tries to commit genocide against the people he is also assigned to being a ukrainian among other things.
Your twisted and ugly version of anarchism has nothing to do with social struggles, revolution or radical changes. You throw Makhno and other anarchist figures from the past in your comments as if you knew those people, but judging from what most of the anarchists from 19 and beginning of 20 century wrote, they would definitely consider your not such a nice people.
"Your twisted and ugly…
anon (not verified) Thu, 08/21/2025 - 15:53
In reply to Comments under this news as… by Anybody (not verified)
"Your twisted and ugly version of anarchism has nothing to do with social struggles, revolution or radical changes."
No u???
I'll spare the flamebait... just explain us, in your purerest vision of anarchism, how fighting for "Ukraine" up against Russia carries any liberatory project on both a social and individual level.
Also what does the blue and yellow flag in this painting means?
Thank you. There are many US…
anon (not verified) Fri, 08/22/2025 - 16:14
In reply to Comments under this news as… by Anybody (not verified)
Thank you.
There are many US-Americans here who live with the biggest military and coloniser state that have no idea what occupation means.
Most educated Ukraine…
anon (not verified) Sat, 08/23/2025 - 11:34
In reply to Thank you. There are many US… by anon (not verified)
Most educated Ukraine-supporter: Doesn't know that Indigenous peoples still exist in the United States and that the American weapons industry exists at their expense (as well as that of other Indigenous peoples like the Palestinians). European anarchists not beating the white supremacy allegations any time soon.
Never said that. The Arabs…
anon (not verified) Sun, 08/24/2025 - 12:09
In reply to Most educated Ukraine… by anon (not verified)
Never said that.
The Arabs are not indigenious to Palestine/Israel etc.
No, Palestinian Arabs _are_…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/25/2025 - 05:26
In reply to Never said that. The Arabs… by anon (not verified)
No, Palestinian Arabs _are_ indigenous to Israel. Being indigenous is not simply about who was there in the absolute beginning -- there were other ethnic groups in the Americas prior to the "current" ones that got colonized. It's more about it being a social position. Though to reply to the other commenter I don't see how you're ignoring the existence of Native Americans or whatever, so yeah.
I don’t think that’s correct…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/25/2025 - 05:40
In reply to No, Palestinian Arabs _are_… by anon (not verified)
I don’t think that’s correct. You can be colonised without being indigenous.
Words often have more than…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/25/2025 - 07:48
In reply to I don’t think that’s correct… by anon (not verified)
Words often have more than one meaning but when it comes to humans and societies, being colonized by a state/empire is what makes a people Indigenous, in the technical sense (of settler colonialism as a specific form of imperialism.) So, Palestinians are by definition Indigenous because they were colonized by the British and the Israelis, just as Cherokees are Indigenous because they were colonized by the British and the Americans. Being forcibly relocated to Oklahoma does not make Cherokees any less Indigenous to Oklahoma either because the settler state remains and stays colonizing. Hope this helps.
I disagree.
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/25/2025 - 08:21
In reply to Words often have more than… by anon (not verified)
I disagree.
Thank you for everything.
ejoty Fri, 08/22/2025 - 08:36
I had the joy of knowing him a little. A great person, artist and anarchist.
Rest in peace.
The drone artwork is…
anon (not verified) Fri, 08/22/2025 - 09:35
In reply to Thank you for everything. by ejoty
The drone artwork is particularly disgusting. Celebrating the state murder of other human beings via the cowardly detachment of capitalist remote control technology. You don't even have the balls to kill Indigenous conscripts yourselves, in person, you need robots to help you do it from a safe distance. Painting capitalist and statist sadism with an anarchist brush. Didn't think I'd see this level of depravity in my lifetime.
Especially with that fugly…
anon (not verified) Fri, 08/22/2025 - 15:30
In reply to The drone artwork is… by anon (not verified)
Especially with that fugly macho dude's pasty smile next to it... uuuugh. Freedumb drooones!
"Indigenous conscripts"?…
anon (not verified) Fri, 08/22/2025 - 16:12
In reply to The drone artwork is… by anon (not verified)
"Indigenous conscripts"?
What are you even talking about, bootlicker?
You don't know anything…
anon (not verified) Sat, 08/23/2025 - 11:40
In reply to "Indigenous conscripts"?… by anon (not verified)
You don't know anything about who lives in Russia and you're supporting the Ukrainian state army but calling other people who don't "bootlicker?" Statists are not exactly sending their strongest keyboard soldiers into this online fray are they?
Pretty sure that to these…
anon (not verified) Sun, 08/24/2025 - 07:18
In reply to You don't know anything… by anon (not verified)
Pretty sure that to these Ukie fanatics, Russia's populated by impure Muscovites who got corrupted by Mongol domination many centuries ago.
I don't know what they're…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/25/2025 - 05:28
In reply to "Indigenous conscripts"?… by anon (not verified)
I don't know what they're referring to exactly, but it could be the fact that minority groups in Russia (like those in Siberia) get disproportionately drafted.
What Makhno Said About National Self-Determination
Wayne Price@ (not verified) Sun, 08/24/2025 - 13:43
Just to set the record straight about Makhno's views on Ukrainian national self-determination: He led the Insurgent Army against nationalist forces. He also led it, composed of Ukrainian peasants and workers, in fighting for independence against Austrian and Polish invading armies, as well as against the (Soviet) Russian army.
The Makhnovist movement declared (in October 1919), “Each national group has a natural and indisputable entitlement to...maintain and develop its national culture in every sphere. It is clear that this...has nothing to do with narrow nationalism of the ‘separtist’ variety....We proclaim the right of the Ukrainian people (and every other nation) to self-determination, not in the narrow nationalist sense…, but in the sense of the toilers’ right to self-determination.” (Skirda, Nestor Makhno: Anarchy’s Cossack; 2004, pp. 377-378)
I agree that it was an error for the anarchist artist to include a Ukrainian flag in his portrait of Makhno. (I suspect that he meant to show that Makhno was for the Ukrainian people, not that he was for the Ukrainian state, but it was a mistake.) On the other hand, I don't think that NATO's support for the Ukrainian state (with the ambiguous at best participation of Trump) for its own imperialist reasons, makes Ukraine imperialist. Ukraine, even with its capitalist rulers and state, does not exploit other peoples (certainly not the Russians) nor seek to seize land from another country (ditto).
It is possible to support the war against the Russian invasion and land-grab, and the Ukrainian peoples resistance, without politically endorsing the Ukrainian state, its ruling class, or its imperialist allies. Similarly I support the Palestinians resistance to the Israeli state, despite its organizations mostly being for a new (Islamic) state, and despite their getting arms from the regional sub-imperialist Iran.
NATO's support for Ukraine…
anon (not verified) Mon, 08/25/2025 - 08:01
In reply to What Makhno Said About National Self-Determination by Wayne Price@ (not verified)
NATO's support for Ukraine doesn't make Ukraine imperialist, it just makes it a tool that imperialists are using for their own interests (which also doesn't mean that Ukraine loses its right to self-determination because of NATO intervention, it just means more than one thing can be happening at once.) What makes Ukraine a sub-imperialist or imperialist-wannabe is its frequent public political support for Israel, purchasing of Israeli weapons, export of its own weapons to Saudi Arabia and Myanmar, and its participation in the American-led occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. Not to mention all its economic relations with imperialist-capitalist states (all of Ukraine's uranium for its nuclear plants comes from just one Canadian corporation on stolen Native land, for example.)
Makhno supported national liberation without being a nationalist but he also didn't join the Ukrainian state army and fight to the last soldier, he fled the country. He had his own autonomous force, which he partially subsumed under the Red Army at certain points but retained some of its own structure at the same time. Anarchists in Ukraine today are enlisting as individuals under the command of the Ukrainian state. The autonomy of their structures is basically non-existent relative to Makhno's. And unlike him, they openly engage in statist war propaganda and often serve within fascist units. The least an anarchist can do when they end up in a statist army is not do statist propaganda falsely portraying enlistment and following state orders as part of "anarchism." But, you know, then the donations might decrease.
Add new comment