On Looting in the Soviet Tradition

Comment by the International Relations Section of the Central Committee of the KKE on the establishment of the so-called SOVINTERN

May 22, 2026

At present, there are two dominant tactics employed by the bourgeoisie in the territories of the former Soviet Union against the communist movement. The first involves a complete ban on Communist Parties, their symbols, and their activities, as is the case in Ukraine and the Baltic states. The second involves the manipulation of the communist movement and the exploitation of the history of the Soviet Union in order to serve the contemporary objectives of the bourgeois classes, as is the case in Russia and Belarus.

The distortion of Soviet history is characteristic of both approaches, as seen, for example, in the Goebbels-style propaganda surrounding the so-called “Holodomor” in Ukraine, or, conversely, in the portrayal of Lenin by the contemporary leadership of the Russian bourgeoisie as the “destroyer” of the magnificent Russian Empire — and, in contrast, in the presentation of Stalin as a “patriot”, stripped of his revolutionary ideology.

The KKE has repeatedly denounced and condemned the persecution of communists and communist parties, as well as anti-communism and anti-Sovietism in all sides of bourgeois distortion. Particular mention must, however, be made of the shameful attempts to exploit and appropriate the history of the USSR and the communist movement. Such is the case of the newly emerged SOVINTERN, which seeks to kill two birds with one stone by invoking both the Soviet Union and the Comintern —the Communist International.

Unraveling the SOVINTERN thread

SOVINTERN presents itself as an “International Union of the World’s Contemporary Left-Wing Forces”, founded in Moscow on 25–29April 2026 and hosted by the centre-left, social democratic party “A Just Russia”, which is represented in the Russian Parliament (State Duma), having received 7.5% of the vote and 28 deputies (out of 450). Extreme nationalist elements have also joined this party, such as Zakhar Prilepin, who previously participated in the so-called “National Bolshevik Party”, which even attempted to imitate the symbols and slogans of Hitler’s National Socialist Party and adopted the motto: “Russia is everything, everything else is nothing!”

“A Just Russia” supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was therefore expelled from the “Socialist International”, which it had joined prior to 2022. Earlier, in 2014, it had received a reprimand from this international social-democratic organization, as members of “A Just Russia” had tabled an amendment to abortion legislation, arguing, among other things, that a woman could have an abortion with her husband’s consent. So much for progress! Even earlier, in 2007, party leader S. Mironov, closely following Putin’s line, had attacked the Bolsheviks, whom he accused of imposing “total control over people’s thinking”.

It is noteworthy that Sergei Mironov, chairman of the “A Just Russia” party, which leads SOVINTERN, received as a gift from Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the mercenary group “Wagner,” a sledgehammer that has become a symbol for Russian nationalists during the imperialist war in Ukraine. This followed the release of several videos showing “Wagner” fighters using such tools to execute some of their comrades who had previously surrendered to the enemy. In addition to the dedication, the symbols of the “Wagner” group are engraved on the sledgehammer; like the organization’s name, these symbols draw inspiration from the Nazis.

It is also worth noting that in 2011, Vladislav Surkov, former aide to the Russian President and former Deputy Prime Minister, publicly stated that “A Just Russia” was created in order to manage and channel popular discontent. Over the years, “A Just Russia” has consistently supported Kremlin decisions and distinguished itself through its backing of all anti-popular legislation, including aimed at silencing dissent in Russia.

Finally, in 2026, “A Just Russia” joined the so-called “World Anti-Imperialist Platform” (WAP), which, as is well known, plays an anti-KKE role, signing the relevant declaration.

A false treasure

In statements by SOVINTERN representatives, reference is made to 100 communist and left-wing parties allegedly participating; however, no list has been published. From the available information, some communist parties already part of the WAP appear to be included, such as the so-called American Communist Party. This is a party of Trump supporters that presents itself with a communist façade and which, in the last US presidential election, supported the “pacifist” Trump. This is no coincidence, given that one of the party’s theorists has recently called on communists to engage in “tactical cooperation” with Trump against supporters of globalization.

The absurdities do not end there. From Turkey, for example, the “Vatan” party (“Homeland” party) participates in the “International Union of the World’s Contemporary Left-Wing Forces”. This is a nationalist party driven by an adventurist and hollow anti-Americanism, promoting the interests of the bourgeois classes within the Eurasian imperialist axis (China and Russia), and closely linked to a section of Turkey’s military establishment. The “Vatan” party not only supports the narrative of the so-called “Blue Homeland” doctrine —through which the Turkish bourgeoisie expresses its aggressive ambitions toward the West and challenges the sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus— but is also among its most ardent supporters. The two main theorists of “Blue Homeland”, retired admirals Cem Gürdeniz (who coined the term in 2006) and Cihat Yaycı, maintain close ties to the ideological sphere of the “Vatan” party. Gürdeniz was a regular columnist for the party newspaper Aydınlık.

Greece is represented by a one-man theoretical group, as well as by the social-democratic “Delphi Initiative”, whose representative is a businessman presenting himself as the CEO of an investment firm linked to the “South European Pipeline”.

It is unnecessary to continue further, but it is worth noting that forces of opportunism, reformism, and apologists for various forms of bourgeois management and co-optation of workers and youth to the goals of one or another bourgeois class will undoubtedly continue their harmful activity, exploiting and appropriating the history of the international workers’ and popular movement.

In this context, there is need to strengthen the ideological–political front both against anti-communism and the suppression of workers’ and popular struggles, and against those who detach the struggle against war and fascism from the struggle against capitalism that gives rise to them. We must reject fake “anti-imperialism” and “anti-fascism”, as well as similar schemes used by bourgeois and opportunist forces to entrap the peoples within their plans. Against this backdrop and under the unfavourable conditions of the international correlation of forces, the KKE and other Communist Parties continue to struggle steadfastly for the revolutionary independence of the International Communist Movement from bourgeois forces and interests, as well as for its regroupment on a Marxist–Leninist basis, against imperialist war, the bourgeois classes, capitalist exploitation, and anti-communism.