Kolovrat

Origin:

A sun-shaped swastika with eight arms. Neo-Nazis and neo-Pagans claim this symbol has ancient Slavic origins but there is no evidence to support this claim. It likely appeared in the 1920s and has only been actively used since the 1990s. The symbol’s “arms” can point left or right.

Uses:

Slavic neo-pagans (such as the Rodnovers) often use the Kolovrat to symbolize the sun without any far-right connotations. However, some Slavic neo-pagan cults do in fact hold racist ideology.

Use as a hate symbol:

Far-right groups in a number of Slavic countries, mainly in Russia and Ukraine, use the Kolovrat in place of a swastika. It was also included in the emblem of the Russian right-wing radical movement Russian National Unity.

To far-right groups, it is a symbol of Slavic heritage, used to draw contrast to non-Slavs.

In Ukraine, it is widely used as an indicator of far-right views, often without any stated affiliation with a specific organization or structure.

It is often used in graffiti and as a tattoo.

Due to its popularity, this symbol can be used mistakenly. As such, it is important to look at the context in which it appears and to check for the presence of other hate symbols.