Why is the swastika a symbol of fascism? The real history of the swastika

Urban legend Soviet pioneers said that the swastika is four letters G gathered in a circle: Hitler, Goebbels, Goering, Himmler. The children didn’t think about what German G’s actually are different letters- H and G. Although the number of leading Nazis in G really went off scale - you can also remember Grohe, and Hess, and many others. But it's better not to remember.

The German Nazis used this sign even before Hitler came to power. And why they showed such interest in the swastika is not at all surprising: for them it was an object of mystical power that came from India, from the original Aryan territories. Well, it also looked beautiful, and the leaders of the national socialist movement always attached great importance to issues of aesthetics.

Statue of an Indian elephant with a swastika on the site of the old Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen. The statue has nothing to do with Nazism: pay attention to the dots near the center

If we consider the swastika not as part of patterns and designs, but as an independent object, then its first appearance dates back to approximately the 6th-5th centuries BC. It can be seen on objects found in excavations in the Middle East. Why is it customary to call India the birthplace of the swastika? Because the word “swastika” itself is taken from Sanskrit (a literary ancient Indian language), means “well-being”, and purely graphically (according to the most common theory) symbolizes the Sun. Four-pointedness is far from necessary for it; there is also a great variety of angles of rotation, inclination of rays and additional patterns. In classical Hindu form, she is usually depicted as in the picture below.

There are many interpretations of which direction the swastika should rotate. There is even discussion of dividing them into female and male, depending on the direction

Due to the high popularity of the Sun among people of all races, it is logical that the swastika is an element of symbolism, writing and graphics among hundreds and hundreds of ancient peoples scattered throughout the planet. Even in Christianity it has found its place, and there is an opinion that the Christian cross is its direct descendant. Family traits are really easy to discern. In our dear Orthodoxy, swastika-like elements were called “gammatic cross” and were often used in the design of temples. True, now it is not so easy to detect their traces in Russia, since after the start of the Great Patriotic War even harmless Orthodox swastikas were eliminated.

Orthodox gamma cross

The swastika is such a widespread object of world culture and religion that what is rather surprising is the rarity of its appearance in modern world. Logically, she should follow us everywhere. The answer is really simple: after the collapse of the Third Reich, it began to evoke such unpleasant associations that they got rid of it with unprecedented zeal. This is amusingly reminiscent of the story of the name Adolf, which was extremely popular in Germany at all times, but almost disappeared from use after 1945.

Craftsmen have gotten used to finding swastikas in the most unexpected places. With the advent of space images of the Earth in the public domain, the search for natural and architectural incidents has turned into a kind of sport. The most popular site for conspiracy theorists and swastikophiles is the naval base building in San Diego, California, designed in 1967.

The US Navy spent $600 thousand to somehow rid this building of its resemblance to a swastika, but the final result is disappointing

The Russian Internet and some station stalls are filled with all sorts of interpreters of Slavic pagan swastikas, where they meticulously explain in pictures what “yarovrat”, “svitovit” or “posolon” ​​means. It sounds and looks exciting, but keep in mind that there is no trace of any scientific basis behind these myths. Even the term “Kolovrat”, which has come into use, supposedly the Slavic name for the swastika, is the product of speculation and myth-making.

A beautiful example of rich Slavophile fantasy. Pay special attention to the name of the first swastika on the second page

Outlandish mystical powers attributed to the swastika, hence the interest in it from people who are suspicious, superstitious or prone to the occult. Does it bring happiness to the wearer? Think about it: Hitler used it both in the tail and in the mane, but it ended so badly that you wouldn’t wish it on your enemy.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was a big fan of swastikas. She drew the symbol everywhere she could reach with pencils and paints, especially in her children’s rooms, so that they would grow up healthy and not worry about anything. But the empress was shot by the Bolsheviks along with her entire family. The conclusions are obvious.

The swastika is the oldest and most widespread graphic sign in the world. The cross with its ends facing down decorated the facades of houses, coats of arms, weapons, jewelry, money and household items. The first mention of the swastika dates back to the eighth millennium BC.

This sign has a lot of meanings. Ancient peoples considered it a symbol of happiness, love, sun and life. Everything changed in the 20th century, when the swastika became a symbol of Hitler's rule and Nazism. Since then, people have forgotten about the primitive meaning, and only know what Hitler’s swastika means.

The swastika as an emblem of the fascist and Nazi movement

Even before the Nazis appeared on the German political scene, the swastika was used by paramilitary organizations as a symbol of nationalism. This badge was mainly worn by the soldiers of G. Erhardt’s detachment.

Hitler, as he himself wrote in a book called My Struggle, claimed that he intended the swastika to symbolize the superiority of the Aryan race. Already in 1923, at the Nazi congress, Hitler convinced his fellows that the black swastika on a white and red background symbolized the fight against Jews and communists. Everyone began to gradually forget its true meaning, and starting from 1933, people associated the swastika exclusively with Nazism.

It is also worth considering that not every swastika is the personification of Nazism. The lines should intersect at an angle of 90 degrees, and the edges should be bent at right side. The cross must be placed against the background of a white circle surrounded by a red background.

After the end of World War II, in 1946, the Nuremberg Tribunal equated the distribution of swastikas with a criminal offense. The swastika has become prohibited, as stated in paragraph 86a of the German criminal code.

As for the attitude of Russians towards the swastika, Roskomnadzor lifted the punishment for its distribution without propaganda purposes only on April 15, 2015. Now you know what Hitler's swastika means.

Various scientists have put forward hypotheses related to the fact that the swastika signifies flowing water, the female gender, fire, air, the moon and the worship of gods. This sign also acted as a symbol of fertile land.

Left-handed or right-handed swastika?

Some scientists believe that it makes no difference which way the curves of the cross are directed, but there are also experts who have a different point of view. You can determine the direction of the swastika both at the edges and at the corners. And if two crosses are drawn next to each other, the ends of which are directed towards different sides, it can be argued that this “set” personifies a man and a woman.

If speak about Slavic culture, then one swastika means movement with the sun, and the other - against it. In the first case, happiness is meant, in the other, unhappiness.

On the territory of Russia, swastikas have been repeatedly found in various designs (three, four and eight rays). It is assumed that this symbolism belongs to the Indo-Iranian tribes. A similar swastika was also found on the territory of such modern countries, like Dagestan, Georgia, Chechnya... In Chechnya, the swastika is emblazoned on many historical monuments, at the entrance to the crypts. There she was considered a symbol of the Sun.

Another interesting fact is that the swastika that we are used to seeing was the favorite symbol of Empress Catherine. She drew it everywhere she lived.

When the revolution began, the swastika became popular among artists, but the People's Commissar quickly banished it, since this symbolism had already become a symbol of the fascist movement, which had just begun to exist.

Difference between fascist and Slavic swastikas

The most significant difference between the Slavic swastika and the German one is the direction of its rotation. For the Nazis it goes clockwise, and for the Slavs it goes against it. In fact, these are not all the differences.

The Aryan swastika differs from the Slavic one in the thickness of its lines and background. Number of ends Slavic cross maybe four or eight.

It is very difficult to name the exact time of the appearance of the Slavic swastika, but it was first discovered at the settlement sites of the ancient Scythians. Markings on the walls date back to the fourth millennium BC. The swastika had different designs, but similar outlines. In most cases it meant the following:

1. Worship of the gods.
2. Self-development.
3. Unity.
4. Home comfort.
5. Wisdom.
6. Fire.

From this we can conclude that Slavic swastika denoted highly spiritual, noble and positive things.

The German swastika appeared in the early 20s of the last century. It means completely opposite things compared to Slavic. The German swastika, according to one theory, symbolizes the purity of Aryan blood, because Hitler himself said that this symbolism is dedicated to the victory of the Aryans over all other races.

The fascist swastika adorned the captured buildings, uniforms and belt buckles, and the flag of the Third Reich.

To summarize, we can conclude that fascist swastika made people forget about something that also has a positive interpretation. All over the world it is associated precisely with the fascists, but not with the sun, ancient gods and wisdom... Museums that have in their collections ancient tools, vases and other antiquities decorated with swastikas are forced to remove them from exhibitions, because people do not understand the meaning of this symbol. And this, in fact, is very sad... No one remembers that the swastika was once a symbol of the humane, bright and beautiful. Unknowing people who hear the word “swastika” immediately remember the image of Hitler, pictures of war and terrible concentration camps. Now you know what the Hitler sign means in ancient symbolism.

The swastika, that is, a cross with curved ends, has been known to many peoples, including the Slavs, for a long time. The ends of the swastika can be bent either clockwise or counterclockwise. Its color may be different, there is different variants shapes and location. The fascist swastika was banned from Nuremberg trials, as Nazi symbols. Our Red Army soldiers also once wore a swastika on their uniforms.

This symbol, the swastika, has been used by the ancient Aryans, Slavs and other peoples since time immemorial. Hitler simply made the swastika a symbol of his party, and when he came to power, a symbol of the Third Reich.

Denotes the symbol of the Sun, Solstice.

The swastika is one of the most widespread graphic symbols, which has been used by many peoples of the world since ancient times. This symbol was present on clothing, coats of arms, weapons, and household items. In Sanskrit, svasti means happiness. In America these are four letters L, four words Love, Life, Luck, fate, luck, Light.

Hitler made the swastika a symbol fascist Germany and since then the attitude towards her has changed. She became a symbol of Nazism, barbarism, and misanthropy. The Nazi swastika was a black hoe-shaped cross with the ends pointing to the right and turned at an angle of 45 degrees. After the Second World War, the image of the swastika was banned in a number of countries.

The German swastika appeared during the reign of Hitler. He approved it as a symbol of the Aryan nation.

But the swastika appeared before Hitler’s Germany, and among many peoples it symbolized the symbol of the Sun, solar energy. True, these two swastikas differ in that the corners of the cross are turned in the other direction.

A swastika is a cross with continued sides, both clockwise and counterclockwise.

It gained great popularity after the Second World War, when the Nazis made the swastika with the sides turning clockwise their symbol and became famous throughout the world...

In fact, the swastika appeared a very long time ago and was a symbol among many peoples, mainly with positive side- meant movement, the sun, or together: the movement of the sun, as well as light and, in many ways, well-being...

Germany acquired this symbol in the summer of 1920, then Hitler approved it as a symbol of the party of which he was the leader...

By the way, Hitler thought that this symbol, the swastika, actually reflected the struggle of the Aryans and as a celebration of the victory of the Aryan race...

Is the swastika the oldest graphic symbol? or?, which was used by almost all peoples in the world, but Nazi Germany used the swastika as a symbol of Nazism and because of this coincidence everyone thinks that it is prohibited.

The German swastika is not just any swasti used by all nations as a symbol of the Sun and prosperity.

U Nazi swastika There is distinctive features- This is a quadrangular cross with corners bent at 45 degrees and turning to the right. For comparison, the suasti (Kolovrat among the Slavs) is turned to the left. Well, the color scheme different nations to indicate the symbol of the sun is different

The Nazis took the idea of ​​the swastika from Indian culture.

In India, the swastika is a visual embodiment of the sound Om:



The Nazis, without the knowledge of the Hindus, took the idea of ​​this sign from them and distorted the meaning of the symbol.

Even the word Aryan is taken from the Indian Arya, which means supreme, pure.

In India this word was used in positive value: courteous, sophisticated, learned, and the Nazis called the Aryans the highest class of people.

Many Germans behaved somewhat like Indians. Himmler practiced yoga, called himself a Kshatriya (the second most important caste in India) and claimed to have fought a just war.



The Nazis received new spiritual knowledge from India from the spy Savitri Devi. She conveyed to Hitler all the information about the customs of India, and the SS leader remade everything to suit his tune.



Repeating the traditions of the Hindus in his country, Hitler wanted to become the last avatar of Vishnu - Kalki. God in this incarnation had to destroy everything unclean and repopulate the planet. This was it key idea Hitler - he wanted to remove the unworthy and leave people of the highest rank on the planet - the Aryans.

Is swastika prohibited?

The swastika is now prohibited only in the Hitlerite version. I’m from Kyiv, and I once saw how they gathered in front of the Verkhovna Rada building strange people in identical outfits with an image very similar to a swastika. It turns out that these were fans of Hinduism. In this way, they showed that you can come to terms with everything, and that you need to be wiser (I talked to them).

And you should never blindly believe in anything! The Germans believed Hitler, and what did this lead to? Analyze, don’t be fooled and be fair. No philosophy or idea is worthy of existence if it divides people.

The German swastika is the opposite symbol of the sun. It is not prohibited everywhere. I know for sure that it is still prohibited in Germany. In many computer games, the swastika was replaced by another symbol, especially for Germany.

In general, the swastika is a symbol of the Sun, good luck, happiness and creation. It has been used at all times and by all peoples, but it probably began to be banned after the Nazis began to use it.

The swastika is a graphic symbol. Among different peoples different time had their own images of swastikas. The most commonly used is the 4-pointed swastika. The German swastika was approved by Hitler himself as a symbol of the workers' party. She represented

Swastika(Sanskrit. स्वस्तिक from Sanskrit. स्वस्ति, svasti, greeting, wish of good luck) - a cross with curved ends (“rotating”), directed either clockwise (this is the movement of the earth around the sun) or counterclockwise.

(Old Indian svastika, from su, lit. “connected with good”), one of the most archaic symbols, found already in images of the Upper Paleolithic, in the ornaments of many peoples in different parts Sveta.

The swastika is one of the most ancient and widespread graphic symbols. “The swastika symbol crystallizes from the diamond-meander design, which first appeared in the Upper Paleolithic, and then inherited by almost all the peoples of the world.” Elders archaeological finds with the image of a swastika date back to approximately 25-23 millennium BC (Mezin, Kostenki, Russia).

The swastika was used by many peoples of the world - it was present on weapons, everyday items, clothing, banners and coats of arms, and was used in the decoration of churches and houses.
The swastika as a symbol has many meanings, and for most peoples they are positive. For most ancient peoples, the swastika was a symbol of the movement of life, the Sun, light, and prosperity.

Celtic Stone of Kermaria, 4th century BC

In the 20th century, the swastika (German: Hakenkreuz) became famous as a symbol of Nazism and Hitler’s Germany, and in Western culture strongly associated with the Hitlerite regime and ideology.

History and significance

The word "swastika" is a composite of two Sanskrit roots: सु, su, "good, good" and अस्ति, asti, "life, existence", that is, "well-being" or "well-being". There is another name for the swastika - “gammadion” (Greek γαμμάδιον), consisting of four Greek letters “gamma”. The swastika is considered not only as a solar symbol, but also as a symbol of the fertility of the earth. This is one of the ancient and archaic solar signs - an indicator of the visible movement of the Sun around the Earth and the division of the year into four parts - four seasons. The sign records two solstices: summer and winter - and the annual movement of the Sun. Has the idea of ​​four cardinal directions, centered around an axis. The swastika also implies the idea of ​​​​moving in two directions: clockwise and counterclockwise. Like “Yin” and “Yang”, a dual sign: rotating clockwise symbolizes male energy, counterclockwise - female. In ancient Indian scriptures, a distinction is made between male and female swastikas, which depict two female and also two male deities.

White glazed mesh covered eagle nut, Yi Dynasty

The swastika is found in the culture of the peoples of many countries around the world: in the symbolism of Ancient Egypt, in Iran, in Russia, in the ornaments of different communities. One of the oldest forms of the swastika is Asia Minor and is an ideogram of the four cardinal directions in the form of a figure with four cross-shaped curls. Even in the 7th century BC, images similar to the swastika were known in Asia Minor, consisting of four cross-shaped curls - the rounded ends are signs of cyclic movement. Interesting coincidences in the image of Indian and Asia Minor swastikas (points between the branches of the swastika, jagged thickenings at the ends). Other early forms swastikas - a square with four plant-like curves at the edges - are a sign of earth, also of Asia Minor origin. The swastika was understood as a symbol of the four main forces, the four cardinal directions, the elements, the seasons and the alchemical idea of ​​the transformation of elements.

In the cultures of countries

The swastika is one of the most archaic sacred symbols, found already in the Upper Paleolithic among many peoples of the world. India, Ancient Rus', China, Ancient Egypt, the Mayan state in Central America - this is the incomplete geography of this symbol. Swastika symbols were used to designate calendar signs back in the days of the Scythian kingdom. The swastika can be seen on old Orthodox icons. The swastika is a symbol of the Sun, good luck, happiness, and creation (the “correct” swastika). And, accordingly, the swastika in the opposite direction symbolizes darkness, destruction, the “night Sun” among the ancient Russians. As can be seen from ancient ornaments, in particular on jugs found in the vicinity of Arkaim, both swastikas were used. It has deep meaning. Day follows night, light follows darkness, rebirth follows death - and this is the natural order of things in the Universe. Therefore, in ancient times there were no “bad” and “good” swastikas - they were perceived in unity.

The first swastika designs appeared at an early stage in the formation of the symbolism of the Western Asian Neolithic cultures. Swastika-like figure 7 thousand BC. from Asia Minor consists of four cruciform scrolls, i.e. signs of vegetation, and, obviously, represents one of the variants of the ideogram of the concept “four cardinal directions”. The memory that the swastika once symbolized the four directions of the world is recorded in medieval Muslim manuscripts, and has also been preserved to this day among American Indians. Another swastika-like figure, dating back to the early stage of the Asia Minor Neolithic, consists of the Earth sign (a square with a dot) and four plant-like appendages adjacent to it. It seems that in compositions of this kind we should see the origin of the swastika - in particular, its version with rounded ends. The latter is confirmed, for example, by the ancient Cretan swastika, combined with four plant elements.

This symbol was found on clay vessels from Samarra (the territory of modern Iraq), which date back to the 5th millennium BC. The swastika in levorotatory and dextrorotatory forms is found in the pre-Aryan culture of Mohenjo-Daro (Indus River basin) and ancient China around 2000 BC. In Northeast Africa, archaeologists have found a funeral stele from the kingdom of Meroz, which existed in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. The fresco on the stele depicts a woman entering into afterworld, the deceased also has a swastika on her clothes. The rotating cross also decorates golden weights for scales that belonged to the inhabitants of Ashanta (Ghana), and clay utensils of the ancient Indians, and Persian carpets. The swastika was on almost all amulets of the Slavs, Germans, Pomors, Skalvi, Curonians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Mordovians, Udmurts, Bashkirs, Chuvash and many other peoples. In many religions, the swastika is an important religious symbol.

Ancient Greek funerary vessel, approximately 750 AD. BC.

Details of an ancient Greek burial vessel

The swastika in India has traditionally been viewed as a solar sign - a symbol of life, light, generosity and abundance. She was closely connected with the cult of the god Agni. She is mentioned in the Ramayana. Was made in the shape of a swastika wooden instrument to produce the sacred fire. They laid him flat on the ground; the depression in the middle served for a rod, which was rotated until a fire appeared, lit on the altar of the deity. It was carved in many temples, on rocks, on ancient monuments of India. Also a symbol of esoteric Buddhism. In this aspect it is called the “Seal of the Heart” and, according to legend, was imprinted on the heart of the Buddha. Her image is placed on the hearts of initiates after their death. Known as the Buddhist cross (shape similar to the Maltese cross). Swastikas are found wherever there are traces of Buddhist culture - on rocks, in temples, stupas and on Buddha statues. Together with Buddhism, it penetrated from India to China, Tibet, Siam and Japan.

Torso of a female sculpture, Sixth century BC.

In China, the swastika is used as a symbol of all the deities worshiped in the Lotus School, as well as in Tibet and Siam. In ancient Chinese manuscripts it included such concepts as “region” and “country”. Known in the form of a swastika are two curved mutually truncated fragments of a double spiral, expressing the symbolism of the relationship between “Yin” and “Yang”. In maritime civilizations, the double helix motif was an expression of the relationship between opposites, a sign of the Upper and Lower Waters, and also signified the process of the formation of life. Widely used by Jains and followers of Vishnu. In Jainism, the four arms of the swastika represent the four levels of existence.

Swastika in India

On one of the Buddhist swastikas, each blade of the cross ends with a triangle indicating the direction of movement and crowned with the arch of the flawed moon, in which the sun is placed, like in a boat. This sign represents the sign of the mystical arba, the creative quaternary, also called the hammer of Thor. A similar cross was found by Schliemann during the excavations of Troy. IN Eastern Europe, Western Siberia, Central Asia and in the Caucasus it has been found since the 2nd–1st millennium BC. IN Western Europe was known to the Celts. Depicted in pre-Christian Roman mosaics and on coins of Cyprus and Crete. An ancient Cretan rounded swastika made from plant elements is known. The Maltese cross in the shape of a swastika made of four triangles converging in the center is of Phoenician origin. It was also known to the Etruscans. In early Christianity, the swastika was known as a gamma cross. According to Guenon, until the end of the Middle Ages it was one of the emblems of Christ. According to Ossendowski, Genghis Khan wore right hand a ring with the image of a swastika, into which was set a magnificent ruby ​​- a sun stone. Ossendowski saw this ring on the hand of the Mongol governor. Currently this magic symbol known mainly in India and Central and East Asia.

Swastika on Russian territory

In Rus', swastika symbols have been known since ancient times.

The rhombic-meander swastika ornament in the Kostenki and Mezin cultures (25 - 20 thousand years BC) was studied by V. A. Gorodtsov.

How special kind swastikas, symbolizing the rising Sun-Yarila, the victory of Light over Darkness, Eternal life over death, was called Kolovrat (lit. “rotation of the wheel”, the Old Slavonic form Kolovrat was also used in the Old Russian language).

In Russian folk ornamentation, the swastika was one of the common figures until the end of the 19th century.

In post-war children's legends, there was a widespread belief that the swastika consists of 4 letters “G”, symbolizing the first letters of the surnames of the leaders of the Third Reich - Hitler, Goebbels, Himmler, Goering.

Swastika in India

In pre-Buddhist ancient Indian and some other cultures, the swastika is usually interpreted as a sign of favorable destinies, a symbol of the sun. This symbol is still widely used in India and South Korea, and most weddings, holidays and celebrations are not complete without it.

Swastika in India

Buddhist symbol of perfection (also known as manji, “whirlwind” (Japanese: まんじ, “ornament, cross, swastika”)). The vertical line indicates the relationship between heaven and earth, and the horizontal line indicates the yin-yang relationship. The direction of short lines to the left represents movement, softness, love, compassion, and their direction to the right is associated with constancy, firmness, intelligence and strength. Thus, any one-sidedness is a violation of world harmony and cannot lead to universal happiness. Love and compassion without strength and firmness are helpless, and strength and reason without mercy and love lead to the increase of evil.

Swastika in European culture

The swastika became popular in European culture in the 19th century, in the wake of the fashion of the Aryan theory. English astrologer Richard Morrison organized the Order of the Swastika in Europe, 1869. It is found on the pages of Rudyard Kipling's books. The swastika was also used by the founder of the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell. In 1915, the swastika, being very common in Latvian culture since ancient times, was depicted on the banners of battalions (then regiments) of the Latvian Rifles Russian army.

Altars with swastika V Europe:

From Aquitaine

Then, since 1918, it became an element of the official symbols of the Republic of Latvia - the emblem of military aviation, regimental insignia, insignia of societies and various organizations, state awards, is still used today. The Latvian Military Order of Lāčplēsis had the shape of a swastika. Since 1918, the swastika has been part of the state symbols of Finland (now depicted on the presidential standard, as well as on the banners of the armed forces). Later it became a symbol of the German Nazis, after they came to power - state symbol Germany (depicted on the coat of arms and flag); after World War II, her image was banned in a number of countries.

Swastika in Nazism
Appeared in the 20s of the XX century, the National Socialist German workers' party(NSDAP) chose the swastika as its party symbol. Since 1920, the swastika has become associated with Nazism and racism.

There is a very common misconception that the Nazis chose the right-handed swastika as their emblem, thereby perverting the precepts of the ancient sages and desecrating the sign itself, which is more than five thousand years old. In reality this is not the case. In the cultures of different nations, both left-handed and right-handed swastikas are found.

Only a four-pointed swastika, standing on an edge at 45°, with the ends directed to the right, can fit the definition of “Nazi” symbols. This very sign was on the state banner of National Socialist Germany from 1933 to 1945, as well as on the emblems of the civil and military services of this country. The Nazis themselves used the term Hakenkreuz (literally “crooked (hooked) cross”), which is synonymous with the word swastika (German Swastika), also used in German.

In Russia, a stylized swastika is used as the emblem of the All-Russian social movement Russian National Unity (RNE). Russian nationalists claim that the Russian swastika - Kolovrat - is ancient Slavic symbol and cannot be recognized as Nazi symbols.

Swastika in other cultures

In world history textbooks, documentaries about the Second World War we see a sign that carries the ideology of fascism. A frightening sign is painted on the armbands of the SS men, on the fascist flag. They marked captured objects. Many countries were afraid of the bloody symbol and, of course, no one thought about what the fascist swastika meant.

Historical roots

Contrary to our assumptions, the swastika is not Hitler’s invention. This symbol begins its history far before our era. In the process of studying different eras archaeologists see this ornament on clothing and various household items.

The geography of finds is vast: Iraq, India, China and even in Africa a funeral fresco with a swastika was found. However, the largest amount of evidence of the use of the swastika in Everyday life people were collected on the territory of Russia.

The word itself is translated from Sanskrit - happiness, prosperity. According to some scientists, the sign of a rotating cross symbolizes the path of the sun across the dome of heaven, is a symbol of fire and hearth. Protects the house and the temple.

Initially, in everyday life, the sign of a rotating cross began to be used by tribes of white people, the so-called Aryan race. However, Aryans are historically Indo-Iranians. Presumably, the indigenous territory is the Eurasian circumpolar region, the region of the Ural Mountains, and therefore the close connection with the Slavic peoples is quite understandable.

Later, these tribes actively moved south and settled in Iraq and India, bringing with them culture and religion to these lands.

What does the German swastika mean?

The sign of the rotating cross was revived in the 19th century thanks to active archaeological activities. Then it was used in Europe as a talisman that brought good luck. Later, a theory about the exclusivity of the German race appeared, and the swastika acquired the status symbol of many far-right German parties.

In his autobiographical book, Hitler indicated that he came up with the emblem of the new Germany on his own. However, in fact, this was already a long time ago for everyone famous sign. Hitler depicted him black, with a white ring, on a red background and called him Hakenkreuz, which in German means " hook cross».

The blood red canvas was deliberately proposed in order to attract attention Soviet people and taking into account psychological influence this shade. The white ring is a sign of national socialism, and the swastika is a sign of the Aryans' struggle for their pure blood.

According to Hitler's idea, hooks were knives prepared for Jews, gypsies and the unclean.

Swastika of the Slavs and the Nazis: differences

However, when compared with the fascist ideological emblem, a number of distinctive features were discovered:

1. The Slavs did not have clear rules for depicting the sign. A fairly large number of ornaments were considered swastikas, all of them had their own names and had special powers. They contained intersecting lines, frequent branches, or even curved curves. As you know, in the Hitler emblem there is only a tetrahedral cross with sharp curved ends to the left. All intersections and bends are at right angles;
2. The Indo-Iranians painted the sign in red on a white background, but other cultures: Buddhist and Indian used blue or yellow;
3. The Aryan sign was a powerful noble amulet that symbolized wisdom, family values and self-knowledge. According to their idea, the German cross is a weapon against the unclean race;
4. Ancestors used ornaments in household items. They decorated clothes, handles, napkins with them, and painted vases with them. The Nazis used the swastika for military and political purposes.

Thus, you cannot put both of these signs on the same line. They have quite a lot of differences, both in writing and in use and ideology.

Myths about the swastika

Highlight some misconceptions regarding the ancient graphic ornament:

• The direction of rotation does not matter. According to one theory, the direction of the sun to the right means peaceful creative energy, and if the rays look to the left, then the energy becomes destructive. The Slavs also used left-sided patterns to attract the patronage of their ancestors and increase the strength of the clan;
• The author of the German swastika is not Hitler. For the first time, the mythical sign was brought to the territory of Austria by a traveler - the abbot of the monastery Theodor Hagen at the end of the 19th century, from where it spread to German soil;
• The swastika in the form of a military sign was used not only in Germany. Since 1919, the RSFSR has used sleeve badges with swastikas to identify Kalmyk military personnel.

In connection with the difficult events of the war, the swastika cross acquired a sharply negative ideological connotation and, according to the decision of the post-war tribunal, was banned.

Rehabilitation of the Aryan symbol

Different states today have different attitudes towards the swastika:

1. In America, a certain sect is actively trying to rehabilitate the swastika. There is even a holiday for the rehabilitation of the swastika, which is called the World Day and is celebrated on June 23;
2. In Latvia, before a hockey match, during an exhibition flash mob, dancers unfurled a large swastika figure on an ice rink;
3. In Finland the swastika is used on official flag air force;
4. In Russia, heated debates are still raging over the issue of restoring the rights of the mark. There are entire groups of swastikophiles who make various positive arguments. In 2015, Roskomnadzor spoke about the permissibility of displaying the swastika without its ideological propaganda. That same year, the Constitutional Court banned the use of the swastika in any form, due to the fact that it was immoral towards veterans and their descendants.

Thus, attitudes towards the Aryan sign are different all over the world. However, we all need to remember what the fascist swastika means, since it was a symbol of the most destructive ideology in the history of mankind and has nothing in common with the ancient Slavic sign in terms of semantic load.

Video about the meaning of the fascist symbol

In this video, Vitaly Derzhavin will tell you about several more meanings of the swastika, how it appeared and who was the first to use this symbol: