Chinese Secret Societies in Ukraine in the 1920s–1930s

The paper explores the emergence and activities of secret organizations within the Chinese diaspora in Ukraine during the 1920s–1930s – a period marked by the most significant presence of the Chinese in Ukrainian society. It examines the roots of fraternal organizations in the Chinese culture and their transformation as they spread beyond China in the 18th – 20th centuries. The study analyzes the shared characteristics of such organizations in China and Ukraine, particularly their structure, functions, and influence on local communities. The research incorporates archival sources, including NKVD dossiers, documenting the activities of the Chinese convicted in Ukraine in 1935. The findings reveal the existence of a Chinese network of organized criminal groups based primarily in Kharkiv and Kyiv, engaged in drug trafficking, the operation of opium dens, robberies, and assassinations across Ukraine and the USSR. Structurally and organizationally, this network resembled secret societies found in China and among Chinese diasporas in other countries. Members of the organization were bound by brotherhood and united through a traditional ritual. Given that the primary information on these groups derives from investigative records, the paper adheres to critical approach in analyzing archival documents, separating factual data from investigators’ subjective interpretations. The research materials are useful both for studying Chinese secret societies and understanding the history of the Chinese diaspora in Ukraine and other countries. To date, no comprehensive history of the Chinese in Ukraine has been developed due to an objective lack of sources and historiographical research. The paper examines the social status of the Chinese community in Soviet Ukraine during Stalin’s Great Terror, its internal dynamics, and its interactions with the local population. The study opens new avenues for interdisciplinary research on this underexplored topic.