The Social-National Party of Ukraine (SNPU) was registered as a party on October 16, 1995;[1][35] although the original movement was founded on October 13, 1991, in Lviv. Certain political experts claim that the name of the party was an intentional reference to the Nazi Party in Germany, arguing that "Social National" is a reference to "National Socialism", the ideology claimed by the Nazi Party.[36][37] Membership was restricted to ethnic Ukrainians, and for a period the party did not accept atheists or former members of the Communist Party. The party also recruited skinheads and football hooligans.[38] Andriy Parubiy, current head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, was a leading member of the SNPU in the 1990s and head of Patriot.[39]
