It was founded in opposition to the People's Movement of Ukraine, which favored Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union.

In 1992, it grew stronger as miners and local elites opposed the perceived economic mismanagement of the central government in Kyiv and alleged Ukrainization.

The territory of what is now the Donbass has been part of the Khazar Khanate, Golden Horde, the Crimean Khanate, the Russian Empire, the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic and (finally) the Ukrainian State... the Donbass is the centre [of] a unique multinational culture.In 1993 and 1994, the chairman of the Intermovement was Dmitriy Kornilov.

His brother, Vladimir Kornilov continued his work and later became a citizen of the Donetsk People's Republic.

Some observers see the small Donetsk Republic political party as the successor movement to the Interfront of the Donbas.