Revolution of Dignity or Euromaidan — are the events that took place between November 21, 2013, and February 22, 2014, and were provoked by the political leadership’s decision on renunciation of the course towards European integration and its pivot to the Russian Federation.
On November 21, 2013, the first protesters came to the main square of the country (Independence Square, ‘Maidan’ is the Ukrainian equivalent word for ‘Square’) with ‘tea and coffee’, just as the organizers of protest action urged them to do in social networks.
On February 22, 2014, President Viktor Yanukovich infamously fled from Ukraine to the Russian Federation.
We will walk through key places where the revolutionary events unfolded, and we will see the blue and yellow places on the map (where the protesters stood with blue and yellow national flags), black places (where the police and special forces of law enforcement agencies stood in black uniforms) and gray places (where ‘titushky’ wearing gray skully hats and track pants helped the law enforcement agencies to do their dirty work).
We won’t follow the sequence of events — this is not our task. Our task is to show you the places and to convey the sentiments and emotions of people who stood there and fought for their future, as far as it is possible.
We start our walking route from ‘Teatralnaya’ metro station, go down to Khreschatyk Street and stop near the exit of the underground crosswalk at the central entrance of ‘TsUM’ shopping center.
GPS: 50.444921, 30.520836
GPS: 50.444921, 30.520836
On this spot stood a barricade made of tires, branches, fragments of a Christmas tree, benches, bricks and dirt which protected protesters from attack from the rear. At first glance, there is nothing special about this barricade and it’s just the same as all the other barricades around Maidan. It’s not the first or the last barricade, and no life-changing events happened here. But mind you, we start our walking route precisely in this place for a good reason.
The barricade stands near TsUM (Central Universal Department Store), which became the property of oligarch Rinat Akhmetov long before the revolution (back in 2010). Rinat Akhmetov is popularly known as the ‘wallet’ of pro-government ‘Party of Regions’ which nominated presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich hated by all the participants of protests. In 2012, the Central Universal Department Store was closed for reconstruction works which continued even during periods of violent confrontations between protesters and security forces: workers were on their shifts at the construction site and the crane was operating. It seemed as if the regime was about to collapse and so it’s not the right time for billionaire Rinat Akhmetov to think about making money. However, businessman providently believed that he will be earning money at ease in the center of Kiev even under new authorities, and it turns out, rightly so.
It is worth pointing out that the reconstructed TsUM building wasn’t damaged at all during the revolution, except that someone painted a writing on a large banner on the building façade: ‘Rinat, are you with Ukraine or with the Kremlin?’. A few days later this writing was hastily covered with a large flag of Ukraine which served as an answer to the question.
It is to be recalled that Rinat Akhmetov is a well-known businessman from Donetsk who managed to earn his initial capital during the post-Soviet period of devastation in the criminal 90’s, which later allowed him to acquire Ukrainian enterprises. Rinat Leonidovich prefers not to talk about the ways in which he managed to earn his capital.
On this spot stood a barricade made of tires, branches, fragments of a Christmas tree, benches, bricks and dirt which protected protesters from attack from the rear. At first glance, there is nothing special about this barricade and it’s just the same as all the other barricades around Maidan. It’s not the first or the last barricade, and no life-changing events happened here. But mind you, we start our walking route precisely in this place for a good reason.
The barricade stands near TsUM (Central Universal Department Store), which became the property of oligarch Rinat Akhmetov long before the revolution (back in 2010). Rinat Akhmetov is popularly known as the ‘wallet’ of pro-government ‘Party of Regions’ which nominated presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich hated by all the participants of protests. In 2012, the Central Universal Department Store was closed for reconstruction works which continued even during periods of violent confrontations between protesters and security forces: workers were on their shifts at the construction site and the crane was operating. It seemed as if the regime was about to collapse and so it’s not the right time for billionaire Rinat Akhmetov to think about making money. However, businessman providently believed that he will be earning money at ease in the center of Kiev even under new authorities, and it turns out, rightly so.
It is worth pointing out that the reconstructed TsUM building wasn’t damaged at all during the revolution, except that someone painted a writing on a large banner on the building façade: ‘Rinat, are you with Ukraine or with the Kremlin?’. A few days later this writing was hastily covered with a large flag of Ukraine which served as an answer to the question.
It is to be recalled that Rinat Akhmetov is a well-known businessman from Donetsk who managed to earn his initial capital during the post-Soviet period of devastation in the criminal 90’s, which later allowed him to acquire Ukrainian enterprises. Rinat Leonidovich prefers not to talk about the ways in which he managed to earn his capital.
GPS: 50.446097, 30.521190
On December 1, 2013, the building of Kyiv city state administration was seized by protesters in a peaceful way and without any excesses. State administration officials didn’t come to their workplaces, while the mayor of Kiev Mr.Popov urged protesters to vacate buildings via the Internet.
On December 11, riot police ‘Berkut’ tried to force protesters out of the building. The exitway was blocked by buses. However, the protesters managed to repulse the assault. The buses were pushed away through ‘live corridors’ which were formed by the protesters who joined hands with each other. Workers watched the scene with great interest from the roof of the reconstructed Central Universal Department Store.
The occupied premises were used by protesters solely for peaceful purposes: as a place to keep warm, as a kitchen and as an overnight shelter.
GPS: 50.446097, 30.521190
On December 1, 2013, the building of Kyiv city state administration was seized by protesters in a peaceful way and without any excesses. State administration officials didn’t come to their workplaces, while the mayor of Kiev Mr.Popov urged protesters to vacate buildings via the Internet.
On December 11, riot police ‘Berkut’ tried to force protesters out of the building. The exitway was blocked by buses. However, the protesters managed to repulse the assault. The buses were pushed away through ‘live corridors’ which were formed by the protesters who joined hands with each other. Workers watched the scene with great interest from the roof of the reconstructed Central Universal Department Store.
The occupied premises were used by protesters solely for peaceful purposes: as a place to keep warm, as a kitchen and as an overnight shelter.
GPS: 50.450223, 30.523915
GPS: 50.450223, 30.523915
So here we are at the epicenter of all events that took place during the revolution.
In the center of the square there stood a stage which worked around the clock. On this stage politicians made fiery speeches, artists performed songs and dances in support of protesters, clergy prayed for the destiny of Ukraine.
The number of protesters who came to the square varied from one day to another. Some people were constantly present at the square, they ate food and slept right here in tents, and there were people who came to the square after work and stayed here until night and then went back to work in the morning. At different times, the number of protesters at the Maidan varied from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of people. For example, 500 thousand to 1.5 million people joined the ‘March of millions’ according to different estimates. The whole territory of the square and the surrounding streets were crowded with people.
Many politicians came on the stage to make a speech, but we won’t mention their names — the vast majority of them are now at the helm of state, their faces constantly appear on television and deliver political speeches which are often filled with pure populism.
Let’s name those ‘personalities of the Maidan’ who we would like to call to memory.
Ruslana Lyzhichko, Ukrainian singer, the winner of Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, which earned her the title of People’s Artist of Ukraine later that same year. She was ‘the voice of Maidan’, so to speak. She spent night after night on the stage and talked to people. Bloodstained armor vests and helmets were being brought to her on the stage, but she held on with fortitude even when the bullets whistled past at very close range.
Yevgeniy Nischuk — he is also known as ‘the voice of Maidan’. As an anchorman at the Maidan, he announced all kinds of actions and events. He was on the stage, for the most part, in the afternoon. He made important announcements about the beginning of an assault, wounded people, snipers and other dangerous situations.
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk — leader of the popular rock band ‘Okean Elzi’, is remembered not only for his fiery speeches on the stage, but also for his incredibly inspiring and patriotic concert held at the Maidan Square on December 14, 2013. Tens of thousands of people were waving the flashlights on their mobile phones in time with his song.
Sergei Nigoyan is a citizen of Ukraine of Armenian origin and an icon of the Maidan. On January 22, 2014, he was killed with a case-shot lead bullet during the ‘truce’ between protesters and special police forces. He is one of the first victims of the revolution who opened the murder tally of further victims.
He practiced karate, which is why he served as a security guard in the tent camp of the protesters. He was a well-known and charismatic young man who was loved by Maidan photographers and videographers. After confirmation of Nigoyan’s death, the video where he recites Shevchenko’s poems, has become one of the most popular ones on the Ukrainian internet.
So here we are at the epicenter of all events that took place during the revolution.
In the center of the square there stood a stage which worked around the clock. On this stage politicians made fiery speeches, artists performed songs and dances in support of protesters, clergy prayed for the destiny of Ukraine.
The number of protesters who came to the square varied from one day to another. Some people were constantly present at the square, they ate food and slept right here in tents, and there were people who came to the square after work and stayed here until night and then went back to work in the morning. At different times, the number of protesters at the Maidan varied from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of people. For example, 500 thousand to 1.5 million people joined the ‘March of millions’ according to different estimates. The whole territory of the square and the surrounding streets were crowded with people.
Many politicians came on the stage to make a speech, but we won’t mention their names — the vast majority of them are now at the helm of state, their faces constantly appear on television and deliver political speeches which are often filled with pure populism.
Let’s name those ‘personalities of the Maidan’ who we would like to call to memory.
Ruslana Lyzhichko, Ukrainian singer, the winner of Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, which earned her the title of People’s Artist of Ukraine later that same year. She was ‘the voice of Maidan’, so to speak. She spent night after night on the stage and talked to people. Bloodstained armor vests and helmets were being brought to her on the stage, but she held on with fortitude even when the bullets whistled past at very close range.
Yevgeniy Nischuk — he is also known as ‘the voice of Maidan’. As an anchorman at the Maidan, he announced all kinds of actions and events. He was on the stage, for the most part, in the afternoon. He made important announcements about the beginning of an assault, wounded people, snipers and other dangerous situations.
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk — leader of the popular rock band ‘Okean Elzi’, is remembered not only for his fiery speeches on the stage, but also for his incredibly inspiring and patriotic concert held at the Maidan Square on December 14, 2013. Tens of thousands of people were waving the flashlights on their mobile phones in time with his song.
Sergei Nigoyan is a citizen of Ukraine of Armenian origin and an icon of the Maidan. On January 22, 2014, he was killed with a case-shot lead bullet during the ‘truce’ between protesters and special police forces. He is one of the first victims of the revolution who opened the murder tally of further victims.
He practiced karate, which is why he served as a security guard in the tent camp of the protesters. He was a well-known and charismatic young man who was loved by Maidan photographers and videographers. After confirmation of Nigoyan’s death, the video where he recites Shevchenko’s poems, has become one of the most popular ones on the Ukrainian internet.
GPS: 50.450664, 30.524183
Trade union building was one of the first ‘seized’ buildings. It was used as an overnight shelter for the protestors. Later on, it was also used as a place of accommodation of wounded people.
On the night of February 19, 2014, trade union building broke into flames in multiple separate points. Just when the special police forces launched yet another assault on Maidan. The building burst into flames like a candle and the fire spread through it unusually fast. No one was in any doubt that it was an act of arson. The people in the building were caught unawares, some of them jumped out of the windows. A lot of seriously wounded people were burnt to death. Until now, the exact number of Trade Union House fire victims remains unknown.
GPS: 50.450664, 30.524183
Trade union building was one of the first ‘seized’ buildings. It was used as an overnight shelter for the protestors. Later on, it was also used as a place of accommodation of wounded people.
On the night of February 19, 2014, trade union building broke into flames in multiple separate points. Just when the special police forces launched yet another assault on Maidan. The building burst into flames like a candle and the fire spread through it unusually fast. No one was in any doubt that it was an act of arson. The people in the building were caught unawares, some of them jumped out of the windows. A lot of seriously wounded people were burnt to death. Until now, the exact number of Trade Union House fire victims remains unknown.
GPS: 50.449591, 30.526592
GPS: 50.449591, 30.526592
This is the name of the barricade which stood right under the bridge leading to ‘Zhovtnevyi Palace’. It derives from the name of the Hundred (Maidan’s self-defense unit) which stood on this barricade. This Hundred consisted primarily of residents of Lviv city and oblast.
This barricade was a hotspot of tension — just after the barricade, one hundred meters away was the map’s ‘black zone’, which is where the riot police stood. From there ‘Berkut’ officers launched their attacks, and from there they shot at protesters. The barricade was seized, destroyed and rebuilt many times.
This is the name of the barricade which stood right under the bridge leading to ‘Zhovtnevyi Palace’. It derives from the name of the Hundred (Maidan’s self-defense unit) which stood on this barricade. This Hundred consisted primarily of residents of Lviv city and oblast.
This barricade was a hotspot of tension — just after the barricade, one hundred meters away was the map’s ‘black zone’, which is where the riot police stood. From there ‘Berkut’ officers launched their attacks, and from there they shot at protesters. The barricade was seized, destroyed and rebuilt many times.
GPS: 50.448225, 30.528365
We are now standing at the spot where dozens of protesters were killed by precise sniper shots on February 20, 2014.
On February 20 at 9 a.m., protesters managed to push back the riot police officers, and the latter began to retreat hastily, but those protesters who went after them up the Institutskaya Street were shot dead by snipers.
The video of the shooting of protesters went viral across all news agencies. This video shows how people fall dead one by one, everyone got killed there: people carrying weapons, people without weapons, people who were moving forward, people who were running away, and even those who were simply trying to drag wounded protesters to safety.
The victory went to protesters, but they paid a very dear price.
According to some reports, snipers were shooting at both protesters and the police. According to the official version, 4 riot police officers were also killed with sniper bullets. The blame for shootings was laid on ‘Berkut’ officers. The court decided to arrest ex-commander of Kiev’s special purpose police unit ‘Berkut’, Major Dmitry Sadovnik. He was arrested on April 22, 2014. However, on September 19, 2014, Dmitry Sadovnik was released from custody and placed under house arrest by the judge of Pechersk District Court Svetlana Volkova. On October 4 he absconded from law enforcement agencies.
GPS: 50.448225, 30.528365
We are now standing at the spot where dozens of protesters were killed by precise sniper shots on February 20, 2014.
On February 20 at 9 a.m., protesters managed to push back the riot police officers, and the latter began to retreat hastily, but those protesters who went after them up the Institutskaya Street were shot dead by snipers.
The video of the shooting of protesters went viral across all news agencies. This video shows how people fall dead one by one, everyone got killed there: people carrying weapons, people without weapons, people who were moving forward, people who were running away, and even those who were simply trying to drag wounded protesters to safety.
The victory went to protesters, but they paid a very dear price.
According to some reports, snipers were shooting at both protesters and the police. According to the official version, 4 riot police officers were also killed with sniper bullets. The blame for shootings was laid on ‘Berkut’ officers. The court decided to arrest ex-commander of Kiev’s special purpose police unit ‘Berkut’, Major Dmitry Sadovnik. He was arrested on April 22, 2014. However, on September 19, 2014, Dmitry Sadovnik was released from custody and placed under house arrest by the judge of Pechersk District Court Svetlana Volkova. On October 4 he absconded from law enforcement agencies.
GPS: 50.446383, 30.533464
GPS: 50.446383, 30.533464
We are in the center of the ‘Government Quarter’, the main forces which defended the president were concentrated on this territory.
Special purpose police units ‘Berkut’ were the main actors on the part of law enforcement agencies. ‘Berkut’ units from throughout Ukraine were brought to Kiev in order to suppress protests. They had a sincere hatred for people who stood on the other side of the barricades. During assaults they beat unarmed people with extreme brutality, they beat protesters with their fists, feet and batons, they show no mercy even to women.
Riot police officers had a negative attitude toward journalists. The majority of mass media supported Maidan. Only a few TV channels (including the ‘Ukraine’ channel owned by Rinat Akhmetov) managed to make their way to the rear of police forces in order to interview them.
The largest number of riot police officers were guarding cordons on Institutskaya Street, on Grushevskogo Street, around the buildings of Presidential Administration, Cabinet of Ministers and Verkhovna Rada.
On the internet there was a widespread opinion that the guys ‘were only obeying orders’ (an indulgence for guilty conscience perhaps?). However, it should be recalled that the Criminal Code of Ukraine stipulates the following: ‘A person, who obeyed a patently criminal order or command, shall be criminally liable on general grounds for the acts committed in pursuance of such order or command’.
We are in the center of the ‘Government Quarter’, the main forces which defended the president were concentrated on this territory.
Special purpose police units ‘Berkut’ were the main actors on the part of law enforcement agencies. ‘Berkut’ units from throughout Ukraine were brought to Kiev in order to suppress protests. They had a sincere hatred for people who stood on the other side of the barricades. During assaults they beat unarmed people with extreme brutality, they beat protesters with their fists, feet and batons, they show no mercy even to women.
Riot police officers had a negative attitude toward journalists. The majority of mass media supported Maidan. Only a few TV channels (including the ‘Ukraine’ channel owned by Rinat Akhmetov) managed to make their way to the rear of police forces in order to interview them.
The largest number of riot police officers were guarding cordons on Institutskaya Street, on Grushevskogo Street, around the buildings of Presidential Administration, Cabinet of Ministers and Verkhovna Rada.
On the internet there was a widespread opinion that the guys ‘were only obeying orders’ (an indulgence for guilty conscience perhaps?). However, it should be recalled that the Criminal Code of Ukraine stipulates the following: ‘A person, who obeyed a patently criminal order or command, shall be criminally liable on general grounds for the acts committed in pursuance of such order or command’.
GPS: 50.446944, 30.537369
Mariinsky Park is a park located in front of the Verkhovna Rada. At the time of the revolution, the park was used as a base by ‘titushki’.
‘Titushki’ are mostly young people, in many cases they are sportsmen secretly used as instigators and mercenaries for organizing forceful provocations, brawls, and other actions involving physical force.
According to different estimates, the total number of ‘titushki’ amounted to nearly 20,000 people. They were transported by buses, supplied with food and given orders in an organized manner. This is why there was a commonly used term — ‘the army of titushki’.
These sportsmen were paid on a daily basis. They were mostly involved in provocations.
In addition to provocations against the participants of actions in support of the European integration of Ukraine, these mercenaries were involved in assaults and dismantling of barricades, blocking of events, institutions and other activities which precluded the use of special police forces.
The emergence of such a phenomenon as ‘titushki’, all of a sudden, exposed the problem of impoverishment and degradation of the Ukrainian population in the regions. Young people were ready to go beyond the law for peanuts.
A separate stage was built for ‘titushki’ who organized their own ‘Antimaidan’.
GPS: 50.446944, 30.537369
Mariinsky Park is a park located in front of the Verkhovna Rada. At the time of the revolution, the park was used as a base by ‘titushki’.
‘Titushki’ are mostly young people, in many cases they are sportsmen secretly used as instigators and mercenaries for organizing forceful provocations, brawls, and other actions involving physical force.
According to different estimates, the total number of ‘titushki’ amounted to nearly 20,000 people. They were transported by buses, supplied with food and given orders in an organized manner. This is why there was a commonly used term — ‘the army of titushki’.
These sportsmen were paid on a daily basis. They were mostly involved in provocations.
In addition to provocations against the participants of actions in support of the European integration of Ukraine, these mercenaries were involved in assaults and dismantling of barricades, blocking of events, institutions and other activities which precluded the use of special police forces.
The emergence of such a phenomenon as ‘titushki’, all of a sudden, exposed the problem of impoverishment and degradation of the Ukrainian population in the regions. Young people were ready to go beyond the law for peanuts.
A separate stage was built for ‘titushki’ who organized their own ‘Antimaidan’.
GPS: 50.450353, 30.529698
GPS: 50.450353, 30.529698
We went down to the place where at the entrance to Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium stood a large barricade — one more line of demarcation between the ‘yellow-and-blue’ and ‘black’ zones.
This is where extremely violent clashes took place. On this spot the tires were burned, which is why the majority of neighboring houses turned black. On this spot law riot police officers fired water cannons at protesters in the blistering cold. Meanwhile, on protesters’ side stood a large slingshot to hurl paving stones at riot police officers. Later on, protesters constructed something like a catapult. The catapult was destroyed by riot police during yet another assault.
Protesters pulled out the paving stones from under their feet and used them as their main weapon in the early stages of the revolution. By the end of the revolution there were almost no paving stones left underfoot, but as we can see now, the stone-block pavement has been completely restored.
We went down to the place where at the entrance to Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium stood a large barricade — one more line of demarcation between the ‘yellow-and-blue’ and ‘black’ zones.
This is where extremely violent clashes took place. On this spot the tires were burned, which is why the majority of neighboring houses turned black. On this spot law riot police officers fired water cannons at protesters in the blistering cold. Meanwhile, on protesters’ side stood a large slingshot to hurl paving stones at riot police officers. Later on, protesters constructed something like a catapult. The catapult was destroyed by riot police during yet another assault.
Protesters pulled out the paving stones from under their feet and used them as their main weapon in the early stages of the revolution. By the end of the revolution there were almost no paving stones left underfoot, but as we can see now, the stone-block pavement has been completely restored.
GPS: 50.452887, 30.527177
The Ukrainian house is an exhibition center and the former ‘Lenin house’. On January 25, 2014, this building was seized by special police forces. Since that moment approximately 200 police officers stayed inside the building.
On January 26, protesters began the seizure of Ukrainian house building. The assault lasted nearly 6 hours. Protesters made use of stones and Molotov cocktails (an incendiary mixture which became one more symbol of the Maidan along with burning tires).
After the seizure of Ukrainian house, protesters formed a ‘live corridor’, through which riot police officers exited the building. An ambulance was called for two police officers who were injured as a result of an assault.
So here we are back on Khreshchatyk street again. More than three years have passed since these events took place, but we are still unable to draw a line under them. So we will simply put an ellipsis.
GPS: 50.452887, 30.527177
The Ukrainian house is an exhibition center and the former ‘Lenin house’. On January 25, 2014, this building was seized by special police forces. Since that moment approximately 200 police officers stayed inside the building.
On January 26, protesters began the seizure of Ukrainian house building. The assault lasted nearly 6 hours. Protesters made use of stones and Molotov cocktails (an incendiary mixture which became one more symbol of the Maidan along with burning tires).
After the seizure of Ukrainian house, protesters formed a ‘live corridor’, through which riot police officers exited the building. An ambulance was called for two police officers who were injured as a result of an assault.
So here we are back on Khreshchatyk street again. More than three years have passed since these events took place, but we are still unable to draw a line under them. So we will simply put an ellipsis.
