#євромайдан. #революція, #ukrainian_revolution, #Євромайдан, #euromaidan, #civil_society
Voices of the Revolution is an ongoing series chronicling the thoughts, hopes, experiences, impressions, street analyses, eyewitness accounts – the pathos and the ethos – the pulse of the Ukrainian people who stand on Maidan physically and globally in this revolution. 

Digression before war: true story.

My Russian colleague Vladimir, who’s an editor, said today: His 77 year old father lives in Novosibirsk and recently had surgery. So, he’d watched his full of what is being done on Maidan, went and changed his money to UAH, “draped himself with banknotes as if they were bullets”, as Vladimir says, and flew to Kyiv. He says: “All present and former Ukrainians have to be there, and I have nothing left to lose. There – for both Russian and Ukrainian freedom – are they fighting.”
Source

One of the first victims of January 22nd clashes with police was identified as Sergei Nigoyan, a 20-year-old ethnic Armenian who joined the protests in December after travelling from his home in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk. A video shows Nigoyan reciting poetry in the protest camp in Kiev’s Independence Square, also known as the Maidan. He then clenched his fist in a victory sign as a yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flag flapped in the background. A Ukrainian journalist, Kristina Berdinskikh, who has been profiling protesters for several weeks, interviewed Nigoyan in early January.

“I saw on TV what is happening on the Maidan, I didn’t sleep at night, I was following the news,” Nagoyan said, according to a transcript of the interview posted online.
“Then I decided to come. This is also my future.”

VIDEO:

Captured Titushky ask for the forgiveness of Ukrainian people:

Lesya Leskiv
Maryna Mirzaeva Repost
Firefighters, standing behind Berkut forces, are warning about an assault soon. They are using projectors to blind people and then attacking suddenly. Secondly, it was reported that the activists, caught by the Berkut, were brutally abused: stripped, beaten, mocked. Info has been received from the same firefighters who saved, not without a fight, those naked and beaten boys.

Lesya Leskіv
Alexander Tsyganko
“I have just been talking via Skype with a high-ranking officer of the Ukrainian army. He is convinced that yesterday night’s rebels could be suppressed in one to two hours. It turns out, according to a source, many officers refused to go against unarmed people. Yanukovych’s camp is stressed, indiscriminate refusals to obey orders and a referral to the article in the Constitution – not to obey criminal orders – are making the leaders mad.” writes Leusenko.

According to the journalist, the same information has been confirmed by another official, an acquaintance of his. “He says that the biggest tension among the Regionals [Party of Regionals] is in the police. Part of the security forces are simply afraid of war with their people, the second part of them directly refuses to take on the role of executioners, the third are pressed by relatives and asked not to take part in the suppression of the revolution.” said the journalist.

Голос катапульти / Voice of the Catapult

The catapult built by self-defense teams not only had a say last night but it has it’s own twitter account called Voice of the Catapult @ukr_catapult:

Protesters assembled a wooden catapult, based on a centuries-old design, to launch projectiles at attacking authorities. The ancient artillery helped protesters keep riot police with crowd-dispersal munitions, like tear gas, at a greater distance, while delivering a message across that distance. And while the first catapult was destroyed in the forward advance by Berkut, another was built along with the use of sling shots. Proving once again that necessity is the mother of all invention and with the right smarts you can make something out of nothing.

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrZcAsPKK74 … #Euromaidan LIVE Loudspeaker duel: police warn of prison terms, protesters offer safety to cops who join them #Ukraine
Meat Wiggle ‏@meatwiggle11h

An archer fashions his bow from a tree branch on the square.

According to the journalist, the same information has been confirmed by another official, an acquaintance of his. “He says that the biggest tension among the Regionals [Party of Regionals] is in the police. Part of the security forces are simply afraid of war with their people, the second part of them directly refuses to take on the role of executioners, the third are pressed by relatives and asked not to take part in the suppression of the revolution.” said the journalist.
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Now we can see the situation unfolding in such a way, that we will be fighting each other again in a civil war: the underfed will be fighting the hungry, the underpaid will be fighting the homeless, the ill will be fighting the unhealthy. After all both you and me understand, that THEY will remain untouched and you will never find THEIR villas. And once again everything will end up with masons, middle executives, Armenians and overall fatigue, which will allow all the executives – from provincial ones to the ones in the capital – to return back to their seats.

«Give road to proletariat! Respond to people’s demands! People want us to walk over them right now!» And we, you and me, will clear the road for them with our blood. Such assholes we are, that we can’t live neither in dictatorship, nor in democracy.

– Our people are not ready, – our leaders say. – Not ready! They are not ready to live. They don’t want to die, but they are not ready to live.

So that’s what I am talking about: not to be afraid to die in this cheerful and furious world. Not to be afraid of enemies. No matter who walks in – let it be a criminal or a patriot, a party leader or a secret agent. The first one who breaks into the house will catch it bad. Freedom is worth that, but this life is not. Courage arises from cowardice. The first one will suffer, the second one will stop and think.

Stay less at home. Be more open. Now is the time to connect and make political contacts. Look for the one you believe, the one who is honest and the one who has nothing to regret about as well. It’s easy to look for them – watch their faces. Honest people have faces, dishonest ones have asses instead of a face…And unite.

Everything is clear. When a decent government comes – we will no longer be here. When fair laws appear – we will no longer exist. And when the laws will come into force – even our children will no longer live.

That’s why, first: don’t be afraid of rebel – then it will cease to exist. Take land – then you’ll have it. Grasp freedom with your teeth. Those party leaders who live along with us, who have buried our youth – do away with them. And don’t be afraid. Don’t let anyone rule your life. Everyone knows by himself when he wants to stop living.

Mikhail Zhvanetsky
source: http://zn.ua/UKRAINE/mihail-zhvaneckiy-posovetoval-ukraincam-svobodu-derzhat-zubami-i-ne-boyatsya-137197_.html
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By Zorian Shkyryak

We are on the Maidan. We’re together, 100 000 of us. We are in our own God-given land. Be here with us in this our country’s darkest hours along with our true heroes. Great glory to every patriot. Join us! Ukraine is! Ukraine lives! God and the Truth are on our side. Glory to Ukraine!
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I‘m on Maidan.

There are so many people despite the freezing temperatures! The number of Maidan Self-Defense fighters is constantly growing. And most importantly is that people are coming from all over! I just spoke to a group of people from Donetsk, the Russian speaking patriots. Over 50 people. They say something like: “We are fed up! We are f…ing sick and tired to see those morons kill people and destroy Ukraine. We are here not because we are for the opposition, but because we are against Yanukovych and the lawlessness of bandits. We came to defend our country.” They are determined. They reassure nobody will support Yanukovych in Donbass. They say that people are being plainly intimidated, but they look towards Kyiv and will accept any outcome.

Next. Representatives and local officials (Suhiy and so on) of Party of Regions are leaving in numbers. Same actions have been reported to unfold among law enforcement. Policemen are starting to think… So, the process has begun.
New Institutskaya Street barricade has been fortified and new Maidan outpost is strong enough. There are plenty of people on Hrushevskoho Street as well, barricades are reinforced. It’s impossible to figure out the logic and actions of Yanukovych, this is beyond common sense. So, we expect attacks and wiping out operations every night, prepared for anything. We are ready.

Mass media provocations against Maidan continue, but I guess everybody understands where this is coming from and what its purpose is.

Friends, I don’t have time to answer all your private messages. Sorry, I’ll do it later. That’s all for now. I’ll be in touch. Let’s carry on. The fight goes on! Long live Ukraine!
Translated by Vo Lya
Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=720762731267592&id=635416686497814

4:10 am. Maidan. Latest news from the front lines. Over 30 thousand patriots are within the perimeter and on barricades. National Resistance and the citizens are ready to fight. Hrushevskoho Street was quiet until riot police started using rubber bullets and stun grenades on peaceful protesters. This caused another provocation. The blood of Ukrainians was spilled again. Maidan medical services reported people were wounded. In particular, a foreign journalist was hit in the leg. Animals are animals, this is the diagnosis. Maidan has installed two tents on Hrushevskogo, one for medical services, another for the warm-up of protesters. Patriots are keeping their guard. Glory to Ukraine!   ~Zorian Shkyryak, 01.24.2014
~Translated by Olia Knight

7.40, Maidan. It’s freezing. At night it fell to -20 degrees. People are standing. Sometimes tired, but standing still, ready to fight for Ukraine. With great gratitude and respect, I bow my head in front of these strong and brave people, sincere Ukrainians, real patriots. With such Cossacks we will win for sure! They are our honor, dignity and glory! They are heroes! I’m proud to be part of this great nation!  ~ Zorian Shkyryak, 01.24.2014

What is Ukraine?
By Vitaly Haidukevych
Translated by Elena Kartyshova

Ukraine is when soccer fans of various teams forget about their initial rivalry and become a Great Army of The Mad instead which scare the life out of any gangsters, regardless of whether they are wearing a military and/or police uniform or not.

Ukraine is when a leader of the Muslims sends his regards and words of respect to a leader of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Ukraine is when a famous star actress with a sea of kindness in her eyes calls for wives, mothers and grandmothers to come in from of the armed forces, so that mothers call for their children who are in the military to come to their senses and to join the other side, the people.
Ukraine is when a man arrested for public disturbances, during the pseudo-court session, looking at the future of 15 years behind bars, is dictating to his friends the continuation of a book for children which he did not have a chance to finish!

Ukraine is when a city mayor guarantees to all the people who were wounded that they will be safely treated 600 kilometers from the battle area if doctors in the capital lack conscience, heart and courage…

Ukraine is when the soldiers of internal armed forces are grateful that they are blocked by protestors as they do not have to go and fight their own people; instead they help the protesters to bring logs to keep fires going…

Ukraine is when people who are completely blind and are using assistance to even move around carry trays with mini-sandwiches and give them to the protestors – they are helping too, they feel and are needed!

Ukraine is when a cute little girl who is an actress is telling a story of how she was defending Vulytsya Hrushevskoho from predators and her eyes are sparkling with excitement. Please count the fact that in the meantime when this cute little thing was clinging to the lamp post, guerillas in uniform were throwing grenades left and right.

Ukraine is when Ukrainian gun owners give transparent hints to the head of internal police – “let the sleeping dogs lie – you might not end up too happy otherwise.”
Ukraine is when the citizens mobilize self-defense troops within one night and are catching bandits who were brought to destroy their city.

Ukraine is when, having watched the news, my child is greeting me in the morning after my night shift with a question: “Daddy, who has attacked our Maidan?” and is seeing me off asking “Are you going to Maidan or to work?”

I do not know how many of us will be arrested, beaten, kidnapped (God help, nothing worse).
I do not know if the people will win right now or a little later. But there is no way people will lose. We are all blessed by God (and it is not significant who and in which words calls for Him or prays Him).

Because Ukraine is when you cannot stand the government machine, but at the same time are deeply in love with all these unbelievable wonderful people.
https://www.facebook.com/v.gaydukevich/posts/638163776243379

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Alexander Shevchenko, the oldest member of the Ukrainian parliament raised the issue of voting in the National Council of Ukraine. He calls on all deputies representing the nation present at the vote, who did not vote for the anti-democratic laws, be ready to champion a democratic European choice in Ukraine, the Ukrainian national anthem. He asks for a minute of silence in memory of those killed in battle with the regime. He asks that they vote for a National Government of Ukraine, to implement national urban councils, municipal militia, an all-Ukrainian national vote of non confidence in Yanukovych and his discredited government.
source: https://www.facebook.com/EuroMaydanTranslations/posts/719994521344413
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Berkut eye view video:

Lesya Orobets, MP:
The rubicon is crossed.

There are three victims of the regime. One young man was severely beaten on January, 20th (morning) by Berkut at Dynamo stadium pillars, and after that was thrown down to the ground (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-YTwqUdNq0&noredirect=1 1’10-1’45). He died in hospital on January, 21st (evening).
The second young man was shoot on January, 22nd (morning) at Hrushevskogo street by 3 shots (head, neck and heart). Eyewitnesses reported that he was not throwing anything to policemen but only stood and shouted peaceful slogans. He was from Dnipropetrovsk region (Eastern Ukraine).
And the third young man was killed by the shot to the chest on January, 22nd (morning).

Additionally, the country leadership deepens mass repressions. They completed the system of pressure and threatening by adding the new instrument – kidnapping!

Activists and protestors are kidnapped in full daylight from the streets of Kyiv far from Maidan or Hrushevskogo street, where the clashes are taking place. Most of them had nothing common with those clashes, but attended peaceful EuroMaidan.

For example, an absurd story – a journalist of “Spilnobachennia”, which provides the online

broadcasting from EuroMaidan, and 2 activists were detained on January, 19th (evening) at the gas station at Naberezhno-Luhova str. just because of having gasoline in cans – for the Euromaidan electric generator, as they explained. But they were accused in preparing explosives, were put to Dniprovskyi police department and are now incriminated the participation in mass riots, the punishment for which is up to 15 years of jail. Activists say the detention was also made in a very rude and violent way.

On January, 20th (morning) 7 students went home from EuroMaidan and were kidnapped at Nyzhniy Val str. by unknown people. Their relatives were searching for them for 6 hours with no results. Later on one student sent an sms that detained were staying at Dniprovskyi police department. One of the boys felt really bad but was not provided with the necessary medical aid.

While trying to get home after EuroMaidan on January, 20th (morning) 3 activists – Yukhym Dyshkant, Dmytro Moskalets and Artur Kovalchuk were stopped and beaten by 12-15 ‘titushky’ near Holodomor Monument. After calling the police, a bus with “Berkut” policemen approached and after all, what has happened, these activists – not the ones who beat them – were brought to Desnyanskyi police department and are now arrested. On January, 21st (evening) the court took the decision about the measure of detention for Yukhym Dyshkant during investigation – 2 months of arrest.

Or another case – on January, 21st (again morning) disappeared one of the leaders of EuroMaidan civil sector Ihor Lutsenko and Yuriy Verbytskyi. Mr. Verbytskyi was wounded and Ihor brought him to the hospital where unknown people in civilian clothes with no explanations took them away. Ihor was found on January, 21st evening, he is injured. Yuriy is still missing.

Such cases of illegal detention are very frequent during the last days. It is obvious, that these actions are aimed to threat the protesters that if they continue their activity – they will be beaten, wounded and after all arrested for a few years.

According to the official information of the Ministry of Internal Affairs the number of detaines on January, 20th evening was 31 person. Most of them are incriminated “participation in riots”, which will “costs” up to 15 years of jail according to new legislation. More than 40 activists are now in the hospitals – their body condition is critical. To avoid any accusals the ones whose body condition is better are recommended not to remain in hospitals as doctors should obligatory report to police about such “dangerous” patients.

As the ruling party can’t shut up all disagreeable, they started physical destructions of them. We are using all possible legal means of fight, but the number of instruments is decreasing from day to day.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/EuroMaydanTranslations/posts/503964199719668
–——————-

Mustafa Nayyem
I love Europe. But these innocent eyes and talk about the “tragedy that awaits us all” angered me. Twenty years they watched as our politicians and oligarchs were buying homes in Europe, building a network of offshore companies, laundering money and prefering to litigate in London and Stockholm. Over the years of poverty, disadvantage and injustice in Ukraine – thousands died. And it never stopped anyone from coming to Kiev, joyfully meeting with the ministers, and in response to the demand of journalists and activists investigating financial fraud and close the illegal accounts criminals doomed to nod, say yes, of course, but it’s so hard … Probably yes, it was difficult. Welcome to the “easy way.”
Source
——————–
Andrei Rudy
46 minutes ago

This is fucking nuts. The doctors from the 17th hospital inform: A man named Fedyik, 40-45 years old, the name yet to be verified (his medical dossier is not available) – was pierced through the chest by firearm. He’s seriously injured in the lung and major blood vessel. The surgery has not yet finished, his chance to recover is 50/50. The bullet has been pull out of him. Fuckers – this is a “Blondeau” bullet – with a steel core. It has already been seen on Hrushevskoho Street (see photo). Zakharchenko, for fuck sake, this is not a non-lethal gun! This is a bullet invented by the French Resistance during WWII to smash the armor!
I hope that Zakharenko and Klyuev and Berkut will burn not only in hell but in our eyes as well. Into ashes, so that we can bury them and have nothing left.
Source
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Olga Marsh is right—the real battle for Ukraine’s independence is only beginning. All these years we lived in Mordor were somewhat changed, but still Soviet in form. Thanks to Yanukovych, the hidden dirt has been uncovered. It turned out that freedom carried certain terms. Monsters from the past simply took a break, quieting down in order to turn us back to the horrors from which we escaped.

Kravchuk’s reaction shows us his arrogant statements concerning Yanukovych—that he is the only one who is able to bring back stability and ensure the safety and value of Ukraine’s citizens. By upholding the dictatorship’s acts, Kravchuk not only invalidates his own opinions before the people, but also underlines that Ukraine’s independence was a fiction. If we do not grasp this final chance for sovereignty, sad to say, then destiny awaits us.

Rustem Adagamov, famous Russian blogger and political dissident: “Kind kievites gave me a helmet and glasses as a gift. They say they expect an attack in Hrushevskogo Street tomorrow. This is an absolutely unique to the world history situation of the protest without a leader. Just the people and THAT’S IT.

Inna Bogoslavska:
I would like everybody to learn this off by heart and to pass it on to whomever you can. And if doubt begins to weaken your resolve, remember this:
1. The government has acted outside of the law and is 100 percent doomed to fail. The fight will last several months.

2. Everyone can, and indeed has the duty to, do their part in decisively acting for the resistance: to stop paying taxes into the government budget and to spend this money in aid of the resistance; to remove all auditors from their office without exception; not to buy products that are produced by Regionals [government deputies of the Party of Regionals]; to talk every minute to those in doubt and assure them of the inevitability of the collapse of the Regionals; to take any possible measures to put pressure on active supporters of the criminal party that is in power.

3. To not allow yourself and those around you any public discontent for members of the resistance. We are all in this together. Our task is to defeat evil. It cannot get worse. It can only get better. It’s difficult, but for the best!   –Translated by Ed Young,  Source

December 12, 2013 | 18:05
Translated by Marina Grip
Source

Ukrainian billionaire Viktor Pinchuk is supporting Euromaidan. He stated this in a comment to the Financial Times, writes: The League.

“Last Saturday on Independence Square, I thought about my responsibilities as a citizen and as a businessman to make every effort in order to find a peaceful and constructive solution,” – said Pinchuk.

“It is not that the people are choosing a particular political deal. But the fact that the free citizens have made up their minds and are talking about it. Nothing could be stronger. This gives me great optimism about the future of our country,” – he added.

Earlier, the SKM group, one of the shareholders of which is Rinat Akhmetov, has appealed “to find mutually acceptable solutions to the current situation in the country.” “We are totally against any form of violence and believe that today it is necessary to make every effort to find mutually acceptable solutions that will benefit the whole country and every Ukrainian,” – said the group statement.
Related reading  

The whole family of Kyevers came to Hrushevskoho street [the main site of the clashes]. A woman and her son gave out cookies and are now waiting for the father, who’s pouring tea to protesters.

– May I photograph you?
– We are not hiding our faces.

Photo by Hanna Hrabarska

WHO IS IN EUROMAIDAN SELF-DEFENSE?

We have hundreds of Self-Defense members, there are hundreds of “Afghans” [vets from Afghanistan war]. There are hundreds of “Repulse.

And there are hundreds of Hindus (followers of the father of nonviolent resistance followers – Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi), which perform the task of sheltering the civilian population.

And how to explain to you, our European friends, that we have here a hundred Hindus? That we have priests, Ultras, students, and Cossacks, Afghans, leftist radicals, poets, Alpine climbers, Buddhists, Hutsuls, Crimean Tatars – all for one!

And you ask what percentage of the Right is involved in the protests …

–Andriy Parubiy is a Ukrainian politican and a commandant of self-defense at Euromaidan.