Miles from Nowhere

Aftermath of Ukraine’s bloodiest day

Posted on February 21, 2014May 24, 2015 by adecolley

UPDATES FROM PAL IN KYIV

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22,

3pm In Kyiv it is all over. Government has collapsed and top people fled. Non -extremist opposition in control everywhere and impeachment of yanu has kept more extreme elements happy.

Population out in force clearing up city and areas that were battle zones a day ago are now full of people posing for pics and collecting bullets as souvenirs.

Funerals on maidan. Focus now switched to the east but even there looks ok. Unclear where yanu is.

Just been to church where priests helped during titushki scare. For me and I think city sense of pressure has lifted.

1pm Went to Independence Square (Maidan) yesterday evening, large sections of the crowd were quite angry about the deal with Yanukovych.

Various news sources have reported an unprovoked attack on all public buildings remaining in state hands, by some radical protestors, after 10 this morning.

I was so worried that I got up early and scribbled some notes for a speech to give on Maidan – about the importance of being better than the govt and using power wisely.

Continue reading Aftermath of Ukraine’s bloodiest day

Euromaidan, Kyiv, February 20

Posted on February 20, 2014May 24, 2015 by adecolley

FROM A BRITISH PAL WORKING IN KYIV

Another day of drama in Kyiv – though I’d expected that the visit by EU bigwigs would mean a truce.

About 9.30 am I was still in the flat, having slept well after the previous sleepless night. I started hearing what sounded like gunshots and muffled thumps, then ambulance sirens – it was clear something was up.

Then I heard shouting outside – assuming it was protestors lining the route for the UE bunch, I quickly got dressed and left the flat – grabbing a large sheet of paper and marker pens to make some kind of sign.

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv, February 20

Euromaidan, Kyiv – February 19

Posted on February 19, 2014May 24, 2015 by adecolley

FROM MY PAL IN KYIV

5pm – Confused picture, big danger is government says it is introducing big crackdown on ‘extremist terrorists’.

On the other hand Maidan looks very hard to dislodge without an actual shooting war – today they took over a load more public buildings and more people have settled permanently on Maidan.

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv – February 19

Deaths in Kyiv

Posted on February 18, 2014February 28, 2014 by adecolley

FROM MY PAL IN KYIV

I was working until about 2.30 this afternoon; there seemed to be a lot of sirens going off so I guessed something was going on in the city centre and headed in.

Today there was supposed to be a parliamentary vote on returning to the 2004 constitution, but the parliament did not convene in the end.

There were a lot of explosions going on at Hrushevskogo St so I walked there – the fighting had restarted and injured protestors were being ferried back from the front – one looked serious.

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The ‘Death Match’ stadium, Kyiv

Posted on February 13, 2014April 3, 2016 by adecolley

The ‘Death Match’ inspired a film starring Sylvester Stallone and is still a cause of furious debate more than 70 years after it was played.

The stadium in Kyiv which hosted the game on August 9, 1942, still stages games but is in typically decrepit Ukrainian condition.

It inspired the Escape to Victory movie but if you read wikipedia accounts then eye-witnesses claim players were not killed as a result of inflicting defeat on German players

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New Wales away kit is a dog

Posted on February 10, 2014February 10, 2014 by adecolley

To no fanfare at all, the new Wales away kit was unveiled in Cardiff’s Queen Street just after 2pm today.

About five fans were present to see the JD Sports red stickers stripped away to reveal the Adidas strip.

Absolutely not my cup of tea at all.

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Life’s a gas – Bristol Rovers 1 Oxford United 1

Posted on February 9, 2014February 9, 2014 by adecolley

If you live in South Wales and fancy sampling an 80s-style terrace frenzy with a decent crowd on it, options are few.

Newport County’s Rodney Parade doesn’t quite cut the mustard, its terraces are low-slung or uncovered.

So time to head for the land of carrot, Pirates and Sinatra. Time to sniff the Gas.

Continue reading Life’s a gas – Bristol Rovers 1 Oxford United 1

Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – February 2

Posted on February 2, 2014February 3, 2014 by adecolley

FROM A BRITISH CONTACT IN UKRAINE – TODAY IS THE 11TH SUNDAY IN A ROW THAT PROTESTERS HAVE BEEN OUT IN FORCE IN KYIV:

Just been for a good look around the protest area. It all seems to be kind of ‘bedding in’ like before – it’s just bigger now.

There are a lot of people staying in Ukraina House – from where they could be at Krushevskogo barricades in about a minute.

It’s all quite well-organised in there on a micro level – AutoMaidan Centre, medical centre, students centre, library, film centre, clothes donation area, food hall.

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Back in the USSR! Soviet soccer at the Pele Museum

Posted on January 30, 2014February 3, 2014 by adecolley

Lev Yashin and burning passion for Soviet links with Brazil feature strongly in the Pele Museum in Lugansk.

It has a host of fascinating Soviet football artefacts collected by its owner Nikolai Khudobin.

Lev Yashin, the most famous Russian footballer ever, is regarded as maybe the best goalkeeper who ever played.

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Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 26

Posted on January 26, 2014January 27, 2014 by adecolley

Latest from my pal who supports the Euromaidan protest in Kyiv:

The white banner in one of the pictures below says ‘cossack redoubt’.

At the moment there are groups of people trailing all over central Kyiv so difficult to assess numbers.

Was speaking to some young hardline types who were of the opinion that the whole state structure needs smashing to pieces; was trying to convince them that the whole thing is pointless unless they can behave better than existing power and put something better in its place.

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 26

Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 24

Posted on January 24, 2014May 24, 2015 by adecolley

Ukrainian man needs 2 months to make a shelf in the bathroom and only 2 hours to make the barricade #euromaidan

— Nadia (@nadiagulevich) January 23, 2014

FROM MY PAL IN KYIV (who is not the writer of the above tweet). The strong views of what he thinks will happen are his.

January 24, 11pm:

Pretty sure this weekend will decide it. People are flooding into Kyiv and more people in the city than ever are saying they will demonstrate, so there will be big/moderate turnout.

Many people are prepared for battle, there are large stocks of bulletproof vests, petrol bombs around conflict areas.

About 1,000 men must now win or face at least 15 year prison by new laws, but they believe the govt will kill them.

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 24

Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 23

Posted on January 23, 2014January 24, 2014 by adecolley

FROM MY PAL

Jan 23, evening:

Some western regional councils have come out against the govt, notably the Major of Lviv.

I think that Yanu and co. are weak, but also desperate – hence dangerous; the silly order to pelt the US Embassy with eggs (by ‘titushki’ – usually translated as ‘thugs’; but now they look even poorer and more miserable than before, in much fewer numbers, so I would not really apply ‘thugs’ to them) would seem indicative of some kind of dying gasp.

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 23