Kyiv – where are all the leaders?

Posted on by adecolley

20131214-143803.jpg

THIS IS AN UPDATE FROM A FRIEND:

The other night (to be specific, Sunday night) I was watching the real conflict start, as buses started going up in flames and there were constant explosions from stun grenades, fireworks, gas canisters and molotov cocktails.

The demonstrators have been very careful not to damage private property, and were trying to physically manhandle a parked car out of the way of one of their hastily-erected barricades.

In the middle of all this, the car owner appeared, got in the car, drove off down the street.  Given that a nearby car was overturned and on fire, it must have been his lucky day. 

Continue reading Kyiv – where are all the leaders?

Kyiv City Hall revisited

Posted on by adecolley

20131211-172140.jpgThe last thing I did before leaving Kyiv yesterday (Tuesday) was visit City Hall for the second time.

At 1am it was abuzz with activity, even though maybe 150 people were trying to sleep on the floor.

A good 200 more were nervously awaiting an expected police raid,  which was eventually repulsed earlier today. Reports made it sound like a Keystone Cops raid.

A young man, about 23, came up to me for a chat, sporting a Napoleon frown.

His English was quite good. He spoke about how much he detested the country’s corrupt elite. He was angry but not shaking with rage.

I listened for five minutes – it seemed like it was something that he needed to get it off his chest after what had been the most charged 24 hours since the police attacked protesters on Sunday December 1.

He then walked off. I noticed for the first time he was carrying in his right hand, a very nasty looking crowbar.

Continue reading Kyiv City Hall revisited

Snow, sausages and Saakashvili

Posted on by adecolley

20131207-162633.jpgUkraine’s Euromaidan is the political equivalent of Glastonbury.

Kyiv’s Independence Square is awash with tents, oil drum fires, soup tureens boiling borscht.

There’s a powerful smell of sausages. There’s never a moment’s silence from the stage, someone is always giving a speech.

That’s mixed up with musical interludes.

Continue reading Snow, sausages and Saakashvili

Euromaidan, Kyiv – December 6

Posted on by adecolley

20131204-101800.jpgQuiet day on the barricades so far.

People mill around Independence Square, ferrying wood for fires, feeding each other, praying.

Protesters are calling for Ukrainians to join in the March for a Million on Sunday – Ukraine has a population of about 45 million.

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv – December 6

Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – December 4

Posted on by adecolley

20131204-101800.jpg
9pm Vitali Klitchko finishes speaking to a crowd of about 10,000. A quiet evening. At Parliament, more buses, all empty, are moved into the government- controlled area.

2.30pm Back at the Parliament. In their fenced off compound the Party of Regions faithful listen to a speaker. On the other side of railings they are stared at, like animals in a zoo, by opposition supporters.

There are jeers and laughs from outside the railings at the claims from the speaker on the podium. A man holds a two-sided square card about ten inches square, in a cleft stick above his head.

On one side is a picture of Yanukovych with the word ‘Tsar’, written on it. He flips the card to show Prime Minister Azarov with the wordl ‘Podilka’ on it (I don’t know what that means).

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – December 4

Kickin’ Kiev – Ukraine 2 France 0

Posted on by adecolley


So it’s Ukraine’s to lose. Finish feeble France off and the World Cup will be all the better for it.

Les Bleus were bleu-dy awful and this must rank as Ukraine’s greatest day in football – the moment the champion chokers beat a world power convincingly.

Continue reading Kickin’ Kiev – Ukraine 2 France 0