The famous meme of a Ukrainian farmer towing a Russian tank away is immortalised in this central reservation tribute.
It’s at KPI, about a mile from the central station on the main route west out of town.
Kyiv
The Yanukovych Palace and Berkut break-up
Wednesday, February 26 update from a pal
Just found out that Berkut have now been abolished – very pleased; I was giving out ‘abolish Berkut’ leaflets yesterday.
The remaining Maidan ‘Self-Defence Units’ have now taken on new roles – guarding public buildings, directing traffic and acting as tour guides in the Independence Square area.
Ukraine – what now?
Last Friday I did a sub-editing shift on a national newspaper in London.
A friend ‘subbed’ the Ukraine Kiev piece and admitted afterwards it was incredibly difficult to follow the sequence of events, get his head round what had happened, who was who and what all the trouble was about.
And why, indeed, they were fighting in the first place.
Welcome to Ukraine!
Then the guy proofing the page came over.
Euromaidan, Kyiv, February 20
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.
Deaths in Kyiv
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.
Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – February 2
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.
Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 26
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.
Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 24
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.
Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 23
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.
Kyiv – where are all the leaders?
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.
A turn for the worse – deaths in Kyiv
I am no longer in Kyiv where people are now dying amid the anti-government protests.
The pro-European protests in Ukraine are continuing, with central Kyiv still occupied by opposition supporters.
It’s all kicking off and violence seems to have escalated to a concerning level amid heightened tensions. This is a short update from a pal out there.
Euromaidan’s art revolution
One of the most extraordinary features of the Euromaidan movement in Ukraine is that it has sparked a welter of artistic efforts to capture the national spirit.
Artists can be seen painting in Independent Square and their works are on the walls of the Globus shopping centre.
So Euromaidan is not only a political movement but it has a cultural, artistic impetus.
Apart from the art there’s also constant entertainment from the main stage which has featured such magnificent acts as Dakh Daughters about whom I could gurgle all day.
Miles from Nowhere 