Yesterday we reached an important milestone. The EU and Ukraine signed the political part of the Association Agreement. It’s only the beginning of the new, democratic Ukraine and there is a lot of work ahead for Ukrainian politicians, journalists, civic society and the public in general - but that’s another story. I want to talk about something else. For me and for those who all this time have supported the Ukrainian protests for a better, fairer society, yesterday’s event has a very significant symbolic value. It was exactly 4 months after that November night, when a bunch of activists decided to gather in the centre of Kyiv to stand up against the wrongdoing of the authorities. It all started as a protest against Yanukovych’s lies and last-minute withdrawal from the association deal with the EU. Very soon it moved away from this initial protest and, gathering strength with incredible speed, turned into a massive outpouring of people’s anger at the corrupt regime that’s been stifling the country’s economy and liberties for far too long. They gathered there on the 21 of November, facing the practically impossible and certainly not having in mind all of what ensued… and here we are, four months later, and the deal that gave the protest its impetus has been signed. We are still to embrace the enormity of what has happened in these 4 months. I remember wincing at the videos of riot police officers kicking defenceless, peaceful demonstrators lying on the ground, shielding their heads with their hands. We thought it was the end of the world as we know it. Who could have thought that those officers would flee? A lot of us had completely lost hope for fairness in what had become a police state. But they FLED, and so did their leaders. This week we’ve seen a lot of searches of ex-officials’ private properties, revealing millions of dollars in cash and gold. That gold and that money was being stashed away while the population was left to survive on a £100/month minimum wage. This is our little triumph. In these 4 months something incredible happened; a true civic society was born. I remember that old granny and her husband who brought all of their rainy-day savings (as if their life wasn’t rainy enough) to keep those on the Maidan going. When the heartbroken activists collected enough cash to return to the elderly couple and bought them some medication, they took the medication but indignantly refused to take the money. Kyivans were taking into their flats strangers from other cities, who slept in tents and needed to have a shower. They brought cooked food to the Maidan, wrapping it carefully so it was still warm. Office workers were rushing to pharmacies and supermarkets after work to buy the essentials and pass them to the protesters. Volunteers made sandwiches and tea in the city hall and then distributed them in the freezing streets. Usually quite stingy when it comes to sharing with strangers, Ukrainians suddenly opened their doors and souls against the common foe. I am waiting impatiently for the time when there is no more danger of war from Russia, when I can re-visit those 4 months. Watch the videos and photos, re-read the posts, grieve over the ones who have not lived to see today and fill myself with happiness for one reborn, proud nation.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 21:19:32 +0000
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