how a night has changed the history of Ukraine

On the night of November 30, 2013, security forces severely dispersed students who protested against Kiev's refusal to integrate into Europe. How Euromaidan became a revolution, said eyewitnesses.

Five years ago, a resident of Kiev, Dmitry Odnoyko, studied programming at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute. He was then 19 years old. Following the decision taken by the Yanukovych regime to refuse the European integration, known Nov. 21, Dimitri, like thousands of other Ukrainians, was angered and led to a demonstration peaceful on the Independence Square (Maidan) in the center of Kiev.

With his friends, he stayed at the demonstration, called Euromaidan, and in the night of November 30. "There were about 200 people. We sat by the fireside, drank tea, sang songs. The atmosphere was so good, "remembers Dmitry. According to him, no one expected that several hundred Berkut fighters who appeared at four o'clock in the morning would use force against peaceful protesters: "They started forcing us out under the stele and to hit everyone who showed up.

Testimony of student overclocking

Video footage of what is happening at the Independence Square from 30 to 5 November at 5 am has spread to Ukrainian social networks. Several "berkutovtsy" throw themselves on a person and beat him constantly with batons. On the legs, hands, head, face. Beat men, women. People are falling, they are still beating on the ground. Cry for help. Someone tries to resist and gets even more punches in return. Someone tries to appeal to siloviki consciousness by chanting: "The police are with the people!".

Dmitry Odnoyko said that he had tried to stop people, they did not give up their positions: "We really felt that people were kissed by a bestial fear, you know. Because everyone started to flee and nobody knew what to do. We were shocked. For the history of modern Ukraine, it was the first time that a peaceful protest was dispersed so cruelly. "

Dmitry was lucky, his "Berkutovtsy" batons were not hooked. Another student of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy – Olga, no. And five years later, remembering that night, she could barely restrain her tears: "You see, I was beaten for the first time in my life. I felt pain when I saw at home that my clothes were covered in blood and that my face was covered with spots. "

Euromaidan turned into a "revolution of dignity"

The events of the night of 30 November provoked a wave of indignation throughout the country. According to various estimates, on December 1, 2013, nearly a million citizens demonstrated in the streets of Kiev. At the Museum of the Dignity Revolution, the last five years have collected oral histories of Euro-Maidan. Hundreds of hours of recorded interviews show the strength of the people 's outrage.

After seeing footage of the beatings of protesters, a well-known Kiev lawyer is actually abandoning his business and does not leave the district departments for days to release detainees. The architect, having forgotten his plans, begins to organize self defense units with friends. "It was a turning point. On the night of November 30, Euromaidan has effectively ended, the "revolution of dignity" began. People came to protest against the violence against them, "says Severin Nalyvayko, a museum employee.

The most unexplored part of the history of the revolution

The first days of the demonstrations, the night of student dispersal, have not been thoroughly investigated by historians. The Museum of the Revolution of Dignity has few resources and is first directed to processing data relating to more dramatic later events in the Maidan, which caused the death of approximately 100 persons. "Only a few Euromaidans we talked to were there that night," says Severin Nalyvayko.

He added that the museum wanted to complete its exhibition with stories of law enforcement officials involved in the dispersal. Until now, even anonymously, no one has accepted. The museum hopes that the Ministry of the Interior and the Attorney General's Office of Ukraine will nevertheless open the documents related to this day to the public. Although they are clbadified in the interest of the investigation.

Five years after these events, it is also difficult to know who gave the order to use force against students: Yanukovych himself, people around him or other forces. Olga does not want to argue on the subject: "Whoever it is, he should know how many people are on the Maidan, then in Donbbad, he destroyed it."

Dmitry Odnoyko is convinced that everything that has happened since the autumn of 2013 is the result of a "hybrid" war started long before by Russia against Ukraine: "We should have badume that there would be no other way with such a neighbor ".

What is the main result

After being beaten by the Berkouts, Olga became a real "Maidan soldier", did not leave the barricades until the end. After the Maidan went to the front as a volunteer, she helped the wounded at the hospital and then the families of the victims.

Dmitry was also on the Maidan until the end. On February 18, 2014, he was injured by fragments of a stun grenade. After the revolution, he became an active member of social movements fighting against the revenge of pro-Russian forces in Ukraine: oligarchs, politicians, friends of former President Yanukovych.

Olga admits that she is not very satisfied with the results of the "revolution of dignity": "I was expecting more from the fight against corruption". Dmitry is confident that Ukraine will still see the results of reforms in 5 to 10 years. According to him, the main result is achieved: "Ukraine is going in the right direction – in the EU, not in Russia".