Cry of Ukraine

Chronology of Euromaidan

How the Maidan of 2013 began. We will tell and show all the details day by day. The data is collected from various sources, as evidenced by the links to them.

21 November 2013

This day is considered as the birthday of the Maidan. A little earlier, President Viktor Yanukovych announced the suspension of agreements between the EU and Ukraine. Potesters appeared first time on Independence Square. Around 0,5 to 1 thousand protesting people. Contrary to the decision of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv , which prohibited to establish tents, kiosks, canopies, including temporary and mobile during the peaceful mass actions, from 22 November 2013 to January 7, 2014 at the Independence Square, Khreschatyk Street and the European area, tents were still installed. The commandant of the tent city became Andriy Parubiy .

22 November 2013

Police according to the decision of the court tried to stop activists to establish tents, so the first collision happened.

24 November 2013

In Kiev was held the crowded procession and rally on Independence Square. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine protesters were more than 50 thousand people. According to the results of the "people's Chamber" were elaborated resolution. The basic conditions of resolutions were the resignation of the government, the requirements of arranging the November 27th extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada, urgently consider and adopt all necessary European integration laws (session did not take place), to release Tymoshenko , in the case of not signing the association agreement by Yanukovych, then to seek impeachment of the president.

After the rally, aggressive demonstrators attacked the police and broke a barrier. In this case, militants threw smoke-puff charges. Police in response to aggression used tear gas.

See the first video about how "peaceful" demonstrators provoked Berkut.

26 November 2013 - 27 November 2013

Activists of several right-wing groups - the movements "Trident in name of Stepan Bandera, "Social-National Assembly /" Patriot of Ukraine "(SNA / PU), the party "Ukrainian National Assembly "(UNA), the group "White Hammer", as well as representatives of football fans formed on "Euromaidan" informal association "Right sector". Further mobilization of national- radical activists to participate in the rebellion "Euromaidan" including violent confrontation with law enforcement was going under this "brand" of Right Sector.

29 November 2013

In Vilnius held summit "Eastern Partnership" where Ukrainian delegation did not sign an association agreement with the EU and join the free trade zone.

At the European square was organized the three-hour rally in support of the actions of the president and government Opposition leaders, appearing in the evening on the Maidan, accused Yanukovych of betrayal and treason. Euromaidan adopted resolution, the key demand - the immediate resignation of Yanukovych.

Night from 29 to 30 November

Evening of November 29 at the Independence Square were concentrated forces of "Berkut". On the night of November 30, the first collisions occurred between state forces with protesters.
Utility provider workers failed to install a New Year fir in the square. Police forced to push back protesters with shields. Rocks and burning branches was thrown at Berkut police. Berkut police dispersed a rally on the Maidan. V. Kornilov at December 4th provided evidences of that the police was provoked for strict measures toward people on square by violent extremists of the "right sector" which hided their faces behind masks and lately oderly left the area without getting involved in a collision with police. Dmitry Jarosh confirms Information that fighters of "Right Sector" took part in the night of November 30 at the Independence.
Police detained more than 30 people and took them to the police Shevchenko department. Among the detainees were mostly residents of Kiev and regions, as well as residents of Lviv, Rivne, Vinnitsa and Ternopil regions. A few hours later, after the preparation of administrative reports, the detainees were released.
79 people were injured during the force actions, including seven policemen. 21 people were taken to hospital, 10 were hospitalized according to official info. Polish citizens were among the affected.
Opposition qualified break-up of Euromaidan as "bloody" campaign, where police "beaten children"

At Mihailov Square in Kiev right-wing activists, primarily related to the "Right Sector", organized training for people who is interested, about tactics of force confrontation with law enforcement officers, including the testing of group actions using available tools as cold weapon. Started formation of so-called self-defense militants of Maidan.

1 December 2013

More stringent attack by protesters is happening.

Apogee of Euromaidan associated with events on the Bankovskaya street.
After the protesters rally and mass march, they managed to seize the building of the Kiev city administration and the Kyiv City Council (Kyiv Rada). At 14:40 the representatives of "Svoboda" and "Fatherland" broke the doors of the House of Trade Unions. There will be located Euromaidan headquarter (HQ of National Resistance).

Locked cabinet minister building.
Party activists in "Freedom" actually took control of the building of the Kiev City State Administration. In this building throughout the next three months was the headquarters of one of the most radical groups of protesters - a reference to VO "Svoboda" youth neo-Nazi group "C14" (or "Sich") headed by Yevgeny Caras.

Protesters try to break a few hours to the building of the presidential administration. Columns commandos severely attacked protesters. Not responding to aggression Berkut pound chains, bats, provocateurs throwing firebombs, even tractor is fitted with a view to crush the police.
In a collision, when the security forces start acceleration, and the police and suffered evromaydanovtsy and even journalists.
Part present here the protesters tried to stop the attackers, but to no avail. Reporters try to contact with opposition leaders. At 15:00 there was Poroshenko , who urged to refrain from provocations and avoid bloodshed. However, out of the crowd to him shouting: "Get out of here." By 16:00 on Bankovaya crowd gathers people from Independence Square, watching the scene.
According to the Interior Ministry, the number of injured policemen that day more than 100 people.
All day and night on the eve of the meeting on December 1 at the Internet were calls for the mobilization of the "right sector." Fighters carefully instructed how to arm themselves and how to attack the police:

 
Take cans of paint, fill them with any ... no gas, and paint - helmets. They will not be seen, will be forced to take them off ... Knives, mess around tires, which only can create problems with traffic in the streets (even forgive all the time is) ... gas cylinder, preferably several, better to use indoors. Expel all of the street subways.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in his address to the Ukrainian people, posted on his official website, expressed his indignation at the events that took place at night on November 30 at the Independence Square.
"I condemn the actions that led to the violent opposition and suffering. A few days ago I said the whole country to support nonviolent civil. Those who have not heard the words of the Constitution and the President and his decisions and actions provoked the conflict on the Maidan - will be punished. "

In the same appeal, he demanded from the Attorney General of Ukraine to show him and the society urgently the results of immediate and objective investigation to punish the guilty later.
On the 1st of December the Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko apologized for excessive use of force. The same day, the head of Kiev police Valery Koryak, who personally ordered to use force, according to the official version, submitted his resignation, but it was not accepted. He was dismissed temporarily only by Zakharchenko till complete inside investigation.

In the evening on the 1st of December motorcade of about 300 cars were trying to get to the presidential residence "Mezhgorie", but on the way to the village Novie Petrovtsi they were blocked by 4 "Berkut" buses.

Right-wing groups activists, including members of the All-Ukrainian Association "Svoboda", committed an act of vandalism against Lenin’s monument on the Shevchenko Boulevard and provoked a conflict with of special police officers.

2 - 9 December 2013

These days of struggle will continue. Maidan of Independence will be walled by wooden barricades, debris and the tree which was not installed by utility service. The statue of Lenin is demolished. Senator John McCain visited Maidan. He came specially to show his support to protesters.

2 December 2013

Minister’s Cabinet work is blocked completely. Press-service of Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs in an official statement announced on gathering additional police forces in Kiev. The protesters constructed barricades in case of assault. Traffic in the center of Kiev is blocked completely (locked Kreschatyk Street, the street and Institutskaya St. & Mihailovskaya St.). The demands of the authorities to leave captured office buildings protesters were not satisfied.

3 December 2013

Protesters led by A.Yatsenyuk, Vladimir Klitschko and O.Tyagnibok, make more and more of new demands. The last one is Government’s resignation. It´s rejected by Verkhovna Rada.

4 December 2013

Vigil of President’s Administration and Minister’s Cabinet continues. Euromaidan’s “Leaders”demand Government’s resignations and early elections for president and Verkhovna Rada. Parliament’s tribune is blocked.
By December 4 KSCA officials accept protester’s demands and leave the first floor. Mayor’s officials move to the upper floors. Capital’s administration works in regular mode.
Activists who were sentenced to two months in prison for participation in the riots on Bankova street, being transported from hospital to jail. They face from 5 to 8 years in prison. Meanwhile protesters on Maidan Square demand release them the 1st of December.

The leader of "Freedom" party Oleg Tyagnibok called protesters to picket “Berkut” fighter’s apartments . Self-organized group of people appeared, armed by homemade shields to repulse a possible attack of Berkut fighters.
In Mariinsky park (near Verkhovna Rada) located tent camp of government’s supporters. Activists with the flags of the Party of Regions listen to music and people’s deputies’ speeches from the stage at the Constitution Square.

5 December 2013

Activists block the base of Special Forces "Berkut" in Vasilkov, its base on Krasnozvezdny avenue in Kiev, together with Berkut’s hostel there.

7 December 2013

Police reinforced Kiev Telecentre security to avoid it from being captured by the opposition. Mikheil Saakashvili visited the Maidan Square.

8 December 2013

The third "Popular Assembly" took place. By the evening of the 8th of December, at least 15 civil self-defense forces units were organized from the number of protesters on the Independence Square called as "hundreds."

The protesters began to construct barricades in Grushovskaya street on the approaches to the building of the Minister’s Cabinet. Ultimatums demanding the resignation of the government sound more and more tough. SBU opened criminal case under part 1 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code (Actions aimed at the forcible change of power or change of the constitutional order, or the seizure of state power). In the evening, a group of vandals had demolished a statue of Lenin, which was set on the Bessarabia Square in 1946. The party of "Freedom" took all responsibility for the action. Although later party’s "leaders" reject it. However, instead of demolished statue was set the Ukrainian flag and a red-black banner of Ukrainian right radicals.

9 December 2013

In the morning, about 300 protesters came to the building of the General Attorney's Office and more than 50 of them organized lying strike in front of the building.
On the 7th of December Berkut managed to break through Special Forces building in Vasilkovo earlier locked by the activists and went to Kiev.
By the evening, special forces officers forced the protesters back to the Luteranskaya street, Shelkovishnaya St. In the Kresotnoy lane, near to Minister Cabinet office they emptied Luteranskaya and Kruglouniversitetskaya streets. At night police demolished protesters tents in the Grushovskogo street and Krepostnaya lane (Don oficerov), releasing from street protesters Bogomoltsev Street.
"Fatherland" party office has been visited by armed SBU officers who confiscated servers and searched the office.
!!!Next Activity U.S. and the European Union politicians after security forces attemts to drive back the protesters and demolition of the tent camp, as well as a search in "Fatherland" party office of Arseni Yatsenyuk causes vigilance. But it’s up to you to judge …
Six members of the European Parliament (People's Party group) claimed European politicians immediately oppose possible violent dispersal of the Maidan protesters. Vice President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton arrived to Kiev. She held talks with Viktor Yanukovych, making clear EU position on resolving all issues peacefully. U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland also arrived to Maidan Square. The next day there was an appointed roundtable between the government and the opposition. Supposing peaceful solution and also because of 9 degrees of frost outside, most of protesters left the Square and went home to have rest. At night there were only about 1 thousand people on the Maidan Square. Another 1,5-2 thousand of people moved to different building in the centre of Kiev.

10 December 2013

Opponents of the current government put up strong resistance to police officers who were trying to comply with the decision of the Shevchenko district court of Kiev, which banned blocking government buildings in Ukraine and inhibit statemens’ activity. Euromaidan’s supporters barricaded indoors of Kiev city state administration deliberately provoked the police to use force (they threw stones to police officers from the windows and poured them with water from hydrants). In this situation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine had to withdraw special police forces from the hold building.

11 December 2013

After one p.m. "Berkut" fighters, the internal forces and the utility service workers moved from the adjacent streets on barricaded square. They broke through from the European Square and using shields, began peaceful displacement of protesters and the demolition of the barricades. The policemen were pushing people from the Mikhailovskaya and Institustskaya streets, as well as from the European Square. Khreschatyk was cleared from the barricades till the street of Gorodetskogo. Subway station in the city center were closed. By 7 a.m. the number of protesters, standing near to police forces grew from about 3,000 to 15,000 people, which allowed resist MVD troops who tried to enter adjacent the Trade Unions House, where there was Euromaidan’s headquarter. Although, these attempts to assault the building as well as night assault barricaded inside the building of the Kiev city administration failed. Berkut fighters, suffering from 12 degree of frost, pouring with water from City Hall, had to withdraw. Eleven hours of continuous confrontation, while the number of protesters reached 25,000 people, the Interior Ministry troops finally left Euromaidan.
!!! Strategically important target of the protesters was the Home of Unions. Give it up was equal to committing suicide. According to the statements of witnesses and some political observers, inside of the House of Unions were occurring really terrible things like tortures and murders.
In the afternoon, Euromaidan’s participants restored and strengthened the barricades. Viktor Yanukovych held a roundtable discussion with the opposition.

17 December 2013

Until that day, Russia has been maintaining neutrality, not interfering into Ukrainian reality. Today Vladimir Putin today met with Viktor Yanukovych in Moscow. The result of the meeting was an agreement between Russia and Ukraine about repurchasing Ukrainian state bonds in sum of $ 15 billion dollars. Russia also agreed to reduce the gas price for Ukrainian.

13 - 18 December 2013

Many people want to hush up that fact that together with Euromaidan actions on the European Square in Kiev there were AntiMaidan actions against Ukraine’s entry into European Union, people there were standing to support president Yanukovich. Its number were not less than EuroMaidan’s one, but it wa a peaceful action, where were gathering ordinary people, not right radicals, like on the European Square. And maybe that’s why worlds mass media’s attention was focused only on the radical sentiments of Euromaidan’s activists. (Maybe because of more terrible scenes there). So, let’s not forget this very important fact. People of AntiMAidan were standing there on the other Square the same time as well as their opponents, but they were attracting much less attention to their actions and demands. For example, December 14, 2013 Party of Regions (President Yanukovich Party) organized a rally in support of the president and government on the European Square in Kiev, which was attended by 60.000 participants. The official motto of the rally was "Let’s save our UkraineParty’s leaders including the Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov held speech in front of people.

18 December 2013

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Azarov called this agreement between Russia and Ukraine historic. He said that Moscow had saved Kiev from financial collapse.

19 December 2013

After a brief rest the riots continued. With only difference that this day protesters actions were more like a well-planned action than a spontaneous protest. Groups of protesters act balanced and in cold blood. They are armed with Molotov cocktails and bludgeons, wearing gas masks and respirators.
Verkhovna Rada voted for release from the criminal prosecution of riots participants. 339 deputies voted for the opposition bill.

22 December 2013

Another "Popular Assembly" took place, where it was announced about an establishment of the People's Union "Independence." (“Maidan”). Co-chairpersons of the Union "Maidan" became Oleg Tyahnibok, Sergei Kvit, Vitali Klitschko, Yuri Lutsenko, Ruslana Lizhischko, Yulia Tymoshenko and Aseni Yatsenyuk. The rally was also attended by a number of Russian opposition activists - Ilya Yashin, Konstantin Borovoy and other Russian public figures. Coordinators of AntiMaidan announced that they will go on Christmas and New Year holidays and will come back to work again after them.
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