You're reading: A tale of two Russians who support EuroMaidan

Two Russians on their way for business to Dnipropetrovsk rearranged their itineraries to spend a night and support EuroMaidan before they continue south on the morning of Dec. 17. Alexey Vargasov, 42, and Maxim Vasilchenko, 39, said they will brave the bone-chilling weather and will “sleep on the train tomorrow.”

Their plans
became easier when their business counterpart from Dnipropetrovsk, who was supposed
to meet them in Kyiv couldn’t.

“He had a
meeting in Kyiv planned for today and was supposed to drive us to
Dnipropetrovsk so we didn’t have to convince him to say overnight,” said
Vasilchenko.

Both work
for the same metallurgical trading company as directors, Vargasov in Saint Petersburg,
and Vasilchenko in Moscow.

“We came
especially to (Independence Square to be here)…I plan to be here until the
morning, at least spend the whole night here,” said Vargasov.

Asked why
he came to the square Vargasov said, “I envy what is happening here, our experience
in Russia shows that we cannot express our feelings like they are being
expressed in Ukraine…Specifically, our attitude towards the government, for
example, freedom of expression.”

Observing
the number of young, university-aged people on the streets, he said, “they are citizens
who are free and brave and who want to participate in this process, and it is clear
that President Viktor Yanukovch cannot or is not able to govern these people
out there.”

For his
part, Vasilchenko, who was born into a family of Ukrainians, and who still
visits his relatives in Vinnytsia Oblast during summer said: “I hope and wish
that if this Maidan is successful with its demands (of wanting justice and life
without corruption) that it will serve as an example to people in Russia and
Belarus,” said Vasilchenko.

Vargasov
believes relations between Europeans, Ukrainians and Russians won’t suffer if Ukraine
signs an association agreement with the EU.

“I wish for
them to be closer to Europe, I don’t see any problems that if this happens
relations with Russia will become worse, I could still be able to travel to
Ukraine, I don’t how Russians and Ukrainians will not be close anymore. They
want an honest government, honest courts and freedom.”

Asked what
he wishes for EuroMaidan protesters, Vasilchenko said:  “When this ends, and everyone goes home with a
feeling of satisfaction, just like after the 2004 (Orange) revolution, the
country will have changed nevertheless, it won’t be the same anymore, the next
government will have to be held accountable to these people.”

Kyiv Post editor Mark Rachkevych can be reached
at [email protected].