Editor’s Note: The following is Kyiv Post freelance photographer Pavlo Palamarchuk’s first-hand account of being caught up in the fights that broke out in Lviv during the May 9 Victory Day celebrations commemorating the 66th anniversary of the end of World War II. Authorities say that two people were injured after nationalist Svoboda activists clashed with pro-Russian groups carrying red flags and wearing ribbons associated with the Soviet era.
Watch the video recordings of the Lviv events during the May 9 Victory Day celebrations.
On the morning of May 9, I arrived at the Hill of Glory in Lviv.
It was surrounded by police with “Berkut” buses parked nearby.
About 300 activists of the Svoboda nationalist movement were standing on the main road to the hill. They did nothing but stand and and occasionally shout slogans. A few guys wearing masks were looking for people with St. George ribbons, a Russian military honor popular among World War II veterans of the Soviet era. After they saw them, these masked guys snatched flowers and ribbons from these people. However, they didn’t resort to strong measures, evidently in fear of the police.
After a government ceremony, the crowd of Svoboda began to run amuck. While Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadoviy was trying to get into his car, activists tossed bouquets of flowers and dirt at him. A bouquet of white daffodils grazed the mayor’s head. He just kept walking towards his car.
Then Svoboda representatives began to move towards the field where the Victory Day celebrations were held. The column was walking along Pasichna Street and entered Lychakivska. They noticed a small group of people wearing ski caps and medical bandages as they reached the alley leading to Scythian Stadium. Yuriy Myhalchyshyn, a Lviv city council member with the Svoboda political party, was leading the processions. He started greeting people and noticed seven men approaching.
“They’re our people,” he shouted to someone in the crowd.
“That’s right, they’re ours,” a man answered.
Myhalchyshyn looked closer.
“What the f…! They’re wearing St. George ribbons,” he shouted.
About 40 Svoboda activists then went after people to snatch ribbons out of their hands. An older man resisted and was kicked by activists. Suddenly, one of the attacked men brandished a gun and shot twice. Confused attackers ran away. They then stopped and began throwing stones at people. Someone lit up a smoke bomb.
“They’ve got a gun, right? They wish to shoot, don’t they? We’ll teach them how to shoot!” Myhalchyshyn shouted.
Young men chased the offenders. They detained them not far from tram number 2 terminal station. They took away the gun. Somebody threw stones and others kicked people. The clashes lasted only three minutes. After an older man tried to calm them down, the crowd started to quiet down.
Suddenly, someone came near my camera. I did not have time to say anything before tear gas hit my face. Tears welled up in my eyes and I couldn’t breathe. Fortunately there was a musician in the crowd, a friend of mine, who shielded me and took me aside. Another older man in an embroidered shirt provided me with a handkerchief to wipe tears.
My sight began to recover in 10 minutes. Vasyl Trukhan, a Ukrainian news journalist and photographer hit by a rock to the head, was standing close to me.
“I’m lucky that the dull end of the rock had hit me. Otherwise, my head could have been split. I was also pulled out of the crowd by a friend. Otherwise, it could have been worse for me,” he said.
Two men lying on the grass with their faces and clothes covered with blood were trying to stand up.
The police came in 10 minutes.
“Get out of here! Otherwise they [the police] will get you,” said a man in an embroidered shirt.
The injured people were trying to get away from the fighting as soon as possible. Some people helped them to stand up and took them aside, out of harm’s way.
We also noticed 40 police officers blocking one of the crossings.
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