Every official event has those very unofficial moments to savor - a body posture or a frown, an unexpected interaction that no amount of planning can foresee. And it's in those moments that characters shine. The June 7 inauguration was no exception, providing plenty of snippets for social networks to rave over.
A fainting soldier
Perhaps one of the most talked-about events during the inauguration ceremony was that with a young guardsman, one of those who stood along the red carpet on which Petro Poroshenko walked towards the parliament building, where the official swearing-in took place.
The soldier, who had been standing in the heat for more than an hour prior to the president’s arrival, almost fainted when Poroshenko approached.
Just when the president-elect was passing by, the officer dropped his gun, staggered and fell on his knees, still trying to pick up the gun. The officer was then escorted out. As he was leaving the parliament, Poroshenko stopped by the soldier, exactly in the place where he had stood before, and said something to him.
Both the dropping of the gun, and the president’s human gesture, caused a buzz in social networks. The dropping of the gun was (mostly) interpreted as a good sign, a sign that the president will be able to solve the security problem in Ukraine’s east and disarm separatists.
It also brought back a wave of memories about the 2010 inauguration of the now-disgraced former President Viktor Yanukovych, who also had a telling incident in front of the parliament. One of the guards failed to keep the heavy wooden door open for long enough, and it closed right in front of Yanukovych, almost hitting him.
No motorcade
After being sworn as the president, Poroshenko went from the parliament, where he took a vow, to Sofiyivska Square. He traveled in a car with no escort, and the streets were not blocked for him. It was a huge contrast with the custom of former president Yanukovych, whose (sometimes empty) motorcades froze traffic in the streets for hours.
A fun pun
Speaking about peace in his first address to the nation, Poroshenko noted that it was important to be prepared for war.
“We must keep the gunpowder dry,” he said, quoting a well-known saying.
Ironically, Poroshenko’s last name originates from the Ukrainian word for gunpowder – porokh – and this is also his common nickname. Many wonder if Poroshenko intentionally used the pun, which would show an ability to make fun of himself.
Communists remain unimpressed
During Poroshenko’s inauguration speech, he said that “Crimea is Ukrainian, always was and always will be.” The lawmakers in the audience gave him a standing ovation for that. The only parliament faction that remained sitting was the Communist Party faction. Moreover, they also refused to sing the national anthem.
Read more about President Poroshenko’s first speech.
First lady
Poroshenko’s wife Maryna Poroshenko was present in the parliament with the younger of their four children, 13-year-old son Mykhailo. During her husband’s swearing-in, she was standing in the side balcony.
She chose to wear a simple blue dress by a Ukrainian designer to the ceremony. For some reason, Poroshenko wasn’t wearing a wedding ring during the ceremony, even though he has been married for decades and boasted about it frequently during his campaign trail.
In the case of Yanukovych, the inauguration was the only formal event in which his wife took part. The rest of the time Lyudmyla Yanukovych lived a lonely life away from him in Donetsk. After he ran from Ukraine, it turned out that he had had a live-in mistress for years – a fact that explained his loneliness during official trips.
