Olesia Arkhypchuk, a 27-year-old private entrepreneur, is dancing by the entrance to the government’s building, to the rhythm of zinc buckets used as drums and the tunes of Ukrainian songs.
She came to
Kyiv several days ago from Radekhivin Lviv Oblast to stand for the European integration
of Ukraine and to demand that the government reverse its Nov. 21 decision to stop
preparations for signing of the landmark association and free trade deal with
the European Union.
“I think
this government has to retire,” she said. Arkhypchuk was living at the house of
her Kyiv friend Katrusia, who was also dancing by her side.
Thousands
of people from almost all regions of Ukraine came to major protest in the
capital on Nov. 24, brandishing the placards with the names of their cities,
and many stayed at day-and-night protest on the next days.
A
52-year-old painter, YuriyTymoshenko, is carrying the placard of Kolomyya in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, saying he came on Nov. 24 in a bus together with his
town mates but decided that he couldn’t come back. “My patience has broken,” he
said speaking to the Kyiv Post during opposition meeting at European Square
late on Nov. 25. President Viktor Yanukovych “is a traitor, he isn’t my
president.”
Tymoshenko
said he was able to sleep only several hours in the recent days at a flat of
generous Kyivans, who invited him together with other protestors to their flat
for a short rest. He said that many more people from Kolomyyawere going to come
and joint him in the nearest days. His personal plan was to stay at Kyiv’s
Maidan minimum by Nov. 29, the day of Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius,
Lithuania, where Ukraine had planned to sign the historic deal with the EU
before its recent geopolitical U-turn.
Number of
protestors from other regions could be more cignificans if the authorities didn’t
disrupt their way to Kyiv. The police didn’t allow the buses to Kyiv on Nov. 24
that were carrying people from Kirovigrad, Chernigiv, Odesa, Andriy Dzyntsia, journalist
and activists of Road Control public initiative wrote on his Facebook page. The
police was also consistently disrupting the move of buses from Lviv city to
Kyiv, UDAR political party said.
Many of protestors
also rushed to Kyiv over the ban to hold rallies in their own cities. Authorities
of Kharkiv city banned on Nov. 22 any demonstration in the city “over increase
in number of flu cases,” as was written in mayor’s order.
Oleksand Ananich,
17, resident of Energodar city of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on the east of Ukraine
came to Kyiv together with his fellow students from Lviv. Despite he admitted
that he had sleepless last two nights,Ananich said he was excited to be at the rally. He spoke to the Kyiv Post at Independence Square,
where the day-and-night protestors were able to have a warm drink and snacks.
His plan was to stay at this square by Nov. 29, to defend “the European
Ukraine.” He said his parents were worrying for him but understood his choice.
“I want to
support people that managed to unite and go against the system,” Ananich said.
“They are the brave man and women and I want to be the one of them.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Oksana Grytsenko can be
reached at [email protected]
