Ribbons that combine the Ukrainian and European Union flags is the most popular fashion accessory since the EuroMaidan protests began on Nov. 21. And they're free.
But other EU and EuroMaidan souvenirs for sale are also hot. Multiple stands in the center of Kyiv offer EU flags of various sizes, badges and key charms, hats, scarves, gloves and lanterns with golden stars.
And people can do more than wear their commitment to Ukraine’s EU integration, they can eat it too – glazed donuts with EU stars on top.
Special New Year’s postcards are on sale, featuring pictures of the opposition’s Christmas tree on Maidan, decorated with opposition symbols, a portrait of imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and flags of other nations.
Anyone can get in on the act, since the EuroMaidan brand is very democratic and not copyrighted.
“The peak of demand for EU flags was after the tragic events on Maidan Nezalezhnosti when Berkut riot police violently beat up students” early on Nov. 30, said Dariya Scherbinina, co-owner of the online flags shop Flagmaster. “On Dec. 2, we sold 919 EU flags,” she added.
The demand for flags has subsided lately, along the number of protesters. But the shop still sells at least 100 EU flags every day. Shcherbinina said that, surprisingly, the most active buyers after Kyivans are from Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kharkiv.
“Goods with EU symbols sell twice as good as any other stuff,” said Oksana Dziubenko, a vendor in a Kyiv underground shop on metro Maidan Nezalezhnosti station. Buyers’ tastes change with the season. In the early days, people were interested in flags and ribbons. With the onset of winter, protesters have opted for hats, scarves and gloves. “People buy the badges when they leave for home as they want to have souvenirs from EuroMaidan,” Dziubenko added.
Andriy Khomanchuk, manager of the army shop Kapterka, said that souvenirs with EuroMaidan images and EU symbols are popular, but complains Ukrainians still don’t buy goods online.
“Our souvenirs are mostly bought by street vendors,” Khomanchuk said. “I can assume that the street vendors earn $200-300 a day selling them, and even more on weekends.”
However, some goods with EU symbols have flopped. “We prepared 100 shirts with the EU flag but nobody ordered them,” said Yevheniya Shulha, manager of the Internet shop Futbolkin. “We just gave them up for free to the EuroMaidan protesters and they were very happy to receive the gifts.”
Some take a novel approach. It took three days for 25-year old Serhiy Savchuk from Vinnytsia to create a map of Ukraine with EU stars around it, using only matches. “Events in Kyiv inspired me to create it. I depicted my dream that Ukraine should be among European countries,” Savchuk said. The picture sells for Hr 200, but still has no takers.
Unlike the unpopular art piece, edible souvenirs don’t suffer from a lack of attention. “Donuts with the glazed EU flag on top are twice as popular as others,” said Yana Uzhbayan, a saleswoman from a donut shop in the underground passage on Maidan Nezalezhnosti.
Who knows, if the protests last long enough, maybe EuroMaidan swimwear collections, sunglasses and sunscreen will be offered for sale.
Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Trach can be reached at [email protected]
