This winter, Mariinsky Park in central Kyiv is permanently crowded with government supporters seeking to counter the much larger anti-government EuroMaidan demonstrations that began on Nov. 21.The ruling Party of Regions has been gathering their supporters almost daily, often referred to as “AntiMaidan.”
On the afternoon of Feb. 11, as many as 200 activists were near the
encampment with about two-dozen tents. Most of them are men in their
30s or younger. Some stand guard, aided by nearby police officers. Only
protesters and journalists are allowed inside. To approve a visitor, the
guards consult one of the camp’s commandants via radio.
Demonstrators maintain a de facto dress code of sportswear and black beanie hats.
Serhiy
Hatiushyn, 27, is no exception. A mechanic from Sevastopol, he says he
joined the demonstration on Dec. 3 because he was outraged by what was
going on in Kyiv. He wants the anti-government protesters punished
strictly for fighting police officers.
(Pavlo Podufalov)
“People need to obey laws,” Hatiushyn says. “There’s a legitimate
president and people who want to oust the president. The best way for
everyone is just to leave the streets. And I’m ready to go and dismantle
the barricades, but we are not allowed to do that.”
Hatiushyn denies the persistent belief that government supporters
are being paid for the rallies and are not participating out of personal
conviction.
But some demonstrators confess being paid, yet don’t want
to go public.
One of them is a 25-year-old man who is a constant presence in
Mariinsky Park. He claims to get Hr 800 every day, a top rate, he says.
“Some losers get Hr 200 or even less,” he says. He said going public
with his claim will only “cause him problems.”
His job history includes construction in the neighboring Czech
Republic and an illegal electrician’s job in a mine in eastern Ukraine.
According to this man, some professional athletes are among the ranks of the pro-government supporters.
Hired pro-government help often get called “titushki” after Vadym
Titushko, 20, a professional athlete who was prosecuted for attacking
journalists in May. In his interviews, Titushko admitted he was hired to
beat up journalists. Ever since then, “titushki” is the term for hired
government goons. The word made it to Wikipedia as “street hooligans who
are suspected to be sponsored by the government.”
“Titushki” is an unwelcome word in the Mariinskiy Park.
The
demonstrators here prefer to be referred to as “government and President
Viktor Yanukovych supporters.” Most of them come from eastern Ukrainian
regions and Crimea, where Yanukovych’s support is strongest.
Ivan Nedyalkov, 20, came to the rally from Odessa in early
February. Saying that anti-government EuroMaidan activists don’t know
what they’re standing for, he admits that some of the government
supporters in Mariinsky Park don’t know the goal either.
Nedyalkov said
joined the demonstration because he “doesn’t understand those three
clowns.” The clowns, he quickly explained, are political opposition
leaders Arseniy Yatseniuk, Vitali Klitschko and Oleh Tiahnybok.
“I hope none of the three clowns nor the fascists grab power,” Nedyalkov said.
Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Goncharova can be reached at [email protected]
