Mykola Tokar, a normally joyous 25-year old EuroMaidan participant, speaks cheerfully on all but one topic.
His smile disappears when talk turns to the bloody February revolution that claimed the lives of most of the 105 people killed in the EuroMaidan movement.
In the lobby of October Palace at Independence Square this month, Tokar stumbles as he speaks of the deadly clashes that he took part in. His eyes wander the hall constantly. Nearly two months later, he still wears a bulletproof vest.
“The vest is something like vyshyvanka for me now,” Tokar says, referring to the traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt. “You never know what can happen.”
Tokar is one of many Ukrainians who have lost sleep or who can’t sleep after three months of continuous street protests that ended with Viktor Yanukvoych’s ouster as president on Feb. 22, only to be followed by the Kremlin’s military invasion and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula last month.
Both protesters who were on the front lines and those who played a more passive role say their nerves are frazzled as they seek ways to restore emotional peace.
“Almost everyone who participated in EuroMaidan events and took it close to heart has post-traumatic stress disorder. They require psychological therapy,” says Olga Pavlova, a psychologist volunteering at Maidan Psychological Aid Center.
Tokar has a lot of scary images in his mind.
“I remember all the events of Feb. 18 so clearly,” Tokar recalls. “When we were standing on the first barricade on the Independence Square it was so hot. Fire was everywhere. We didn’t know whether we could make it to the morning. It was like a movie.”
Aggression among EuroMaidan military units remains high, says Pavlova. She is certain that Maidan activists now need more support than ever.
Pavlova is one of more than 300 volunteer psychologists working at Maidan. She has dozens of visitors every shift.
Pavlova and other volunteers take shifts in Maidan’s several psychological aid stations – in Ukrainian House, in an office next to McDonald’s restaurant at the square, and in City Hall at 36 Khreshchatyk St.
Since early December, the volunteers have helped some 16,000 citizens, according to Maidan’s coordinators statistics. The therapy includes work in groups and individual treatment. Activists also get free tickets to Ivan Franko Drama Theater, where they can rest from the tension of Maidan. The initiative came from the theater administration.
“The activists were the defenders, but now they have a feeling that nobody cares about them,” Pavlova says.
“Now the events entered their final phase, and we must do what we can to end them up nicely. The people who stayed at Maidan need to feel that society needs them. Even a simple ‘thank you’ helps a lot,” Pavlova says.
Valeria Nemykina, 22, also an active participant in the EuroMaidan Revolution, says “those activists on Maidan need our moral support, because the revolution and country’s transformation goes on.”
Nemykina confesses she still looks at rooftops, watching for snipers. She tries to overcome stress and fear by limiting the sources of information and doing more sports.
“It’s very important not to keep all the worries inside, because it may end up as a serious psychological problem,” Pavlova says. “My recommendations are usually quite simple – you need to spend more time with friends and family, not to focus on one source of information and shift your focus towards sports and cultural activities,” she adds.
“Most of the activists need to understand life goes on despite the tragic events,” Pavlova says. “And this is our key task – to adjust them to the new reality.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Goncharova can be reached at [email protected]
