Can the Maidan end in a civil war
This article will focus on such a concept as "Maidan".
Concept variability
Maidan - what is it? For an answer, you can contact explanatory dictionaries. And you can spend Now, probably, you will not meet a person who would not have heard the word “Maidan”. Even in ancient times, people Eastern countries this word denoted open space. In Iran, a large square in front is called Maidan. In Bashkiria, the word is used in the name of a traditional festivities. Maidan is a container for storing fish on the coast White Sea, an electric train following the route Kislovodsk - Mineral water in the Caucasus. Also, this word is used to name many administrative units in Belarus, Georgia, Russian Federation, Serbia, Ukraine. In the dictionaries of the Russian language, interpreting the names, the word "Maidan" is considered obsolete, it is used to describe the market square, where it was often possible to suffer from scammers and rogues.
Variability in Ukraine
Maidan - what is it? Ukraine has large numbers villages with names maidan, somewhere around three dozen. Known throughout the world is the central square of the city of Kyiv, which is called Independence Square. Except main square, in Kyiv, this is the name of the metro station.
Square
Independence Square has a long history. From the very beginning, this place was the Perevishche swamp. And already in the first half of the 19th century, Khreschatytska Square was formed there. It has a huge market. It began to be called Dumskaya after the construction of the City Duma building on it by the end of the same century, and October - after the construction of the monument to the October Revolution in 1977. When broke up Soviet Union and Ukraine gained statehood in 1991, the square became known as Maidan Nezalezhnosti. The major restructuring that began in 2001 has transformed the square beyond recognition. New sculptures and beautiful fountains were built. The most remarkable object is the monument of Independence of Ukraine "Oranta-Ukraine". It is a high snow-white column with a beautifully decorated foot. And the top is crowned with a sculpture of a girl-Beregini, standing in a prayerful pose with her arms outstretched, holding a viburnum branch.
Century XXI. Maidan: Kyiv
What it is? The world remembered him as a separate image of a place where many events took place, and not always pleasant ones. These were rallies at which people expressed their desire for freedom and independence, for example, in the winter of 2001, an action was held to resign President Kuchma. The name "Maidan Nezalezhnosti" was fixed as a result of the Orange Revolution in 2004. To the question: "Maidan - what is it?" - you can answer that this is not only a location, but also a movement, a direction, a unification of the forces of people in the struggle for freedom and independence.
euromaidan
There is also such a definition - Euromaidan, a long-term protest action launched on October 21, 2013. The spark for him was that the government did not sign an association with the European Union. All over next week Protestants expressed their displeasure. Sometimes clashes took place between special police units and individual radical citizens. In general, the country was calm at that time. Mass media all over the world responded to the events taking place in Kyiv. Kyiv, Maidan, Ukraine - these words filled the main columns of famous newspapers.
On the night of November 30, a new wave of indignation began after the dispersal of the protesters, who at that time were about two hundred people. The media resonated with these events, and footage of the dispersal of demonstrators appeared. Spontaneous protest swept Ukraine. Crowds took to Maidan demanding the president's resignation. Radical citizens occupied the Kyiv administration and city council. On the square, the Berkutists made a barrier that did not allow activists to seize the Cabinet of Ministers and the Presidential Administration.
Events 2014
It became clear from a large number live broadcasts. Later, the police managed to free several streets adjacent to the square. But the House of Trade Unions (which was the headquarters of the protesters) could not be liberated. The president, after long negotiations, gave in to the protesters for the sake of maintaining calm in the country and accepted the resignation of the prime minister. There was no result. By the beginning of armed clashes and the cessation peaceful protests led to the bloodshed on the Maidan on February 20, 2014. It killed several commandos and dozens of protesters. There was no chance of remaining in the presidency. Yanukovych signed a decision on early elections and the withdrawal of special forces in exchange for the release of the seized buildings and the restoration of calm. The condition on the part of the government was fulfilled, which the radicals took advantage of and occupied the entire quarter of the government. To save his life, the president was forced to flee.
Conclusion
It is impossible to give an unambiguous assessment of the events that took place on the Maidan. The only important thing is that they happened and played a huge role. And the rest is up to historians to figure out. We can only say that all these events are a manifestation of the will of the masses, led by radicals, which can happen in any democratic state. Nobody is immune from this. Maidan - what is it? The word took on a new meaning, the development of which big influence rendered and extralinguistic reasons - social, political, cultural, historical.
On November 21, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Dignity and Freedom, established after the events of the Euromaidan that began in November 2013. Then, after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych postponed the signing of an association agreement with the EU, a spontaneous rally in support of European integration began on the Maidan in Kyiv, which turned into a long confrontation and led to a political crisis in Ukraine. As a result, the government changed in the country, independent republics were proclaimed in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which led to full-scale military operations, a referendum was held in Crimea on the annexation of the peninsula to Russia, and the local crisis eventually led to changes in international relations
The decision of the Ukrainian government that the preparation for the signing of an association and free trade agreement with the European Union is suspended in order to strengthen relations with Russia and other CIS countries. President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych said that the country does not refuse integration with the EU. In response, the opposition called for the organization of protests, and supporters of European integration began to gather on Independence Square in Kyiv.
President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych: “Ukraine has been and will continue to follow the path of European integration.<...>The farther, the more obstacles, but this does not scare us. We have confidence and conviction that we are on the right path.”
The first protest rally of many thousands was held in Kyiv. According to the opposition parties UDAR and Batkivshchyna, between 80,000 and 150,000 people took to the streets. They demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov. The leaders of the action, among whom were supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko Yuriy Lutsenko and Vitaliy Klitschko, as well as Verkhovna Rada deputy Andriy Parubiy, called for an indefinite protest. Parubiy headed the headquarters of the tent camp, the construction of which began on Independence Square. The first clashes between the protesters and the fighters of the Berkut police detachment began.
On December 1, protesters in Kyiv seized the House of Trade Unions, the Kyiv City Administration and the Kyiv City Council. The headquarters of the opposition was located in the House of Trade Unions.
Viktor Yanukovych publicly spoke out against the dispersal of the tent camp, which took place the day before.President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych: “Those who did not hear the words of the Constitution and the President and provoked the conflict on the Maidan by their decisions and actions will be punished.<...>I assure you with all responsibility: all the efforts of the authorities are aimed at overcoming the crisis processes, strengthening the economy of Ukraine, improving people's lives. I call on each of you to join this responsible task.”
February 20, 2014 confrontation between opposition supporters and employees law enforcement escalated into an armed conflict with the use of firearms. In three days of clashes, 77 protesters and 16 law enforcement officers were killed. The investigation into these events has not yet been completed.
Opposition supporters during riots near Independence Square. February 20, 2014 (Photo: Mikhail Pochuev/TASS)
On February 21, Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders signed an agreement "On the Settlement of the Political Crisis in Ukraine," which provided for a return to the Constitution as amended in 2004, early presidential elections, and the formation of a "government of national confidence." However, Yanukovych then left Kyiv, and on February 28 appeared in Russia, where at a press conference in Rostov-on-Don he stated that he considers himself the legitimate president of Ukraine. Since then, Yanukovych has been in Russia.
On March 16, a plebiscite was held in Crimea and Sevastopol on the future status and nationality of the peninsula. According to the organizers, more than 95% of the participants voted for joining Russia. On March 18, Crimea and Sevastopol officially became subjects of the Russian Federation. The referendum was preceded by those who occupied the buildings of the parliament and the government of the republic, as well as airports in Simferopol and Sevastopol. The new chairman of the Crimean Council of Ministers was Sergei Aksyonov, the leader of a small pro-Russian party at the time.
Later Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Soldiers on the street in Simferopol. February 28, 2014 (Photo: Andrey Stenin/RIA Novosti)
The United States imposed the first sanctions against Russia, refusing to recognize the annexation of Crimea as legal. The next day the sanctions were imposed European Union. Dozens were hit by the first wave of restrictions Russian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin, State Duma deputies Sergei Zheleznyak, Leonid Slutsky and Elena Mizulina, commander Black Sea Fleet Russian Vice Admiral Alexander Vitko, Viktor Yanukovych, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov and Prime Minister of Crimea Sergei Aksenov, head of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin, businessmen Gennady Timchenko, Arkady and Boris Rotenberg. The sanctions also affected the Rossiya Bank and its head Yuri Kovalchuk. The bank's dollar accounts were frozen. . Since then, the sanctions have been expanded and regularly extended.
Despite being expelled from the G8, Russia retained its membership in the G20. However, its first summit after the annexation of Crimea, held in Australia in November 2014, was difficult for the Russian delegation. Foreign media noted the cold tone of foreign leaders when communicating with Vladimir Putin. However, since then the atmosphere of international meetings has changed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference following the G20 summit. November 16, 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Pixstream)
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine announced the decision to launch an anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine, in which the armed forces were involved. Since its inception, according to UN data as of June 2016, at least 9,470 people have died and another 21,880 people have been injured. As they say in Kyiv, regular Russian soldiers are fighting on the side of the militias. Russia consistently denies this. Among the victims of the conflict were foreigners: in July, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over the territory of the DPR. 283 passengers and 15 crew members were killed. (Photo: Maxim Nikitin/TASS)
Moscow imposed restrictions on countries that supported sanctions against Russia. " Separate types» agricultural products - vegetables and fruits, meat, fish and dairy products from the EU countries, the USA, Australia, Norway, Canada and other countries - were banned from import. In April 2015, during a visit to Moscow, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, one of the first Western politicians to visit Russia after the annexation of Crimea, called sanctions against Russia a short-sighted step that leads to a new cold war and also noted the negative impact of Russian counter-sanctions on the Greek economy. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have also spoken about the dangers of sanctions since then.
October 25, 2015. Victory of supporters of Poroshenko and Batkivshchyna in local elections
In Ukraine, they began, having passed in two rounds. Most deputies in local authorities the authorities carried out the Petro Poroshenko Bloc and the Batkivshchyna party. The elections showed a decline in the popularity of parties created on the basis of Viktor Yanukovych's former Party of Regions.
A year and a half has passed since the beginning of the revolutionary events in Kyiv. They caused a great resonance in the world. Kyiv, Maidan, Ukraine - these words filled the newspaper pages of all central publications. Now it is already possible to assess the consequences of those events. First, let's remember how it all began. In Ukraine, this was the name of any market square. After the Orange Revolution, this name became a symbol of popular protest.
Background of the Euromaidan
In 2004, the first Maidan took place. Ukraine, it would seem, should have learned from it, but history repeated itself again, and in an even more sinister version.
The fuse was the summit in Vilnius, at which Ukraine was supposed to sign an association agreement with the EU.
The Ukrainian president has been actively declaring his commitment to the European choice, striving for integration with Europe, while flirting with Moscow, seeking cheap gas, loans and other benefits from it.
V. Yanukovych faced a difficult choice. The signing of the treaty would have hurt the economy, which was already experiencing difficulties. Renunciation of the association would cause a mass protest of the population, which last years pinned its hopes on Europe. As a result, it was decided to postpone the signing of the agreement.
Peaceful stage
On the evening of 21 November social networks there were calls to gather on Independence Square in Kyiv, in protest against the president's decision. Few people gathered - no more than 2 thousand people, nevertheless, tents and awnings were set up on the square for constant duty. The protesters demanded that the president resign the government and resume preparations for signing the agreement.
The Protestants rallied listlessly for the next week. From time to time there were skirmishes with the "Berkut" - a special unit of the Ukrainian police, some radicals threw explosives at the police officers, they also blocked the passage to the Cabinet of Ministers. In general, what happened did not portend anything terrible. A peaceful protest of citizens against the president's decision - that would be the answer of an outside observer to the question of what Maidan is. Everything is calm in Ukraine so far.
Escalation of the conflict
A new surge of protest moods occurred after the dispersal of the protesters, on the night of November 30th. In total, about 200 people remained on the square. Videos and footage appeared in all media, where Berkut beat protesters. As a result, a lot of people came to the Maidan. Ukraine was on the verge of great upheavals, everyone was overwhelmed by the euphoria of spontaneous protest.
From the Maidan there was a demand for the resignation of the president. Radicals seize the buildings of the Kyiv administration and city council. There is a formation of "hundreds of Maidan self-defense". The elements swept the center of Kyiv. On the whole, ordinary everyday life goes on in the city and the country. On the square, the confrontation between "Berkut" and Maidan activists continued - employees of the special forces did not allow the protesters to break through to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Presidential Administration, the radicals in response threw the police, burned tires and erected barricades.
What is the Maidan in Ukraine, it became clear to everyone from the numerous broadcasts that covered what was happening online around the clock.
On December 11, the police tried to force the protesters out of the Maidan - a number of streets adjacent to the square were vacated. But it was not possible to free the House of Trade Unions, which became the headquarters of the opposition. Permanent negotiations yielded no results. The President backed down and accepted the resignation of the head of the Cabinet of Ministers N. Azarov, but this did not stop the protest.
denouement
In February, the confrontation escalated - the protesters started firearms, the score of the captured buildings went to dozens. On November 20, a landmark event took place that brought to naught Yanukovych's chances of remaining in the presidency. By unknown snipers dozens of demonstrators and Berkut fighters were shot. But only episodes of the execution of protesters were caught on camera. The blame for their death was laid on Yanukovych, although neither the perpetrators of this crime, nor their customers have yet been found.
February 21 can be considered the end of the Revolution of Dignity. V. Yanukovych signed a decision to hold early elections before the end of the year and form a new government, withdraw forces special purpose to permanent locations. In response, the activists were supposed to vacate the seized buildings and stop the violence. As a result, the president fulfilled his part of the agreement, and the radicals freely captured the entire government quarter.
The Ukrainian president was forced to flee to avoid the massacre of an angry mob. Russia gave him asylum. Ukraine, in which the Maidan once again overthrew the president, froze in anticipation.
Reaction in the regions
The victory of the Revolution of Dignity did not unite Ukraine. Last time Ukrainians showed unanimity 24 years ago, during a referendum on secession of the republic from Since then, in all elections, the sympathies of voters were determined by the territorial factor - the east voted for some, the west for others.
In this regard, the reaction of residents to the Berkut fighters who returned from Kyiv is indicative. If in Lvov they were put on their knees and forced to repent, then in Kharkov and Sevastopol they were greeted as heroes. It is time for the south-east of Ukraine to rear up. The essence of the Maidan in Ukraine for the inhabitants of the eastern regions was understood as the coming to power of nationalists and Russophobes. Numerous rallies in Donetsk and Kharkov were accompanied by the blocking of administrative buildings. Ultimately, Crimea voted to join Russia, and a bloody civil war began in the Donbass.
Achievements of the Virtues Revolution
Perhaps the only demand of the Maidan, which the new authorities complied with, was the decision to sign an association with the EU. And here is a small list of what it all turned out to be:
- Loss of Crimea.
- Civil war in Donbass. According to independent estimates, losses on both sides amount to 30-50 thousand people.
- The fall of the Ukrainians in 4 times.
- Reducing the production of cars by 97 percent.
- Growth of tariffs for housing and communal services by 4 times.
- Freezing salaries and pensions at the current level.
Of course, this is far from full list, but it gives a good idea of what kind of hole Ukraine found itself in after the Maidan.
Lessons for Russia
The experience of the revolutions that took place in Egypt, Libya, and Ukraine showed that neither economic successes nor other achievements guarantee the authorities from violent overthrow.
The coverage of events in the media began to play a paramount role. A state that does not control the flow of information within the country is doomed. Also, the authorities should not forget that if society does not have levers of influence on the authorities, or at least the illusion of such, then protest moods will gradually become radicalized and follow a destructive scenario.
I would like to believe that the Kremlin has found the right answer to the question of what Maidan is in Ukraine, and will not allow its repetition in Russia.
The common man may be advised not to be tempted by easy solutions to complex problems. Abrupt change power always leads to a drop in the standard of living, and often to a lot of bloodshed.
Supporters of the Maidan constantly argue that the Maidan was a people's action, the people went to the square, the people were against Yanukovych, the people wanted independence, changes, and further down the list. But it is not so. More precisely, not at all.
And it's not even about dry closets, which no people would ever put up, but would cover all the surroundings so that he himself would disperse in a week.
Dry closets were installed and regularly removed by municipal services, that is, city authorities. Keyword"power". But it's not about them.
And it's not about the pies that no grandmother could bake for a hundred thousandth crowd, and even every day for two months.
It's not even about a professional scene, which the people would not have staged on their own either, but instead would have used some kind of truck or trailer with the awning removed.
If you wish, you can list a lot of details that speak about the organization of the Maidan "from above". But those are the details.
The main thing is that the people did not receive anything from the victory of the Maidan.
The people did not get anything good from the victory of the Maidan.
All that the people received was an increase in tariffs, a fall in the hryvnia exchange rate, an increase in unemployment, a worsening situation with heating, rolling power outages in a number of areas and a war in the southeast, which affected not only the residents of Donbass, but also everyone whose relatives were sent to the ATO zone, and some never returned from there, while others returned disabled. This is hardly what people would go to the Maidan for.
And it goes without saying that the replacement of the oligarch Yanukovych with another oligarch Poroshenko, who never parted with his chocolate business, is such an important change in the country that justifies all the hardships of the post-Maidan period.
And there is no need to talk about the choice of the European path, which justifies all of the above, because Ukraine was never admitted to either Europe or NATO, moreover, it was announced openly that it would not be accepted in the foreseeable future. And visa-free entry to the EU was also not given, on the contrary, visa control for citizens of Ukraine by the EU has become more stringent.
And the signed European association is not an end in itself, it makes sense only if it ensures economic growth, but no economic growth is observed.
All that the people received concrete and tangible was the increase in tariffs, interruptions in electricity and heat supply, the death and injury of relatives who took part in the ATO, the loss of Crimea, unemployment, and a decrease in living standards.
And the words about the European path, free choice, new government, independence from Russia are abstractions that especially stubborn patriots feed the people and ... new government.
Tellingly, Ukrainians who live outside of Ukraine love to talk about the European path, freedom, independence from Russia and other abstract achievements of the Maidan. And this is natural, because neither the war, nor the increase in tariffs, nor the fall of the hryvnia touched them. It is easy for them to talk about free choice and abstract goodies while sitting in Canada, Europe and the USA. It is always easy to rake in the heat with the wrong hands.
All the positive that the common people living on the territory of Ukraine received from the Maidan is exclusively abstract in nature - a pleasant feeling of free choice and a European path. And the fact that the people received "personally into their hands" is a complete negative.
So is it possible to say that the people benefited from the Maidan? Can we say that the life of the people has improved?
No, you can't say that.
The life of the common people after the victory of the Maidan worsened.
After the victory of the Maidan, only the life of the elite, the authorities, Poroshenko, Mayor Klitschko and others who received higher positions and seats in the Verkhovna Rada improved. And the life of such as the battalion commander Semenchenko, who drove the soldiers to the slaughterhouse, also improved. And the lives of commanders who traded weapons and equipment. The life of those who warmed their hands in the war, on someone else's misfortune, on someone else's grief, on someone else's lives has improved.
So who won the Maidan - the people or the new government?
Who is the beneficiary?
Can it be that the people's action ends in victory, and the people, as a result, get continuous problems and cannot change anything? If the maidan was truly popular, then probably the people would have long ago come to the third maidan and drove Poroshenko after Yanukovych. As an option, in the opposite direction - towards Europe. But nothing even remotely resembling the third Maidan is going to happen. There are no more tents. We tried a couple of times, but it didn't get very far. No dry closets, no stage with artists, no tea.
If the maidan was popular, then he lost, because the people, as a result of the maidan, only got a worsening of their situation.
And if it is claimed that the Maidan won, then it was not popular, because the elite, the new government, a handful of military men, for whom “war is like a mother” and unfortunate patriots who prefer to love Ukraine from afar, achieved an improvement in their position.
And the people cannot correct the situation, they cannot turn the results of the Maidan in their favor, they cannot once again change the government that has not fulfilled its promises, they cannot gather again in the square with tents, dry closets and a stage.
Therefore, it's not about who took out dry closets and mounted the stage.
The fact is that the people, as a result of the Maidan, got continuous trouble and cannot do anything about it, cannot turn the situation in their favor.
Therefore, one of the two, either the Maidan was not popular, or the Maidan simply lost. Because according to its results, the people turned out to be the losers.