Revolution of Dignity | The Revolution of Dignity, also referred to as Euromaidan, was a Ukrainian nationwide protest movement that lasted from November 2013 to February 2014. These historic events were precipitated by an abrupt rejection of the European foreign policy development vector, and the last-minute refusal to sign the EU Association Agreement by Ukraine’s former leadership.
Following the brutal beating of young people by the government special forces in Kyiv’s main square – Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), the protest movement developed into a longstanding civil disobedience campaign against unchecked state power, corruption, and human rights abuses.
Solidarity campaigns in support of Ukrainian protesters were held in more than 20 countries. The largest were held in the different cities of Canada, United States, Germany, Poland, UK, Italy, and France. Local activists also gathered for protests in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Georgia, Estonia, Spain, Portugal, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and many other countries.
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Heavenly Hundred | The Revolution of Dignity was a hugely transformational and dramatic movement for Ukraine, which resulted in the deaths of 107 protesters (known as the Heavenly Hundred), the fleeing of the corrupted President and his government, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the start of a war in the Donbas region. |
Memory of Maidan | The set of events and efforts that formed the basis of the phenomenon of Euromaidan, currently have unambiguous interpretation and evaluation, but certainly, we can say: Maidan became a kind of epicenter of major changes in the country and a symbol of patriotism and sacrifice. It started the process of transformation, not only on the political scene, but also commenced social and cultural transformations. Obviously, the consequences of this explosion of anger and dignity, which unleashed enormous social energy, will be felt for decades both in geopolitical terms and in internal social and political relations. The significance of the event, the memory of hundreds of people who paid with their lives for their choices and civil position, determine the need for its full comprehension and study, preservation and presentation of historical memory. |
Future | Maidan was also a crucial step in the process of de-Sovietization, the long and painful process of transforming a totalitarian society and guiding it through the trenches of post-totalitarianism towards this democratic future. It was particularly the first fully post-Soviet generation that made Maidan a success.
Maidan became a momentous moment in history, and deeply affected politics not only in Europe but on a global scale. It irreversibly put the country on a road to Europe, triggered a war with its neighbor Russia, resulted in a renewed Cold War between Russia and the enlarged West and influences political developments in the Middle East and the Pacific. Future historians and political scientists will write libraries on the issue, looking at it from a wide range of angles.
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