Hlib Fishchenko
Head
Charitable Foundation
“Volunteer movement “Vilni”
Kyiv, Ukraine
Starting from 2013 until the end of the Maidan, I was a participant in that revolution, and the most vivid memory I have of it is the feeling of unity. People are the government, the state. The nation has clearly expressed its position on the course towards Europe, and you, being there, felt the power of unity and mutual respect.
The Maidan symbolizes the modern form of organization of Ukrainian society, which made it possible to resist during the Russian occupation and unite to repel the enemy. After all, it was Maidan that clearly articulated the values of the modern Ukrainian community — the values of freedom, democracy, and European orientation.
Unlike Russians, Ukrainians have the values of European civilisation. The Maidan was a reaction to despotism, a way of defending personal and civic freedoms. This model is rooted in Ukrainian history, particularly in the times of Cossacks and the Ukrainian People's Republic. We can say that beating of students was the main turning point of the Revolution of Dignity.
The Revolution of Dignity commenced on the 9th anniversary of the Orange Revolution, coinciding with protests against the Azarov government's decision to halt Ukraine's European integration on the evening of November 21, 2013. Nine years prior, on November 22, 2004, people had rallied against the falsification of presidential election results. In both 2004 and 2013, citizens protested against Viktor Yanukovych's actions. On November 27, activists conveyed their message to Yanukovych on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, writing a 100-metre-long letter urging him to choose European integration and offering advice to the government.
The peaceful protest took a violent turn on November 30 when police brutally dispersed the remaining activists on Maidan, mainly students — unarmed protesters. In response, the very next day, on December 1, hundreds of thousands of people from across Ukraine converged in Kyiv, fuelled by anger over police brutality, corruption, and the abuse of power. We saw posters, messages, and rhetoric: "Stop beating children" from protesters.
The Maidan model promotes strong and creative individuals who are able to organise systemic resistance in times of crisis, in addition to formal leaders. In fact, Maidan was and still is a format for generating new, young leaders. Politicians were standing together with ordinary people, talking and discussing pressing issues in the country. There were fewer than 1,000 people, but the revolution gained momentum daily.
According to
the theory, three circumstances make it possible for the revolution to defeat
the regime:
1. The
presence of an alternative centre of influence — the counter-elite, forming new
values and rules, different from those professed by the regime.
2. The
ability of opposition leaders to organise (construct) mass public offensive
actions.
3. The
formation of an institutional result during the revolution — a new type of
social relations, and new institutions of future power.
And that third had become the central aspect of Ukraine's transformation and its "Euro-Atlantisation." It was the new, or rather reborn, civil society that demanded order and punishment of those responsible not only for the shootings but also for corruption.
Maidan laid down a model of a democratic society that does not tolerate autocracy and corruption. The fight against corruption is no longer the responsibility of law enforcement agencies alone. Civil society has become a guarantee of preventing total corruption. This function is crucial in the context of public control over the defence budget and procurement for the Ukrainian army.
Most importantly, it has become a challenge to the oligarchy and clannishness. Maidan was a signal for the formation of an effective government in Ukraine. After all, in a democratic system, it is impossible to constantly resolve issues by mobilising a significant part of society. It had also become a form of social solidarity, which proved to be especially important during the hostilities when a large part of the civilian population became highly vulnerable to various risks and challenges associated with the war.
The Maidan gave impetus to the development of a large number of civic institutions and initiatives in various spheres of public life; it also led to a surge of initiatives in Ukraine's regions. As a social phenomenon, Maidan attracted considerable attention from the international community, which was crucial to large-scale support for Ukraine during the war with Russia. However, it demonstrates the strength of a democratically-minded society. And this is what makes Maidan so close to passionate people in different countries who want to make effective changes.