On November 21, 2013, the Azarov Government thwarted the signing of the European Integration Agreement. As a result, the first protesters began to gather in the center of Kiev. Subsequently, on November 30, students were beaten at Euromaidan. This was the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity, which forever transformed Ukrainian society and initiated political changes in the country. The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers publishes pictures of Vyacheslav Ratinsky, who documented the main events of the Revolution. \
In November 2013, Ukraine was supposed to sign an association agreement with the European Union. But on November 21, 2013, the then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign it.
On November 21, 2013, Ukrainians began a protest for the European future of their country on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv. People united because Viktor Yanukovych and the cabinet wanted to stop preparations for signing the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. Mass protests and rallies in the main square of the country turned into the Eurorevolution or the Revolution of Dignity. In the end, protests swept across the country.
The refusal to sign the Association Agreement was a great disappointment for Ukrainian students: they felt cheated because Europe would be closed to them. In the evening of the same day, Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Nayem wrote on his Facebook page: “Okay, let's get serious. Who is ready to enter the Maidan today by midnight? Likes do not count. Only comments under this post with the words “I'm ready.” As soon as we get more than 1,000, we will organize.”
That night, the students came to the Maidan. They chanted the slogan: “Ukraine is Europe!” At four o'clock in the morning on November 30, 2013, Yanukovych sent the Berkut special unit to the Maidan to disperse the students. Violence against young people caused a wave of resistance, many people joined the students.
The Maidan became not only a place of protest, but also a kind of city. There were “field” kitchens, musicians performed, artists painted. Also on the square were a library, an open university and a piano. People pitched tents, made fires, cooked soup in iron cauldrons. Volunteers cleared snow and ice.
On January 16, the government of Viktor Yanukovych passed the “Laws on Dictatorship”, which deprived the right to freedom of speech and assembly. All the people present on the Maidan were automatically declared criminals. “Berkut” used tear gas, rubber bullets, light noise grenades and water cannons against the participants at sub-zero temperatures. The protesters disappeared. The body of one of the activists, Yuriy Verbitsky, was found crippled and frozen in the forest...
On January 19, after the Viche on Maidan, around 15 o'clock and later on Hrushevsky Street in Kyiv, there were numerous clashes between protesters and security forces. People tried to go to the building of the Verkhovna Rada. Vitaly Klitschko tried to stop the force confrontation, but he did not succeed. Light noise grenades, rubber bullets, batons, water cannons, Molotov cocktails, stones were used against the protesters; protesters used firecrackers, Molotov cocktails, stones, slingshots, they burned five units of special equipment, the remains of which were used as donkeys new barricades. On the same day, Vitaly Klitschko met with President Yanukovych, as a result of which an agreement was reached on holding another “round table”. However, the planned negotiations did not take place.
On the night of January 21, at the same time, the attack of special forces on the barricades of protesters and pogroms committed by titushes began. Some of the aunts were detained by protesters. Around 8 a.m., priests clashed between the protesters and the special forces, so the fighting was stopped for almost a day.
During the month, negotiations between the authorities and the protesters took place with varying success. In particular, on January 28, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned “in order to create additional opportunities for socio-political compromise, for the sake of peaceful settlement of the conflict”.
The Verkhovna Rada, in accordance with an agreement between the president and the authorities, repealed 9 of the 11 laws that restricted citizens' civil liberties and were adopted on January 16 in “manual mode”.
On January 31, Viktor Yanukovych signed an act repealing the dictatorial laws adopted on January 16 and the amnesty law adopted on January 29.
On February 18, when the Verkhovna Rada was to consider possible amendments to the Constitution, Protestants approached the building of the Verkhovna Rada, most of whom, due to the peaceful nature of the procession, were without sticks, stones and Molotov cocktails. Special forces met protesters with water jets and gas. At the same time, the protesters were attacked from the flank by significant forces of security forces and detachments, as a result of which the column of demonstrators was cut into several separate parts. This led to the resumption of confrontation between the rebels and the security forces. The fighting took place, in particular, with the use of firearms. Several people on both sides were killed.
On the morning of February 19, the number of dead was already 25, including: 9 employees of the security structures; 16 civilians and self-defense fighters of the Maidan.
The Revolution of Dignity lasted 94 days, up to 4 million Ukrainians took part in it. The most tragic days of the Revolution were February 18—20, when during large-scale clashes in the center of Kiev, the House of Trade Unions was set on fire, and snipers killed 107 protesters. On February 20, Ukraine annually celebrates the Day of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.
The main geopolitical consequence of the Revolution of Dignity was the beginning of Ukraine's exit from the zone of influence of Russia in the economic and political spheres, the reduction of dependence in the cultural aspect. The non-bloc status of Ukraine was abolished, which meant that it did not join the international collective security and defense structures.
Photographer Vyacheslav Ratinsky filmed the Revolution of Dignity every day for three months. He entered the Maidan on November 21, 2013 during the first protests, witnessed confrontations between protesters and security forces, and witnessed the aftermath of the Heavenly Hundred executions. The photographer was wounded twice in the clashes.
“Once a light-noise grenade exploded in my legs, and a little later my nose was cut off by a piece of rubber ball. Then there were clashes at the corner of Shovkovichna and Institutskaya, and I climbed onto the balcony of an apartment building to see the full picture and shoot from above. When there was dandruff in my nose, I remember that normally I was so scared. Still, it was very close to the eyes. Although, of course, compared to the injuries suffered by the activists on the same day, my scratches are nothing,” recalls Vyacheslav Ratynskyi.
From the end of November 2013 until the spring of 2014, Vyacheslav Ratynsky photographed daily in the center of Kyiv. In addition to filming clashes and provocations by the then security forces, Ratinsky filmed the life of the protesters.
On the day of the first execution of the Heavenly Hundred, Ratinsky went home for the first time in a few days to sleep. However, he still followed the events through the stream. There he saw reports that people were being shot in the center of Kiev.
“I didn't sleep for two or three days. But still he quickly got up and went back to the Maidan. I saw the bodies of the dead being lowered. In addition to the tragedy itself, he was shocked by the actions of the protesters. They did not disperse — on the contrary: they built new barricades, rallied even more. Everyone had some kind of job. For example, I have a shot with a man who simply picks up ash from the asphalt — sweeps the Maidan, because he cannot stand idly by,” says Ratynsky.
The last photos about the events of Euromaidan were taken by Ratynsky no longer in the center of Kiev. The frames show men of different ages: in old military uniforms and in helmets that can flash even rubber bullets. The men train at a former police training ground near the capital. These men are recruits to the National Guard. Within a month, they will become the first volunteers in Donbas.
“I remember how the guys from the Maidan Self-Defense Force, who signed up for the National Guard, were uncomfortable to train at that time. The former militiamen were their enemies yesterday, and now they have become teachers. The activists were embarrassed, but still listened to the advice of the security forces, - Vyacheslav Ratynsky shares his memories. - For me personally, there is a clear boundary - until 2013 and after. The Revolution of Dignity changed us all.”
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Bildeditor: Olga Kovalyova
Photo by: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
Vyacheslav Ratynskyi — Ukrainian reporter and documentary photographer. He was born in the city of Zhytomyr. He has been living and working in Kyiv for the last 9 years. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. He has been published in many Ukrainian publications (Ukrainska Pravda, Hromadske, Novoe Vremya, Focus, Forbes, Ukrainian Week, Reporters and others), as well as in a number of foreign publications (Time, The Guardian, The Wall Street journal, The Washington mail, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The New York Times, El Pais, Radio Freedom Europe, BBC, Reuters, Der Spiegel).
Photographer's social networks:
Facebook
Instagram
Recall that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has started a series of materials dedicated to key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where he publishes memoirs and photographs of Ukrainian documentary photographers.
On November 21, 2013, the Azarov Government thwarted the signing of the European Integration Agreement. As a result, the first protesters began to gather in the center of Kiev. Subsequently, on November 30, students were beaten at Euromaidan. This was the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity, which forever transformed Ukrainian society and initiated political changes in the country. The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers publishes pictures of Vyacheslav Ratinsky, who documented the main events of the Revolution. \
In November 2013, Ukraine was supposed to sign an association agreement with the European Union. But on November 21, 2013, the then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign it.
On November 21, 2013, Ukrainians began a protest for the European future of their country on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv. People united because Viktor Yanukovych and the cabinet wanted to stop preparations for signing the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. Mass protests and rallies in the main square of the country turned into the Eurorevolution or the Revolution of Dignity. In the end, protests swept across the country.
The refusal to sign the Association Agreement was a great disappointment for Ukrainian students: they felt cheated because Europe would be closed to them. In the evening of the same day, Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Nayem wrote on his Facebook page: “Okay, let's get serious. Who is ready to enter the Maidan today by midnight? Likes do not count. Only comments under this post with the words “I'm ready.” As soon as we get more than 1,000, we will organize.”
That night, the students came to the Maidan. They chanted the slogan: “Ukraine is Europe!” At four o'clock in the morning on November 30, 2013, Yanukovych sent the Berkut special unit to the Maidan to disperse the students. Violence against young people caused a wave of resistance, many people joined the students.
The Maidan became not only a place of protest, but also a kind of city. There were “field” kitchens, musicians performed, artists painted. Also on the square were a library, an open university and a piano. People pitched tents, made fires, cooked soup in iron cauldrons. Volunteers cleared snow and ice.
On January 16, the government of Viktor Yanukovych passed the “Laws on Dictatorship”, which deprived the right to freedom of speech and assembly. All the people present on the Maidan were automatically declared criminals. “Berkut” used tear gas, rubber bullets, light noise grenades and water cannons against the participants at sub-zero temperatures. The protesters disappeared. The body of one of the activists, Yuriy Verbitsky, was found crippled and frozen in the forest...
On January 19, after the Viche on Maidan, around 15 o'clock and later on Hrushevsky Street in Kyiv, there were numerous clashes between protesters and security forces. People tried to go to the building of the Verkhovna Rada. Vitaly Klitschko tried to stop the force confrontation, but he did not succeed. Light noise grenades, rubber bullets, batons, water cannons, Molotov cocktails, stones were used against the protesters; protesters used firecrackers, Molotov cocktails, stones, slingshots, they burned five units of special equipment, the remains of which were used as donkeys new barricades. On the same day, Vitaly Klitschko met with President Yanukovych, as a result of which an agreement was reached on holding another “round table”. However, the planned negotiations did not take place.
On the night of January 21, at the same time, the attack of special forces on the barricades of protesters and pogroms committed by titushes began. Some of the aunts were detained by protesters. Around 8 a.m., priests clashed between the protesters and the special forces, so the fighting was stopped for almost a day.
During the month, negotiations between the authorities and the protesters took place with varying success. In particular, on January 28, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned “in order to create additional opportunities for socio-political compromise, for the sake of peaceful settlement of the conflict”.
The Verkhovna Rada, in accordance with an agreement between the president and the authorities, repealed 9 of the 11 laws that restricted citizens' civil liberties and were adopted on January 16 in “manual mode”.
On January 31, Viktor Yanukovych signed an act repealing the dictatorial laws adopted on January 16 and the amnesty law adopted on January 29.
On February 18, when the Verkhovna Rada was to consider possible amendments to the Constitution, Protestants approached the building of the Verkhovna Rada, most of whom, due to the peaceful nature of the procession, were without sticks, stones and Molotov cocktails. Special forces met protesters with water jets and gas. At the same time, the protesters were attacked from the flank by significant forces of security forces and detachments, as a result of which the column of demonstrators was cut into several separate parts. This led to the resumption of confrontation between the rebels and the security forces. The fighting took place, in particular, with the use of firearms. Several people on both sides were killed.
On the morning of February 19, the number of dead was already 25, including: 9 employees of the security structures; 16 civilians and self-defense fighters of the Maidan.
The Revolution of Dignity lasted 94 days, up to 4 million Ukrainians took part in it. The most tragic days of the Revolution were February 18—20, when during large-scale clashes in the center of Kiev, the House of Trade Unions was set on fire, and snipers killed 107 protesters. On February 20, Ukraine annually celebrates the Day of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.
The main geopolitical consequence of the Revolution of Dignity was the beginning of Ukraine's exit from the zone of influence of Russia in the economic and political spheres, the reduction of dependence in the cultural aspect. The non-bloc status of Ukraine was abolished, which meant that it did not join the international collective security and defense structures.
Photographer Vyacheslav Ratinsky filmed the Revolution of Dignity every day for three months. He entered the Maidan on November 21, 2013 during the first protests, witnessed confrontations between protesters and security forces, and witnessed the aftermath of the Heavenly Hundred executions. The photographer was wounded twice in the clashes.
“Once a light-noise grenade exploded in my legs, and a little later my nose was cut off by a piece of rubber ball. Then there were clashes at the corner of Shovkovichna and Institutskaya, and I climbed onto the balcony of an apartment building to see the full picture and shoot from above. When there was dandruff in my nose, I remember that normally I was so scared. Still, it was very close to the eyes. Although, of course, compared to the injuries suffered by the activists on the same day, my scratches are nothing,” recalls Vyacheslav Ratynskyi.
From the end of November 2013 until the spring of 2014, Vyacheslav Ratynsky photographed daily in the center of Kyiv. In addition to filming clashes and provocations by the then security forces, Ratinsky filmed the life of the protesters.
On the day of the first execution of the Heavenly Hundred, Ratinsky went home for the first time in a few days to sleep. However, he still followed the events through the stream. There he saw reports that people were being shot in the center of Kiev.
“I didn't sleep for two or three days. But still he quickly got up and went back to the Maidan. I saw the bodies of the dead being lowered. In addition to the tragedy itself, he was shocked by the actions of the protesters. They did not disperse — on the contrary: they built new barricades, rallied even more. Everyone had some kind of job. For example, I have a shot with a man who simply picks up ash from the asphalt — sweeps the Maidan, because he cannot stand idly by,” says Ratynsky.
The last photos about the events of Euromaidan were taken by Ratynsky no longer in the center of Kiev. The frames show men of different ages: in old military uniforms and in helmets that can flash even rubber bullets. The men train at a former police training ground near the capital. These men are recruits to the National Guard. Within a month, they will become the first volunteers in Donbas.
“I remember how the guys from the Maidan Self-Defense Force, who signed up for the National Guard, were uncomfortable to train at that time. The former militiamen were their enemies yesterday, and now they have become teachers. The activists were embarrassed, but still listened to the advice of the security forces, - Vyacheslav Ratynsky shares his memories. - For me personally, there is a clear boundary - until 2013 and after. The Revolution of Dignity changed us all.”
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Bildeditor: Olga Kovalyova
Photo by: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
Vyacheslav Ratynskyi — Ukrainian reporter and documentary photographer. He was born in the city of Zhytomyr. He has been living and working in Kyiv for the last 9 years. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. He has been published in many Ukrainian publications (Ukrainska Pravda, Hromadske, Novoe Vremya, Focus, Forbes, Ukrainian Week, Reporters and others), as well as in a number of foreign publications (Time, The Guardian, The Wall Street journal, The Washington mail, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The New York Times, El Pais, Radio Freedom Europe, BBC, Reuters, Der Spiegel).
Photographer's social networks:
Facebook
Instagram
Recall that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has started a series of materials dedicated to key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where he publishes memoirs and photographs of Ukrainian documentary photographers.
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
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