The revolution of dignity is likely one of the major European events in the last 50 years. Its roots go back far, but the presidential elections in 2010 were decided for Viktor Yanukovych.
The key fight is about the question if Ukraine is an independent European country or if Ukraine should be part of Russia, nothing more than a region with certain folkloric difference and a language somewhat like a dialect of Russian (that is how imperialisticly minded Russians and Ukrainians like to see it).
When Russian president Putin in 2013 told Ukrainian president Yanukovich in secret meetings about harsh economic consequences for Ukraine if Yanukovich would move Ukraine closer to Europe, Yanukovich gave in.
Prime minister Azarov declared the decision to pull out of the EU-trade association contract on November 21, 2013. That decision came as a shock to many Europeans.
And certainly this unexpected turnabout shocked many people in Ukraine.
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Ukrainians took to the street in November 2013 – first students.
Revolution of Dignity – Euromaidan
The film Winter on Fire tells the whole story in a feature film.
Later – as the police resorted unprovoked brutal beatings of young people on November 30th, 2013 at 4am in the night – more and more parts of the Ukrainian society joined the protests in solidarity. (Who ordered the violence against protestors?)
All of this led to the revolution of dignity, with the result of Yanukovich fleeing to Russia in February 2014 and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, first on Crimea and in Donbas, and later into all of Ukraine.
The pro-Russian parts of the population and the Russian state media were not amused. They talked about Nazis and fascists and a coup in Ukraine. None of the true reasons for Ukrainians to chose a path towards Europe were seen by this Russian interpretations. The dehumanisation of Ukrainians as Nazis and Banderites in the Russian state media led to actual violence erupting on the island of Crimea, which was forcibly annexed into the Russian federation. Putin used his military without national Russian insignia, as little green men. The clashes between civilians on Crimea are depicted in this report.
And further violence happened in Donezk, where the demonstrators with a Russian mindset attacked those who were pro-Ukrainian citizens. With fatal consequences.
It is against this backdrop that the clashes in Odessa developed and led to the tragedy of the fire in the trade union house.
In the end the actor provoking all of this was Russian president Putin and his supporters, who acted on their intentions to control the Ukrainian majority in their wish to turn towards Europe, towards USA and towards democracy and towards a country without corruption.
Today, in 2023, anyone can talk to Ukrainian people and Russian people and appreciate how different the populations have developed. Ukrainians vote for a president and they will have an open discussion with varying opionions, varying political parties or political leaders they support. Ukraine is a free society, where various minorities are able to live their life in the way they like. In Russia there is only one political option and it is impossible even to protest against the war Russia leads in Ukraine. Anyone protesting for peace faces prison. And the killing of numerous journalists and people with different opinions, even outside of the territory of Russia is accepting by the majority of Russian people. Civil rights are optional, power and violence rule. Since 2022 the country shows all aspects of facism.