Messages from the Orange Revolution
by Petro Rondiak
Following is a day-by-day account of the Orange Revolution written and e-mailed to a group of friends outside of Ukraine by Petro Rondiak.
Mr. Rondiak and his wife, Ola, lived in Kyiv in 1995 for two years and later returned in 2002 with their three children: Roman, Maya and Kalyna. Employed by the Winner Automotive Group, Mr. Rondiak enjoys expanding the business with his Ukrainian managers, spending time with his family, running the Kyiv Pee-Wee Soccer Program and producing English-language theater (in which Ola performs) with the Loose Change Players - Kyiv. Raised in the United States by their Ukrainian parents and heavily involved in Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, the Rondiaks say the Orange Revolution has been, and continues to be, a very unifying and inspirational experience.
Mr. Rondiak's "Messages from the Orange Revolution" will appear in several parts. The photos accompanying the story are the author's.
DAY 1
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004, 12:32 p.m.
Hi.
Going back and forth between maidan and our apartment. Crowd continues to grow. Khreschatyk filling up, as well as maydan. Including on the other side of Institutska, the hill is covered with people. Channel 5 back on air.
Yushchenko demanding meeting with Verkhovna Rada (VR) at 16:00.
General made appeal for military to go over to Yush.
Yush person made speech that Berkut and Ministry of Internal Affairs have agreed to come over to Yush. (I can't confirm this anywhere else.)
[Yulia] Tymoshenko gave incredible speech. "Now is the time to decide whether we have a desire to raise our children and grandchildren in a free country ... get warm clothes and tents, because we are not leaving until we have defended our choice and our freedom."
Moroz spoke. Okean Elzy lead guy, and others. The chant: "Svobodu ne spynyty."
Zero military or police presence. Probably undercover. Many sightings of army and police on side streets and outskirts. Danyo, saw buses of young people in black unmarked leather jackets parked near his house, on his over here.
* * *
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004, 5:56 p.m.
More photos from maidan. Logarithmic increase in people from 14:00-17:00. Institutska is now closed.
Students (Pora) took control of Khreschatyk block by block right now stopping at Khmelnytsky Street (TSUM Intersection).
Many more tents have been erected in the afternoon between maidan and Prorizna. A wooden framework for a barricade has been erected at the Prorizna intersection.
Many TV crews setting up. Any TV coverage in the West?
At one point around 15:00 the crowd marched down Khreschatyk. To the mayor's administration. Omelchenko came out and stated that he is behind the people of Kyiv who voted 75 percent for Yush. And the Kyiv City Administration is not accepting the voting results of the CEC. Omelchenko support is key.
There was some cheering - and the crowd went back to maidan. Massive movement of people.
Now everyone is waiting to see what the result of the meeting with the VR is. On the stage they announced that if the VR is with Yush, Yush will speak. If the VR is against Yush, the crowd will be asked to move up to the VR.
You will see on the photos the camping out on Khreschatyk. And maidan is a planned and financed event. Supplies were being trucked in all day. Oranges were being stocked up.
Yush about to come out on stage - more later.
DAY 2
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004, 3:10 a.m.
Pryvit! Thanks for all the e-mails and all the support! You all rock! Keep wearing orange!
So just got in, 03:01 Kyiv Time, after a day of VR activity which you all heard about. This evening's action was all about the Presidential Administration (which happens to be in my backyard).
This is one e-mail of a couple I will send in the next few minutes. Attached is a pretty poor quality video clip I took on my dig. Camera next to the fence by the Presidential Admin down by Ivan Franko Park (one of the access points).
Myron Jarosewich and I sang with the protesters, and I can tell you that the riot cops were laughing at our jokes and I certainly doubt they would put up much resistance if. ...
I will send the Bankova pictures in subsequent e-mails. That is where the real action is right now, 3 a.m. Ukie time.
The quantity of people in the streets is INCREDIBLE. Please be advised there is no "night of chaos" as we've seen in some articles. Yush camp has people at each point of contact with militia urging protesters to maintain peace. Yush camp urging all protesters to smile and sing with the cops.
Bankova e-mail next.
* * *
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004, 3:27 a.m.
Pryvit! After 3 a.m. Just got back from Bankova St. Pora is building tents. You will see white Styrofoam boards (this is what they sleep on) in the photos. Also you will see the dump trucks filled with sand that block the road once one gets closer in. On the dump trucks are dozens of Yush supporters. The spirit is very high and very alive. Look closely you will see orange sashes tied into the militia riot cop's shields. There are many many riot police on Bankova, but there is little tension. Many jokes and laughs being had with the militia. Trying to engage them in conversation.
"Vy nashi bratty, my z vamy, perekhodte do nas."
On a lighter note, you will see Myronko Jarosewich making his um ... semi-successful attempt to climb onto one of the dump trucks.
Also, a priest up on the fence continuously trying to speak with the militia.
If I haven't emphasized it yet, there is a crazy amount of people on the streets. Not just maidan. Everywhere. Multiple points of contact can be easily maintained.
Thanks again for all your support!
Wear ORANGE!!!!!
* * *
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004, 3:38 a.m.
Hey! A quick note about Khreschatyk circa 01:30. The tent city has doubled in size. It now stretches well past Prorizna to the Kyiv Administration Building Khreschatyk.
So walking by we see all these Marshutky (cheap mini-buses used as an alternative to public transit) parked in a row right by the tent city at the Kyiv Admin Bldg. One of the drivers told me that they were ordered by Omelchenko to come to Khreschatyk to provide heat for the students (and faculty) in the tent village.
This underscores that Omelchenko (Kyiv's mayor) is the man. Channel 5 has been running uninterrupted (very key to this whole thing). The city is incredibly well lit. Trash trucks are removing trash. DAI cops are managing car traffic - his support is key.
OK. That's it for now. Time for battery recharge.
PS. Can someone please post this to the Chornomortsi list? [Mr. Rondiak is a member of the Chornomortsi fraternity of Plast --ed.] Diakuyu!
DAY 3
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004, 2:05 a.m.
Pryvit! 1:51 a.m. Kyiv time. Yush is now using the "Ukrainian House" (former Lenin Museum) on European Square as HQ.
Serious increase in people (again). Whole center of Kyiv is incredibly crowded. Yulia T.'s speech informed us that there are Russian troops in ukie militia clothing.
Colin Powell's speech was broadcast (and translated) on the many plasma screen trucks that are popping up all over town.
Spirits are high and the mood is cheerful! There is no chaos. As I write this I am watching CNN and Euronews on satellite, and see that a lot of coverage is now happening.
Ruslana is on a hunger strike.
That's it for now. DO PEREMOHY!
DAY 4
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004, 9:14 a.m.
Druzi! Thanks again for all e-mails! SUN SHINING BRIGHTLY! Blue cloudless sky!! My kids are chanting "Yushchenko! Yushchenko!" while eating cereal at breakfast. Back to the streets!!
Rock n roll! The Orange Revolution grows Slava Ukraini! Petro out.
* * *
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004, 2:50 a.m.
Pryvit! OK, so I'm not a professional film guy. These video clips are far too dark, but the audio might be interesting.
Today was festive. More and more people crowding into the center. Buses and trains. Apparently the transport minister was under orders to prevent all transport from western Ukraine to Kyiv. He disobeyed this order. There is word of several key defections from government. Today on the stage 100 militia officers pledged their allegiance to Yushchenko and the people of Ukraine. Their leader kneeled on one knee and kissed the Ukrainian flag.
Unbelievably festive atmosphere. Like a giant tailgate party. DJ's setting up in various areas (outside) and blasting dance music! Dancing, laughing, chanting. Photos next.
* * *
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004, 2:59 a.m.
The opposition has surrounded the Cabinet of Ministers and apparently will refuse to allow workers to enter tomorrow. This is one of doors. They are all marked that way. Pockets of Pora are at each door.
* * *
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004, 3:07 a.m.
These pics are from Bankova St. in front of the presidential administration. People singing, dancing, spirits extremely high. One example of how organized the opposition is. Access to the area in front of the riot police is restricted by Pora people. They are screening who they allow to be in the zone. They have also set up a system of rotating visitors through the front so they can see. At this "yizha" stand I met a man from Crimea. He was totally psyched stating that he just got interviewed by a Japanese newspaper.
* * *
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004, 3:51 a.m.
Some late-night photos of decorated cars. Midnight to 1:30 a.m. - streets totally packed with people, hard to explain. I've never experienced anything like, nor would I ever have imagined it. The will is here. Euronews today referred to it as "the Orange Revolution."
Sidenote: the Yanukovych supporters from the hill across from the Cabinet of Ministers is gone. Myron was there and saw how multiple buses unloaded Yanuk supporters. They marched down Hrushevskoho, and into the small dynamo stadium (Surkis is a Yanuk guy). Thus, the hill across from the Cabinet Bldg is now covered with Yush supporters.
Prior to the stadium info above, I've heard that Yush supporters are feeding and providing warm clothes to the Yanuk supporters.
Thanks for all of your support!
DAY 5
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2004, 1:34 a.m.
Pryvit!
Now that Euronews is referring to it as the Orange Revolution I guess it's legitimate!
It is incredibly overwhelming to witness the scene in the center now. Words can not describe the quantity of people amassed. OK, I'll try anyway - Khreschatyk is packed from Bessarabka to maidan and past maidan to European Square and up both sides of Hrushevskoho. Institutska is closed and also mobbed with people. Horodetskoho is also packed with people. It's like a giant festive celebration. Cars honking, flags waving, groups chanting - truly an adrenaline rush.
People from the regions keep arriving and arriving. The crowds are psyched, festive and organized.
One thing that's impressive is how Kyiv, as a city, is rallying around supporting the infrastructure of supplying maidan. Two of the attached photos show women who cooked in their homes and brought meals, in bags, to share with the public. They literally put their bags on the ground and start asking people if anyone is hungry. There is also a bonfire shot. What's interesting is that the wood that's in the bonfire is supplied by people bringing wood in shopping bags from homes outside the city to maidan by people taking metros etc.
Yush's speech this evening (after the Kuchma, Yanukovych roundtable) came across as truly authentic and real. Really great speech. In one part he described coming home at 11 p.m. and seeing his three daughters, 5, 4 and 3 years old. And just when he felt tired and fed up with politics, the girls start walking in a row (youngest first) chanting: "Nas bahato. Nas ne Podolaty!"
New chants of the day: "Shche ne Zmerzla Ukraina!" and "Nam Donetsk ne vorohy, prykhodit na pyrohy."
I hope the zabava [Morskyi Bal organized by the Chornomortsi fraternity of Plast - ed.] went well waiting to see pictures of NYC rally. Hats off to the Ukie people!! Thanks for your work in USA!!!
PART I
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 2, 2005, No. 1, Vol. LXXIII
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