Euromaidan in Kharkiv, November 24, 2013. Together with Zakharov or together with Shvaika?
A photo report about a mass event, combined with sad reflections on the heterogeneity of the people encountered there. But hope still remains alive!
I am not a fan of mass events, but I felt it was right to attend the Kharkiv 'Euromaidan'. Before leaving, I explained everything on Facebook; for simplicity, I'll copy that explanation here as well. Dear Kharkivites! You know, going out somewhere right now is extremely inconvenient for me. I don't like chanting slogans in a crowd at the prompting of rally organizers. Professional activists seem like a strange crowd to me. It's scary to say... Shevchenko, near whose monument the rally is being held, is not my idol. And yes, I don't believe that joining Europe will shower us with manna from heaven. But still, I'm going to the rally in support of European integration now. This is one way to make my opinion heard on a matter I consider fundamental. How long I'll stay there — I don't know; probably not long. But I need to be there! I urge you to join me. We'll meet there! In fact, this is already the second rally this week (and since the Orange Revolution of 2004) that I'm attending. The first was on Tuesday, outside the 'White House'. There were very few people (a few hundred; five people from our laboratory and two more from our department made up a noticeable percentage of those rallying). I wasn't there long: I became embarrassed to shout slogans, and I had to pick up the child from kindergarten. I was lucky then: I left just in time so as not to hear the speaker who was telling the crowd about Jewish-Masonic conspiracies and Zionist plots. But this time too I felt it was right to go. Near the metro at the square — a small group of Communists talking about friendship with Russia. I'm also, incidentally, very much in favor of friendship with Russia, but I tend to think that friendship can only exist between equal partners. And here is the rally. Kharkiv, in fact, lives its own life, and a mass event takes over only a small part of it. The first person I see as I approach the rally is MP Shvaika, who is giving explanations to the press. Shvaika heads the Kharkiv 'Svoboda' — a party whose programme documents provide for discrimination of people based on their nationality.
European values indeed!
Where have I ended up? Near the monument they are trying to set up microphones (by the way, nothing could be properly heard). Men with mustaches and girls with flowers. This girl at both rallies was playing Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' to Schiller's words on the violin, which became the anthem of the European Union (the 5th movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, by the way).
Beethoven is turning in his grave... Ideological products in assortment At first I read 'Ukraine is not Europe' and was surprised. I stepped closer... Ah... 'Ukraine is Europe'! Iconography persuading of the prospects of association with the EU Some of those who came have closely surrounded the monument; others are walking around and chatting I have an absolutely politically incorrect criterion by which one can assess the interest of a group of people. How many girls are there who are pleasant to look at?
There were very few of those at the rally.
Even though it was a day off, the crowd was mostly elderly.
A journalist at work And this looks good, doesn't it?
This is the editor of MediaPort.
They work professionally — probably the most professional of everyone here, including the rally organizers.
And here is what I pondered at the rally. I think I can name who this is. Yevhen Zakharov, a mathematician, head of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group, member of the Helsinki Group.
As far as I know him — a person who strives to live by his conscience.
We are 'friends' on Facebook, and once exchanged a couple of remarks. I was too shy to approach, meet him in person, and shake his hand.
At least it is clear to me that participating in something alongside Zakharov is not a cause for shame. Not far from him is Svoboda member Shvaika. Fellow party members approach him one by one to shake hands. In my conviction, this company can only compromise a decent person. A lawyer. As a member of parliament — part of the power mechanism (unlike Zakharov, who was twice passed over in ombudsman elections). Yes, Svoboda is now in favor of European association.
They are pushy and have supporters (probably including those who use them as a bogeyman). In terms of their distance from European values, they are roughly on the same level as the Communists. I observed the people with whom Zakharov associates and those with whom Shvaika associates. 'Shvaika's people' are obviously younger and more energetic. 'Zakharov's people', by their appearance, are incomparably more decent. I think that the union of such different people for one cause is a temporary phenomenon. I walked around the rally, looking for acquaintances, exchanging impressions and hopes. I want to believe that Yanukovych is driving up his price and the chance of signing the association agreement is not yet lost. And even if it is lost, it is necessary to show that this is the consequence of decisions made by the corrupt top of our state, and not of its sensible citizens. I met quite a few acquaintances (a city of one and a half million like Kharkiv is quite small). Oh, such different people! In my estimation, the goals that brought my fellow citizens here are sometimes diametrically opposed. For some, civilizational values are what matters. Some hope that EU bureaucrats will force the Ukrainian authorities to comply with Ukrainian laws (for example, those relating to education and science, so that workers in those fields will start being paid properly).
Some of my acquaintances (if I understand correctly) hope that as a result of Ukraine's European choice, they will become bosses, silence dissenters, and force everyone to do what they consider right. Some want to run far away from the Soviet past. By the way, I assume that if Ukraine signs the agreement with the EU, a difficult period awaits us. But still — it is a civilizational choice, a bifurcation point. With the EU the perspective is clear to me. With Russia — it is not. Russia is ill with the imperial syndrome. I will be very glad if Ukraine joins the EU, and then a renewed Russia also enters it. But it turns out that the European choice is, to some extent, a myth that everyone understands in their own way. The desired future of those gathered on this square is different, and if our common goal today is achieved, the contradictions will immediately come to the surface. Well then. So be it. I hope to remain on the side where Zakharov will be, and not on the side where Shvaika will end up. The mood of most of the crowd is not bad. At least calm, and for most people far from both hysteria and aggression. That is what I value about Ukraine and Kharkiv. Look where the children have climbed! There are few police, and they are very calm. Good that the situation is peaceful. And yet, in the heads of these people — very different things... Interesting, who is this young man? At both the Tuesday rally and today, he warms up the crowd, nudging them to shout uplifting things. Below — the left-hand placard in larger size. This is a placard from the 'committee for the protection of the Ukrainian language'. I would like to understand from what the state language needs to be protected. I understand well why the Ukrainian language had to be protected during the era of imperial oppression — the Valuev Circulars and Stalinist purges. Today the demand 'protect the Ukrainian language!' usually means 'force those who speak, write, and think in Russian to speak, write, and think in Ukrainian!' For Slobozhanshchyna, which was originally settled by both Russians and Ukrainians, this is a rather unexpected demand, and it does not fit well with European values either.
Produce a quality product, organize patriotic subscriptions to fund Ukrainian cultural events, and expand the linguistic environment you hold dear! And still, quite a lot of people!
Oh, Ukraine's European prospects are not unclouded...
However, the alternative is worse.
Настроение большей части публики непохое.
По крайней мере, спокойное і, у большинства, далекое і від истерики, і від агрессии.
За це я і ценю Украину і Харків Посмотрите, куда залезли дети!
Милиції мало, і она дуже спокойна. Хорошо, що ситуація мирная І все ж в головах у цих людей — дуже разние вещи... Интересно, кто цей молодик? І на вторничном митинге, і сегодня он разогревает толпу, подталкивая викрикивать духоподемние вещи Ниже — левий плакат покрупнее Це плакат "комитета защити украинского язика". Хотелось би понять, від чего слід защищать государственний язик. Хорошо понимаю, від чего треба було защищать украинский язик в епоху имперских притеснений — валуевских циркуляров і сталинских чисток. Сегодня требование "защитите украинский язик!" обично означает "заставьте тех, кто говорит, пишет і думает по-русски, говорить, писать і думать по-украински!". Для Слободской України, которую изначально заселяли і русские, і украинци, достаточно неожиданное требование, так і з европейскими ценностями плохо согласуется. Производите качественний продукт, проводите среди патриотов подписки на дотації украинских культурних мероприятий, і расширяйте ту язиковую среду, яка вам дорога! І все ж не так уж мало!
Ох, не безоблачни европейские перспективи України...
Впрочем, альтернатива — хуже
