Anastasia Mironova 10 years of the Maidan: Few people remember that it all started with lace panties 07:54

It’s holiday again in Ukraine. Pride and Freedom Day. I first learned about him in 2006, when I met a Ukrainian woman who was sitting in the square during the first Maidan. She later said they ate rotten potatoes and she froze their ovaries. My friend was not happy with the fruits of the hatching of freedom in the cold. He told the incredible: He was studying to be a translator in aviation and aircraft manufacturing. He said that with the victory of Meydan, they began to change their terminology, almost changing the name “litak” to “litadlo”. After the victory, the Ruslans organized Eurovision in Kiev. A friend of mine, whose ovaries had already been frozen, worked there as a volunteer translator and told me how much money was stolen while preparing for this competition. Enjoying her freedom, my friend took her ovaries and fled to England, where she still lives. And Ukrainians were left with the freedom offered to them in the cold.

But this would not last for long: Yanukovych canceled Freedom Day, as it was called at the first beginning of this sacred holiday in 2010, and instead soon declared Ukraine’s Day of Unity and Freedom. This date lasted three years. In 2014, Poroshenko came and everything began to turn upside down again: intimacy celebrations were banned, Freedom Day was returned, but shifted from November 22 to November 21, and the word “dignity” was added to it. What date is November 21? This is the beginning of the second Maidan. Do they have dignity and freedom? Let’s figure it out now.

I also remember the second Maidan. In general, I remember everything and now I enjoy this special pleasure: I have lived a lot, I have always lived carefully, and now I feel like a priceless vessel of knowledge. After all, there are now at least two new generations who were children during the second Maidan. And millions of adult citizens were not yet able to freely surf the Internet and remember all events only from television news that did not focus on the causes.

But I remember everything. Briefs! Second Square started with cowards! Lace! Yanukovych announced the suspension of negotiations on Ukraine’s European integration, and rumors were attributed to his intention to join the Customs Union. I don’t know why they decided to ban panties in the Customs Union, but a rumor began to spread in Ukraine that lace panties would be removed from the shelves as soon as they entered the Customs Union. Some special propaganda department was probably working there, which convinced the Ukrainians that Putin had banned wearing panties in Russia and would ban them immediately. People took to the streets with panties with sticks in their hands, carrying posters “I do not want to join the Customs Union – I want lacy panties and the EU” and believed that if it were not for European integration, they would all be wearing Belarusian “weekend” and Ivanovo trousers.

Frankly, the beginning of the Maidan was quite funny. You already know what’s happening here in Russia. On the one hand, we were impressed by the closeness and civic activity, which was later removed. On the other hand, barred panties caused some aesthetic resistance. Still, I sympathized with the first weeks of the Square.

When the Maidan began to grow and warm up, when the panties finally disappeared from the sticks, I generally began to follow the news without stopping. I felt sorry for the Ukrainians, supported them, wished them victory. First of all, by 2014 the difference in living standards, daily culture and politics between Russia and Ukraine had become huge. Ukraine, only Moscow and St. He looked back not from St. Petersburg, but also from the provinces of Russia: destruction, corruption, paid medicine, poor population… They sincerely wanted a better life for them. It was believed that the new government, supported by millions of active supporters from below, would perhaps begin to change the country…

Then there were shootings, Tymoshenko for some reason rolled over in a wheelchair and began to sing “Heroes Don’t Die”. Solemn funeral rites began. Even though there were signs from the other side, all of this was very impressive. For example, people were already walking around with pots and colanders on their heads. But then I thought: It was necessary to bring the country like this so that people voluntarily put pots on their heads! There were marches with lanterns. The Russian people have clear associations with them, but they appeared more like part of a colorful performance, in a series of celebratory and pathetic performances that later changed.

In general, I supported the Maidan… I even suffered for it! At the beginning of 2014, St. While working for the St. Petersburg “Echo” (radio station “Echo of Moscow” ceased broadcasting on March 3, 2022 – socialbites.ca note), I filmed a strike of activists of the People’s Liberation Movement (NOD) in St. Petersburg. In St. Petersburg – they supported “Berkut” and for some reason burned Nemtsov’s report on the Sochi Olympics. I shot silently. A grandmother who saw my Echo badge shouted: “Are you for Russia or not?” – He punched me in the eye.

Meanwhile, I gradually began to understand that the Maidan was going in the wrong direction. They have already started throwing deputies into trash bins, lowering a giant crystal chandelier into the meeting room and promising to clean up the Verkhovna Rada. The Klitschko brothers had already appeared there, running and running, and Tymoshenko got up from the stroller. And most importantly, this incomprehensible shooting and hunting for “Berkut” began… However, my eye was caught by Ukraine. I’m sure Zelensky didn’t get hit in the eye for asking a riddle, but I did.

So what would you think? By the end of the year, like many people in Russia who followed the Euromaidan with sympathy, I began to be bitterly ashamed of what came after the pans and Klitschkas. In response, Ukrainians began to demand unconditional support from the Russian intelligentsia and recognition of the superiority of Ukrainians in all matters. At some point, in mid-2015, the possibility of any dialogue between Ukrainians and even the Russian opposition completely disappeared, if the Russians had not started with the claim that everything was better in Ukraine: people are smarter and freer, the state is fairer, the media is more professional, The food is tastier, the toilets are hotter, the radiators are hotter… That’s right. Maidan and the sacrifice complex turned Ukrainians into impossible interlocutors. They were so full of the same dignity and freedom that they shouted “Ku!” They refused to talk to us unless we contacted their ritual. and recognition of Ukrainians as the best nation. Of course, we got bored quickly. 2015 – everything has already become clear.

And a year later, I was first offered to be included in the magazine “Peacemaker” for an article about how Russian liberals and illiberals are fed up with Ukraine to the tonsils… Then it was published in our most liberal “Novaya Gazeta” ( this publication is licensed September 5, 2022 – note “socialbites.ca”), and in that text I said out loud what had long been maturing in Russian society by that time: post-Maidan Ukraine alienated a significant part of the Russian intelligentsia and opposition. He acted in such a way that she was ashamed to support him. And he was so angry with himself that he turned all the dogs on me for publishing it in Novaya.

Then we felt ashamed. Let’s put aside the fact that our countries are now at war. Let’s imagine that Ukrainians are fighting with China, for example. Or with India. What do we see? They fight with other people’s money and with other people’s weapons in their hands. The uniform was bought with someone else’s money. The President travels around the world with his hand outstretched, I already make caricatures of him all over the world: “Give me money! Give me money!” For some reason, statements are made in the EU apparatus and the Pentagon about where and when the Ukrainian Armed Forces will advance and retreat. They also answer questions about their future plans for Kiev. “Aren’t you going to give up?” – asks conditional Gazeta Wyborcza. Antony Blinken for some reason answers him: “It’s not time yet.”

Everyone is in debt for the weapons that the Western military industry sold them. Even more arable land was sold. Everyone in Europe is fed up, European newspapers are full of complaints about uncultured and cunning Ukrainian refugees, magazines are full of caricatures of the Mykola pig. They also made a bad impression of themselves in Russia: many Ukrainians received aid, maternity capital and passports here and rushed with them to Europe. Neither Ukrstat nor the UN can say how many people actually remain in the country.
Dignity and Freedom Day should be considered as a day of international stability and order. Because the 10 years since the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity have given the world an effective anti-example. I’m sure many people thought forty times before putting a pot on their head and going out. Because, God forbid, we refrain from shouting and demanding what comes to the restless minds of Ukrainians.

It’s funny and sad. Probably the most unsuccessful modern revolution. The whole world understood this, only hungry, cold, hyperinflation and provoked mobilization, Ukrainians solemnly celebrate the anniversary of this. Awesome guys!

The author expresses his personal opinion, which may not coincide with the position of the editors.