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.
PART II
DAY 6
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2004, 7:47 a.m.
As requested, attached are family photos, including Romchyk on maidan (I took Romchyk out for a few minutes on Day 3, morning. He took it in for about 10 minutes and proceeded to get preoccupied with the newly fallen snow). The girls, Maya and Kalyna, you can see on the train photo (train to Lviv). There is also a shot of Ola and myself last night, November 26 our 10-year anniversary!
Yes! Military officers, SBU generals, militia, are regularly making appearances on the stage and pledging their allegiance to the people and to Yushchenko, to which the crowd responds "Molodtsi! Molodtsi!"
Kravchuk is pretty much clueless [an assessment of the former president's appearances on TV - ed.]
Thanks for feedback!
* * *
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2004, 5:33 p.m.
Hi! Thanks for the anniversary wishes and kind words. Ramada, eh?[Petro's messages were displayed on posters set up for the Morskyi Bal at the Ramada Hotel on Friday, November 26. The dance is an annual event organized by the Chornomortsi fraternity of Plast. -ed]
Should've checked my spelling and grammer (and unfinished sentences caused by falling asleep at the keyboard).
This morning Kalyna wanted the Yushchenko plate. There is no more color orange in our house. If you ask Kalyna to list the colors, she will reply blue, red, pink, Yushchenko, green etc.
This morning we did a walk down the loop, which has now become the standard progression - maidan, Euro Sq, Cab Min, Vr, And Pres Admin. Again amazed by the ability of Pora to create huge demonstrations at each place simultaneously.
People are arriving and arriving. Example: Tarasa Shevchenko Boulevard from Bessarabka to Volodymyrska packed with minivans between the topoli [poplars]. A massive tailgate party. Mostly western Ukraine. But eastern regions represented as well. Taras Shevenko Park also becoming a campground/minivan park.
Growing, growing, growing.
Going back tonight. More later today.
* * *
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2004, 3:42 p.m.
Pryvit! Passed out last night and never finished Day 6 second half. So here it is.
Despite the Orange Revolution, ballet class was not cancelled. In the middle of Day 6 we took Maya and Kalyna to their scheduled ballet class. Nothing like ballet class during a historic revolution for a dose of the surreal. I was asked if anyone in the city is working. The answer is yes. Outside the center, you can't really tell there is anything abnormal happening. Except the various parks and squares around the center that are jam packed with minivans, buses and cars. Like St. Sophia Square, which looks like the parking lot at Giants Stadium before a game. People cooking, singing and sleeping in minivans with their engines running. The smell of exhaust fumes from old engines is one of the pervasive smells of the revolution.
I won't go into the smells inside Dim Ukrainian which has become a crowded, dark and wet shelter where demonstrators can warm up, receive medical attention, or go to the "Spalnyi Punkt," which consists of a set of chairs where one can sit and sleep in a sitting position. The stairs to the second floor are also reasonably dry, so many people are sleeping in sitting positions on the stairs with their head, on their arms on their knees.
Ola's cousin Nazar from Kolomia is part of the security wall around the tent city at the area across from McDonald's. What he said about the tent city:
Access is by passport only (checked against a registration list)
All residents are frisked on the way into the compound (as a result of one guy that brought in a gun).
All residents take an oath not to drink alcohol of any kind. Anyone determined to be under the influence is removed from the camp and taken off registration.
They are well-supplied and well-fed with hot food from the field kitchens. In fact, at the border of the tent city the students are actually feeding other demonstrators that don't have any food.
Then to the Pres Admin lower part. Four days ago there was a line of riot police side by side with special billy clubs and hard black star wars helmets. Last night they had soft helmets with no visors. They had large gaps between each cop, and didn't have the special clubs. Kind of relaxed from the police side. Up on Bankova things are pretty much the same regarding riot police deployment.
Around midnight it became a little more like we're used to on Khreschatyk on the weekend, except hugely amplified by the crazy amounts of people everywhere. Many inebriated individuals spotted. We moved quickly and were on alert. Sure enough, waiting at a kiosk while a friend was making a purchase, I was approached by two Yanuk supporters. Young men, white T-shirts pulled over their sweaters with a blue; "Ya liubliu Yanukovycha" printed on them.
He pointed at the U.S. flag that's hanging from my hat and said (in Russian) "In your country elections aren't falsified? Do you honestly mean to tell me that the people voted for someone that sends their sons and daughters to fight and die in Iraq?" The young man was in um... and elevated state. I smiled and said I have to go. Ola, our friend and I turned and started leaving the dvir the kiosk was in. They followed us, chanting something about Lenin and Komsomol. We were relieved when we neared the exit of the courtyard and there were large groups of Yush supporters glaring at our newfound friends. We stopped and they kept going, chanting away in a sea of orange: "Lenin, Komsomoltsi."
The house we are in (Danyo K's) is a happy (though at times loud) revolution house with six kids and five adults. Plus an additional three men, family connections to Danyo, who arrived from Lviv last night to show their support.
That's it for last night. End of Day 6.
Leaving for maidan now to spend the evening there. Petro Out!
PS. Congrats on the NYC Protests!!! Thanks for the video footage that I will distribute on CD at the tent city, and Yush's headquarters.
DAY 7 (No e-mails.)
DAY 8
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004, 12:22 a.m.
Pryvit!
The crowds continue to grow - in my estimation. Did some driving around in the Expedition, beeping and waving orange to crowds of cheering demonstrators. "Razom nas bahato..." cranked up. Windows down. Pretty much a total high. Passed a small party of about 100 Yanuk supporters. Slowed down, turned up the volume and gave the victory sign. They were a much more cheerful group than those portrayed on TV.
Then, while on foot, passed two militia guys guarding some bldg and gave them orange ribbons from my pocket. They smiled and accepted them. I felt like I was a hippie in the sixties.
While driving, listening to Era Radio 96.1 and hearing all these selos [villages] in the east call in and state that their silski rady decided for Yush and against their oblast government.
On maidan. What people! The whole range of demographics. Many have no job to return to if Yanuk becomes president since they defied their bosses and came to Kyiv anyway. These people are definitely here for a long term. "Until inauguration" they say.
To give you an idea of how large the crowd is, the organizers made an announcement on stage requesting people not to use the metro system at Metro Khreschatyk and maidan due to overcrowding. People are walking to Lva Tolstoho and Pochtova Ploscha.
Another crowd size indicator: while all government building blockades are still fully staffed, European Square packed, maidan packed, and Khreschatyk packed - simultaneously there was a march of Yush supporters one street lane wide stretching from the CEC, at the top of Lesia Ukrainka, all the way down to Bessarabka and Khreschatyk! Truly a movement.
I managed to hook up with my Ford sales team from work that managed to come down together to participate.
And one last observation: Pora has made attempts to fortify the perimeter of their tent village with wooden fencing made from used pallets, ropes and scrap wood. Also a few buses have been moved to the sides of the encampment, for additional protection.
Heavily snowing - eerie low news day.
DAY 9
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004, 12:55 a.m.
At work this morning. First problem: banks weren't working for the first half of the day which makes cashflow um... a little difficult at work.
Note: Tristan, a British friend of ours, has posted a short film that captures some of the feeling of being here right now. It's on http://www.brama.com/news/press/2004/11/041123Revolution-high.wmv - "The Revolution" - Film by Tristan Brotherton, Kyiv.
No photos today as it was really cold and dark, and my time was spent walking around maidan trying to stay warm and listen to the speeches. It was voice recorder day, and I recorded a poem that Vitalii, a guy from Lviv, standing next to me, wanted to recite to me.
Energy was high at maidan when at around 17:30 it was announced that Yushchenko was still in meetings with Parliament people and would speak in and hour or so. The speech went on to say that all political moves were exhausted. That the Parliament tried to reverse its last decision nixing the election results. That the govt was simply stalling to kill time. It was clearly stated that if nothing comes of the VR meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m. then political maneuvers will no longer be used. Effective immediately, the blockades were resumed at the Cabinet of Ministers and Presidential Admin. (They were removed last night). There was a call to action to come to maidan at 9 a.m. and then to proceed to VR at 10 tomorrow. In one part of the speech the guy said that it's easy to take any building in this city. But it's not easy to "make it ours," thus it's a process that must go its course. As it turned out, Yushchenko never came out to speak. Still in a meeting I guess. Oh, the band that does "Razom nas bahato..." came on stage and did the song. Everyone went nuts. Including the old-timers in the audience jamming away, bobbing their heads.
It was probably the coldest night yet. It was really frigid. Ukrainians have an amazing tolerance of the cold. Able to stay outside for hours and hours it seems, unlike me, a soft American.
Decisive day tomorrow, I hope, for the sake of all those masses braving the cold night.
Petro out.
PS: Everyone in Kyiv now knows the word "Pomarancha," I think the word "Apelsin" is history. The Ukies we work with that used to look at us incredulously when we use the word "pomarancha" have a new found linguistic respect for us!
DAY 10
Sent: Wednesday, December 1, 2004, 10:37 p.m.
Pryvit! Another bitter cold day in Kyiv.
Not much to report here. Spent the whole day checking it out. Three personal highlights for me: First, Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) rally. What a rally! What a decision! (Lytvyn's idea to do a secret ballot vote was stroke of genius.) Second, news that Pora blockaded Kuchma's house in Koncha Zaspa, denying access, and lastly, this edited video clip, shown on stage, of Mrs. Yanukovych doing hand motions to the "Razom nas bahato."
Outside our apartment in Ivan Franko Park, Yush's people have built inflatable tents that look like a military field hospital. It's just down the hill from the pres. admin. Hmmm. Also a new stage has been built on Institutska directly opposite the opening of Bankova St. where the demonstrators and riot police are. The stage was not used all day today. Hmmm. ...
On and around Maidan and Khreschatyk there are multiple field kitchens with feeding stations giving out endless meals and cups of hot tea from morning until night. Long lines of people waiting for their turn. Some company has set up a bunch of tents with rotisserie chicken equipment that roasts about 50 chickens at time. Trucks deliver chickens to the first tent where they get butchered, they then get passed to the oven tent, then to the serving tent and to the people. Long line that's actually roped off and orderly.
It's really a high to walk around the center now that half of western Ukraine is out here. My peeps. Being surrounded by that western Ukraine type of Ukrainian language is not something I'm normally accustomed to in Kyiv. Yet here it is. Guys from Lviv actually told me that they are surprised by Kyiv and they are finding themselves not immediately repulsed by Russian-speaking Ukrainians here. Talk about a revolution.
Listening to Yushchenko's speech tonight, it's clear the end is still not at hand. Nothing from Tymoshenko tonight.
DAY 11
Sent: Friday, December 3, 2004, 12:33 a.m.
Pryvit! Druzi!
Tremendous day today. Temperature actually increased to around 40, which made it easy to hang out.
On Khreschatyk we passed a group of guys from Pechenizhyn, a selo not far from Kolomyia where Ola's mother was born. Spoke with them, bought them cigarettes (not exactly a healthy means of support - but something they valued since they said all their other needs are more than adequately met: food, vitamins, etc...) They are responsible for the wall of the tent village at the intersection of Prorizna, which is now defended with iron benches in a triangle formation.
Excellent atmosphere on maidan today, really packed with people despite my fears that the crowd might start thinning out. Saw many fresh arrivals from all over Ukraine. The uproar in [response to] Yush.'s speech, when he asked if people are willing to tough it out until complete victory is achieved, was deafening. No fears here. No longer a demonstration - now it's a full blown "movement."
Supreme Court proceedings drag on. Is it me? Or does everyone agree that the procedure is not very understandable. I need a commentator. And what's with the judge using his laptop the whole time? What's on that laptop? We watched what looked like closing arguments from four attorneys on Yush side while eating a chicken grill sandwich at Mr. Snack. Double chicken, double cheese. Pretty convincing arguments (not surprisingly), especially from the attorney that looks like Alan Dershowitz.
Also, after hearing about a Yush defense force being recruited, I saw evidence of such recruitment tonight. Two men were standing near the central post office with signs like the one in the attached photo: "Sign up for the ranks of the people's defense - per decree of the National Salvation Committee." I spoke with one of them and asked who they were looking for. The answer was anyone under 35 years old with a Ukrainian passport and healthy. They gather 20-25 volunteers each, mostly young students from what I could tell, and lead them over to Yush headquarters building for briefings by Yush people.
I didn't think Yush would speak tonight since nothing that big happened, but he did do a 40-minute speech (followed by Y. Tymoshenko's speech) that got the crowd really psyched. It was educational for me, since he touched on the language and religion issue, refuting the propaganda that he will be shutting down Russian-speaking schools and churches etc. For example, he explained how all of Europe was amazed by the literacy of Ukrainian people (including selo men, women and children) as far back as 400 years ago. Bohdan Khmelnytsky spoke seven languages, he said. And Anna, when marrying the French king, signed her full Christian name while the French king signed with an "X" since he didn't know how to write.
He got the crowd excited when he warned the "shanovna vlada" that if they use the "hand of strength" on even one of the participants of the "aktsia," they will suffer at the "full strength of our hand." Again a deafening reaction. Tymoshenko went into more practical explanations of tomorrow's plan: VR votes in a law in support of a revote of the second round. Kuchma will have two hours to sign the bill into law. Furthermore, Kuchma signed a document with all the European leaders yesterday saying he is ready to sign such a law. However he has now flipped and is pushing for a full revote from scratch.
Tymoshenko had a field day with the fact the Kuchma flew to Moscow to confer with Putin. She claimed that he was agreeing with Putin as to who they would propose as a candidate in the new election. Putin also said today that Russia is prepared to help "regulate" the political crisis in Ukraine.
Yush said that he will not consider a revote from scratch, citing an example of an athletic tournament. If the two top teams tie, they have extra time or penalty shots, they don't start the tournament from scratch again. The crowd related.
Hopefully some movement tomorrow.
PS: Today I confirmed with Yush people that the orange dome tent complex (photo attached to yesterday's e-mail), near the president's admin. (Ivan Franko theater side) is in fact a field hospital.
PART II
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 9, 2005, No. 2, Vol. LXXIII
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