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Creative Sparks At Kyiv's Euromaidan


A screen grab of a tweet showing newlyweds "Marina" and "Andriy" at Independence Square in Kyiv
A screen grab of a tweet showing newlyweds "Marina" and "Andriy" at Independence Square in Kyiv
Kyiv has seen intense fighting since January 19, when antigovernment protesters and police clashed on Hrushevskyy street, 1.5 kilometers from the main hub of the “Euromaidan” opposition protests on Independence Square.

But between battles with police and the occupation of buildings, the near-apocalyptic scenes have created a ready-made platform for artistic -- or social -- creativity.

Music

Ukraine is the birthplace of a host of well-known composers, including Mykola Leontovych, who was once nicknamed the "Ukrainian Bach." Fittingly, pianos, along with some fledgling virtuosos, have appeared in some unexpected places.

In the video below, a protester plays a rendition of "Nuvole Bianche" by Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian pianist. The performance was apparently filmed outside the Kyiv regional administration building and is titled "An extremist seizes a piano at 'Euromaidan.'" (Government officials have accused some protesters of extremism.)

Overnight between January 26 and 27, protesters seized Kyiv's Ukrainian House after noticing that security forces had assembled inside. Soon after, a demonstrator performed French composer Yann Tiersen's "Atlantique Nord" for assembled guests in the convention center's concert hall:

In this eerie scene recorded by Sky News producer Yulia Bragina on January 23, a lone saxophonist toots his horn as dusk settles in on the smoldering rubble of Hrushevskyy street:​


Wedding Snaps

Wedding parties tend to seek shots around town that will provide memories that last a lifetime (or at least the length of a marriage). One couple saw the barricades as the perfect spot for such a shot.

Newlyweds who identified themselves to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service as Marina and Andriy said they chose to come to Independence Square straight after their nuptials to show support for the protesters.





Battle Landscapes

No battle is complete without first being immortalized on canvas. In the photo below, an artist paints the scene of destruction outside Dynamo stadium on Hrushevskyy street:


Battle Anthems

Along the barricades of Hrushevskyy street, protesters bang on metal to rally cold demonstrators for battle, creating an almost constant din:


Ukraine's riot police, the Berkut, have responded with their own battle hymn:

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    Glenn Kates

    Glenn Kates is the former managing editor for digital at Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. He now reports for RFE/RL as a freelancer. 

About This Blog

Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org

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