A reminder that today marks one year since the first Euromaidan protesters were killed in clashes with Ukrainian police. The first person to die was ethnic Armenian Serzh Nihoyan:
"He loved history, both Armenian and Ukrainian," said his mother, Venera, saying that he remembered to light a candle every December 7 in memory of Armenia's devastating Spitak earthquake in 1988. "That's the kind of guy he was. He had never been to Armenia. But he dreamed of getting a passport and getting to travel there."
The next to die, later the same day, was Belarusian Mikhail Zhyzneuski:
Zhyzneuski, who was in his late 20s, reportedly died of a gunshot wound to the heart. Since moving to Ukraine, he had become a member of UNA-UNSO, a sometimes controversial Ukrainian nationalist organization that is militantly opposed to Russian influence.
Here's the story from our archive:
Ukrainian In Spirit, If Not Name: Euromaidan's First Victims
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaking during a televised cabinet meeting in Moscow on measures to tackle the country's economic crisis:
"Colleagues, we all understand the reasons that triggered economic problems. There are a number of them that we have spoken about already more than once -- they are the structural problems of our economy; the ongoing consequences of the the crisis of 2008; of course, the fundamental fall -- I would even say a crash -- of oil prices; and, certainly, that external pressure that lead our country to make certain political decisions."
"It was a conscientious choice, the choice made per request of the people who turned to our country for help and support. Essentially, it is the united stance not only among the branches of our government, but that of our entire people. Thus, as responsible leaders we ought to understand the price we are compelled to pay for our decisions, the difficult work we'll have to undertake in order to minimize the consequences of economic problems. I simply would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is our collective responsibility."
