The Revolution of Dignity was the first battle in today’s war: memories of Euromaidan participants

On February 20, Ukraine honors the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred – those who died during the Revolution of Dignity. But these events began much earlier, and many believe they are still ongoing.

It was the first battle in the war we still have today. Fakty ICTV talked to the participants of Euromaidan and the bloody events.

Pavlo Sydorenko

Pavlo Sydorenko, who is now the head of the communications group of the 241st Kyiv terrorist defense brigade, came to the Maidan on November 24, his birthday.

– None of us went to the revolution, we all went to Euromaidan for the European development and European future of our country, when the Yanukovych government surrendered to the gentle embrace of Russia. No one expected that about a hundred thousand people would come. That was the first feeling that we were a force,” says Pavlo.

He was also on Bankova Street when provocateurs clashed with Maidan participants and Berkut officers.

– “December 1 was the point of bifurcation – irreversibility, when, for example, for me personally, Euromaidan turned into the Revolution of Dignity, when it was clear that neither the government nor we, as the people of Ukraine, would back down and would fight for our values,” says Sydorenko.

On January 19, when the violent confrontation on Hrushevskoho Street began, Pavlo was wounded. Four rubber bullets hit him. The man lost sight in his left eye. He says that when he got to the Eye Center, there were up to 80 people with the same injuries.

– These are the events that have already gone down in history as the Epiphany. But I never thought that in my free country, as I thought at the time, I would be shot in the face. I underwent three surgeries, twice my eye was completely replaced, once in Ukraine and once in Germany. They saved my eye as an organ, but I have no vision in my left eye,” says Pavlo.

It so happened that on February 15, Pavlo received a confirmation of readiness to receive him in Germany at the Charité clinic. The consultation was scheduled for February 18. It was difficult to go when the country was in such trouble, but I did not imagine that such terrible events could happen.

I didn’t tell my parents the truth about why I was going.

– I told my parents that my wife and I were going to Germany to extend our visa. I had to come up with a fairy tale, because my parents didn’t really find out about my injury until early May. My mom calls and asks: “Pasha, do you know what’s happening in your country? And then my mom says a phrase: ‘I’m ashamed of the son I gave birth to, because this is happening here, and you’re over there…’ I somehow managed to talk about what happened, what I could do, and it was both funny and painful,” Pavlo recalls.

On February 20, I was out of touch because there was a period of preparation for the operation. On the 21st, he had the surgery. And in the morning his wife told him about the victory.

– “My wife came and said: We won! I said: How did you win? Yanukovych fled. A week later we returned to Ukraine,” the fighter says.

Pavlo believed that God had saved his life for a reason, but for a purpose. So he and his comrades-in-arms created the Initiative Group of the injured/wounded on the Maidan and the entire state system of social protection and support for people affected by the Revolution of Dignity.

– Then, on February 18-20, we won the first battle in the war that had just begun, in the war for our freedom, independence and democracy. Why are the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred the first heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the first wounded Maidan participants the first veterans of this war? Because we perfectly understand the reasons for the Maidan and the Revolution of Dignity, Russia still wanted to hug Ukraine tightly and not let go. That’s how it did it with Belarus,” Pavlo summarizes.

Andriy Huk

Andriy Huk, a neurosurgeon and oncologist, has been a coordinator of the medical service since the first days of the Revolution. He says that at first they had to treat mostly chronic diseases and colds. On the hottest days, there were up to 30 medical stations on Maidan.

– Doctors would sign up, work at their jobs during the day and come in the evening, or vice versa, they would take night shifts and come to Maidan during the day. We were approached by representatives of both law enforcement agencies and Anti-Maidan, and we also provided them with assistance, because this is our vocation, regardless of which side a person stands on,” recalls Andriy Huk.

And everyone was shocked by the events of February 18-20.

– “I realized it was gunfire, my colleague confirmed it, and then the first cries for help started: Medics! Medics!” and we started carrying the first wounded and killed,” recalls Andriy Huk.

Snipers were working from different points of the Maidan as people were marching peacefully down Instytutska Street. The biggest losses were on February 20.

The protesters were carrying wooden shields and wearing ordinary construction helmets, no one was wearing specific protective helmets, so we have the Heavenly Hundred.

The wounds were targeted – the medics saw it themselves.

– We saw that it was 5.45 and even 7.62 (caliber – Ed.), and if you walk down Instytutska Street, you can still see bullet traces. Mostly, of course, these were sniper shots, aimed at the heart and head. At a certain stage, we saw that there were a lot of wounds to the left side of the skull, they tried to hit the left eye more. This is due to the specifics of a sniper’s work. So, the professionals were working,” the medic says.

The wounded were given first aid and sent to medical facilities. The medics themselves were also wounded.

– “The Red Cross allowed us to wear their camisoles, and we are members of the Red Cross, and yes, we were shot at,” says Andriy Huk.

Many of the protesters could not be saved, no matter how hard they tried.

– Many of the wounded were already in an agonizing state. But we are still in touch with those we managed to save, and we are actively supporting the families of the Heavenly Hundred,” says Andriy Huk.