Ten years after the Maidan Revolution took place in Ukraine, the event will be remembered through a photography exhibition Kyiv, including some works by Belgian photographer Jim Sumkay. The photographer immortalised back in 2014 part of what is generally known as the biggest demonstration in Ukraine’s modern history and the bloodiest week in its post-Soviet history.
1. Jim Sumkay and Ukraine
After a first visit in 2010 during which he took portraits of people’s daily lives, Jim Sumkay took a particular interest in Ukraine. A few years later, the Maidan Revolution happened, an extraordinary opportunity for a photographer.
“When I heard about the events in Maidan Square in Kyiv in 2014, I wanted to put together an exhibition about the Ukrainian capital”, the artist told Belgian news agency Belga. “After consulting the University of Liège, I finally got a budget that allowed me to travel to Kyiv in early March 2014.”
Once arrived, the photographer was struck by the atmosphere in the city: “The protesters set up numerous tents and food distributions were organised. You saw people from all social classes going there”, Sumkay said.
As a commemoration of the Maidan Revolution, a temporary exhibition with the works of several photographers, including Sumaky, will be in display on the Kontraktova Square in Kyiv. The exhibition, organised with the support of the Belgian city of Liège, was inaugurated on 19 February in the presence of Belgium’s ambassador to Ukraine, Peter Van de Velde, and will be on display until 21 April. At the museum dedicated to the Maidan Revolution, even more works will be displayed.
2. Euromaidan and The Revolution of Dignity
The Revolution of Dignity, or the Maidan Revolution, was the climax of the Euromaidan protests that took place between November 2013 and February 2014 in Ukraine. The first protest of what was to become “the largest ever pro-European rally in history” took place on 21 November 2013, in Kyiv’s central square – Maidan. President Viktor Yanukovych had just turned on the decision of signing an agreement with the EU, which was supposed to pave the way for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Instead, he chose to favour relations with Russia, which was not well received by the citizens.
A series of protests began, in which people were asking for their rights and freedoms and to join the European family. The situation quickly turned sour when the mass clashed with the police forces. What had started as a peaceful demonstration, ended with beatings and tear gas.
The people were not deterred by the Militsiya (police) and Berkut (special police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) and continued to express their dissatisfaction. The Maidan square was turned into a base camp and, from there, time and time again, civilians wanted to march towards the Parliament and Presidential Residence, but each time they were intercepted.
The conflict escalated, the police deciding to use live ammunition instead of rubber bullets and to set an entire building, known as headquarters of the movement, on fire. In the end, Yanukovych fled the country and got political asylum in Russia from President Putin.
For this resolution, 107 people died, almost 2000 were injured, 234 were arrested, 140 were imprisoned and between 166 and 300 went missing.