Ukrainian artist Boris Yeghiazaryan: “I would like to ask, how much more bloodshed is needed for them to defend a European nation in the heart of Europe?” The first day, when the clashes began on Hrushevskyy street, I called the collision instigation, deliberate provocation by the authorities, and willy-nilly оur boys from Maidan got involved in it. (Both then and today Maidan is full of provocateurs of various stripes as Maidan is an open area after all). In the coarse of the second day of the collision, when being unable to remain indifferent to what was happening on Hrushevskyy street, Maidan started to get engaged in it and gave battle, it became clear that although the war was imposed on us, we would no longer be able to avoid it. And after Maidan demanded the opposition leaders to deny the negotiations with the authorities, it became clear that Maidan, as expression of free will, as symbol of free Ukraine, refuses to believe in negotiations with the authorities whatsoever. And Hrushevskiy street was declared Maidan territory, i.e. the battle on Hrushevskiy street was declared our battle. And I concur it, as our boys were killed there.After the death of Serhiy Nigoyan, who became my friend in Maidan, I received a short message: “Serhiy died. What are you going to do?” I’ve been thinking for some time what my response would be. And I realized that I had only one answer – I will continue to do what I was doing and am doing all my life, since 1988. I will fight the regime.
It would never occur to me to say the words, “I will take revenge”. I am Armenian, I am a Christian. I am not adherent of vendetta. But I am adherent of Christian motto – to fight, even if it takes long and be agonizing, even if it is at the expense of life, to fight until I reach my goal. Lots of people were killed. Many of them died in dire sufferings. There are countless injured and many people were subjected to terrible physical and mental torture. When I saw the physical and moral tortures of the handsome Ukrainian lad, кozak, forced by the riot police to stand on the street stripped naked, I’ve asked myself the same question, “What are you going to do”. I heard the answer instantly, “I will not forgive this! And here is what I see, Ukraine is not forgiving it!
I am sick and impatient to get well and go back to the Maidan (unfortunately, over the years my Armenian nose didn’t get used to the Ukrainian frost and hardly withstands it). So, due to circumstances I was following the events watching TV, and I heard on the news of Channel 5 about worldwide cases of conviction and imprisonment of soldiers or riot policemen from six months to one year for such insult – torture and humiliation of human being. It’s completely inconceivable, how can a crime committed by a single cruel martinet be compared with the crimes of the system which is now taking place in Ukraine. Even the fact of comparison derogates the level of enormity of the crime committed by Berkut. After all, what happened in Ukraine was not just a single act of crime committed by one person – a criminal, but was committed by Berkut members with the permission and encouragement of the authorities and confidence in impunity. It was a crime against the Ukrainian people, and it is a crime against humanity. It is also well-known fact that the Nazis were practicing such abuse and torture at the height of war.
I am not a politician, I’m an artist of Ukraine, and I’m an artist of the world. And I do not want to be delicate or diplomatic. I would like to voice my protest and therefore I condemn the authorities and the governments of the United States and European countries which continue to express diplomatic requests, stating that they are with the Ukrainian people, meanwhile doing nothing feasible and effective in order to restrain and stop the power brutalities. I condemn the European leaders who, while possessing concrete leverage, prefer to linger and watch as civil war and bloodshed is unfolding in Ukraine. After all, we manned the barricades because we opted for European choice. I by no means blame the European values, as we are all committed to them. I condemn those leaders by omission and acquiescence of which all these crimes are winding up in Ukraine. The impression is that Maidan is surrounded by berkuts and titushki and Ukraine is surrounded by European states, whose leaders wearing white gloves of diplomacy quietly whisper about reconciliation and peaceful resolution of the issue while bloodshed is spreading in Ukraine. I would like to ask, how much more bloodshed is needed for them to defend a European nation in the heart of Europe? If I had an exhibition in any European country now, I would have withdrawn that exhibition back.
I want to express my gratitude and admiration for Poland, which decided unilaterally, despite the abstention of other European countries, to enforce sanctions against Yanukovych and his entourage. I want to express my special love for Lithuania. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said that Lithuania is ready to accept the injured and maimed from Ukraine for medical treatment in Lithuania. I think we need to send our hero-lads and injured girls to Lithuania. Lithuania is a country of love and dignity. Lithuania will cure our injured. Lithuanians will surround them with love and reinforce the spirit and health of our lads. Last year, in the summer, I was fortunate to be in Lithuania. I’ll write about it in a separate article. It will be called “Love in Lithuanian.”
What else can I say? We mourn for the dead. We find comfort in God. And we act – dіyemo!
From Eurolution.doc
