By Irina Korotych
Last December when Maidan rose up, we heard many predictions “from the other side”. There were lots of predictions, but the most common was, – “You will be disappointed!”…
I still can’t understand this. The issue is that we were never particularly enamored with anyone. So, who should be disappointing us? Yanukovitch? Ukrainian “opposition”? Don’t make me laugh. We always knew their worth. Very few of those who stood on Maida shared Phil’s opus “go renegotiate”. Should we be disappointed in the Ukrainian oligarchy? Even funnier. In West’s support? We expected even less from them. In any of the Ukrainian political parties? In our “fraternal” neighboring people? Or in a psychopath who runs a significant chunk of the dry land, who took my home? Or in the human trash that inevitably floats to the top anytime global events take place?
The most significant contribution of Maidan is the People. Not those in power. Not those who run down the corridors of power hanging on to their loot. The other people. Those, who got up in the middle of the night and went to the ringing of the Mikhaylovsky cathedral bells and under that batons of Berkut on the frosty December 11th night. Those who kept stubbornly tying the blue-yellow ribbons knowing that they could be beaten and injured for it. Those who piled on into cars on Podil and went in small teams all over the city trying to stop the well-instructed gangsters. Those who conducted the evening roll call and went to Maidan each time there was a threat of the storm, not to fight, but to make sure there was a lot of us, understanding that there is a strength in numbers that would prevent the use of force in the center of the city. Those who took shifts in the hospitals stood by the courthouses, cold and wet, yet defiant.
Who should be disappointing us? Those who like ants were clearing out the snow on Maidan? Those who brought food, dragged tires, ran to get hot water, carried out the wounded, stood at 2 am in line at the pharmacy to get blood clotting and stitching materials, who fed, drove, treated and shared?
I will never be disappointed in Lesya, who first, holding on to her pregnant belly, was helping people on Maidan and later, with a baby in hands, was running around the city, finding homes for the displaced people and delivering food, clothing, and medicine.
I will not be disappointed in Alyona, who was first holding on to her husband at home, but then on February 18th packed his bag understanding that he has to go. In Taras, who was carrying the bulletproof vests on his back from Poland and was shipping them off to the army…
I will not be disappointed in millions of my beautiful fellow citizens, who are ready to fight to death for each other. And even in the cheerful group of people, who were partying next to us and wrapped up the evening with the singing of the Ukrainian anthem. Their singing wasn’t particularly good, but so serious that we glanced at each other and got up on our feet…
